What is deep tissue massage?
It is the firmer one. Your therapist works slowly and deliberately into muscle, tendons and the connective tissue underneath, rather than gliding over the top, and spends most of the session where you actually need it. That is what separates it from a Swedish massage.
Firm
4 out of 5Sustained deep pressure, adjusted as you give feedback.
- Deep muscle massage
- Deep pressure massage
- Therapeutic massage
We come to you, anywhere in London. Your home, your hotel room or your workplace.
27 London therapists trained in deep tissue massage
Independent, qualified, insured, and met in person before we let them near a client.
What people say about our deep tissue massage therapists
I booked a deep tissue massage with Shanara and was very impressed with her professionalism. She was polite, friendly and used just the right pressure. Thoroughly recommend a treatment with Shanara.
"I recently had a deep tissue massage with Shanara, and it was fantastic! She really listened to my concerns and focused on the areas where I was experiencing the most tension. The pressure was perfect—deep enough to release knots, but not painful. I left feeling so much more relaxed and with significantly less pain. I highly recommend Shanara if you're looking for a skilled and attentive massage therapist!"
I availed a deep tissue massage service from Ms Djamila. She is just too much of an expert and highly professional. Her 40 min massage was as good as a 120 min one. I consider it not only super, SUPERB. Ms Djamila, lease keep the good work up. Er Vinay Gupta Managing Director, TCPL +91-98100 90333 Immd past President, ICI President, IIBE
Great deep tissue therapeutic massage helped get rid of the insomnia suffered over last two weeks. Arrived outside hotel room about 5 minutes late but did send a text 20 minutes before to inform me. Overall very good and would book again. Thanks.
Had several massage sessions with Orsi, the last one yesterda. she very nice and highly professional. Fantastic in deep tissue massage, which is the one I like. highly suggested!
Rated Outstanding
Average 4.97/5 from 12,254 reviews
How deep tissue massage feels
It builds rather than arrives. Nothing deep happens in the first few minutes, and then you feel your therapist find the thing you booked her for.
- Warm almond oil, then pressure that works down into the muscle instead of gliding over it
- Forearms and elbows where hands are not enough, which is most of the deeper work
- Intense on a tight muscle, never painful. Say the word and your therapist eases off, no awkwardness
- That good ache the next day, much like the gym, settled inside about 24 hours
- Water and a gentle stretch after, and by the second day you notice you are moving more freely
Telling your therapist honestly how it feels is the whole trick. A muscle braced against pain will not let go, however hard anyone leans on it, and you will have spent the session for nothing.
The pressure was firm but never too much as my therapist checked in throughout to make sure I was comfortable. I already feel looser, lighter, and more relaxed!
Rachel, SE10
Who deep tissue massage suits
Worth booking if
- You sit at a desk all day and your neck and shoulders have paid for it
- The tightness eases for a few days and then comes straight back
- You have had a massage before, enjoyed it, and it never reached the problem
- Your posture has quietly slipped and you feel it by the evening
- You are coming back from a strain and want the muscle worked, not rested
Mention it when you book if
- This is your first massage and you are not sure how firm you want it
- You bruise easily, or you take blood thinning medication
- You have an injury that is still sore to touch
- You are pregnant, at any stage, in which case book a pregnancy massage instead
- You are having treatment for cancer, or you have had surgery recently
What happens during deep tissue massage
Below is how a typical 90 minute session pans out. A 60 or a two hour booking follows the same shape, with more or less of the middle.
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Before she arrives
Clear a bit of space
Your bed or a patch of floor, and a couple of old towels out ready, since the oil stains. That is genuinely all. Your therapist brings the rest.
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First ten minutes
Warming up
Warm oil and broad, easy strokes while the muscle softens. Nothing deep happens yet, and you will feel yourself start to let go before your therapist has properly begun.
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The next hour
The part you booked for
Slow, weighted pressure into the places that need it. It is intense and it should stay the good side of comfortable, and your therapist will keep checking that it has.
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Last ten minutes
Coming back up
The pressure lightens so you are not thrown straight from deep work into your evening. Most people have stopped talking by now and are pleasantly useless.
Never had a massage before? Our guide to what to expect at your first massage walks through the whole thing, from preparing the room to how you will feel afterwards.
Why have it at home rather than at a spa?
No getting there, no getting back, and no sitting in a reception in a dressing gown when what you want is your own sofa and an early night.
It is also why people book 90 minutes with us and 60 at a spa. The travelling hour goes into the massage instead.
I booked a deep tissue massage to be brought to my flat in Shoreditch. Lara was on time, totally professional and genuinely excellent! Thank you.
Sammy, East London
How deep tissue massage differs from the alternatives
Most people land here torn between two. Here is the short version.
| Deep Tissue Massage | Thai Massage | Swedish Massage | Sports Massage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure | Firm and slow, into specific areas | Firm, but through stretching rather than oil | Light to medium, even all over | Firm, on one muscle group at a time |
| Best for | Knots that keep coming back | Stiffness and joints that feel locked | Stress, poor sleep, general tension | Strains, and getting back to training |
| Whole body? | Yes, with most of the time where you need it | Yes, through stretches and pressure points | Yes, evenly throughout | No, targeted at the problem area |
| You wear | Undressed as far as you like, towel over you | Loose clothes, no oil | Undressed as far as you like, towel over you | Undressed as far as you like, towel over you |
| Afterwards | Mildly sore for a day, looser by the second | Loose and mobile straight away | Relaxed, usually sleepy | Back training sooner |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Want the longer answer?
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Wherever you are, someone covers it. Seven days a week, 7am until 11pm.
Common questions about deep tissue massage
It can feel intense on a muscle that is already tight, but it should not hurt. Your therapist works to your comfort and keeps checking she is on the right side of it. Say the word and she eases off, and please do say it, because a muscle braced against pain will not let go and you will have spent the hour for nothing. If that is the worry, we have written about it properly.
A bit, usually, and mostly where the knots were. It is the gym kind of sore and it settles within about 24 hours. Drink water, stretch gently, do not sit still all evening. Still sore two days later? Tell your therapist next time and she will go lighter.
Back, shoulders and neck, which is where London keeps it. It works just as well on legs and hips, or wherever your particular version of it has settled, whether that came from a desk, a bad chair or a half marathon.
For most people, when it is adapted properly, which is why we ask. Mention any health condition, injury or medication before your therapist starts. If you are pregnant, book a pregnancy massage instead, worked on your side by therapists trained for it.
Somewhere to lie down, your bed or the floor, and your own towels. Old ones, because oil stains. Your therapist brings the oil and the music. The towels are yours for hygiene reasons: a therapist working in homes all day cannot launder between visits the way a spa can, so yours will always be the cleaner option.
Swedish covers everything at an even, soothing pressure. Deep tissue spends the session on what is actually tight, slower and firmer, reaching further down. Plenty of therapists blend the two if you cannot decide. There is a fuller answer in deep tissue vs Swedish massage.
Ninety minutes for most people. Deep work needs the muscle warmed first, so an hour gives you perhaps forty minutes of the deep pressure you came for. If you only want the neck, shoulders and upper back seen to, an hour is plenty.
£59 for 60 minutes, £80 for 90 minutes and £110 for two hours, the same as every other treatment we offer. Some outer London areas carry a small travel charge, which you see before you pay. We have written up what a massage costs in London and how we compare.
Whatever you are comfortable in when she arrives. During the massage you undress as far as you want to and stay covered by a towel throughout, with only the part being worked on uncovered. If that is the bit you were worried about, what to wear during a massage goes through it properly.
Often within the hour, though it depends on who is free near you at the time. Put your postcode into the box on this page and you will see the therapists covering your area and the times they have left today. We work seven days a week, from 7am until 11pm.
Somewhere to lie down, either your own bed or a mat on the floor, and your own towels. Your therapist brings the oil and the music. We ask you to use your own towels for hygiene, because a therapist working in homes all day cannot launder between visits the way a spa can, and yours will always be cleaner. Old ones are best, since oil stains. No table needed, and we have written up why we work this way.
Across more than 200 London neighbourhoods, wherever you are staying or living. Your therapist comes to your home, your hotel room or your workplace. Enter your postcode above to see who covers your address, or look through every area we cover.
Medically and professionally reviewed by Katarzyna Piatkowska, ITEC qualified massage therapist, August 2025.