​Why Turn the Ball Sideways?

Most of us use a massage gun the same way:

• Gun upright
• Ball tip pointing straight into the body
• All the weight and percussion going straight down

​
That’s great for big, cushy muscles like glutes and quads. But on smaller, more sensitive areas, it can be too much. Using the side of the ball instead of the tip changes three things:

1. Less of the gun’s weight is driving into the tissue.

When you hold the massage gun sideways, gravity isn’t pushing the full weight of the device straight into the body. You naturally apply lighter pressure, which is perfect for areas that can’t tolerate a hard, direct hit.

2. You physically can’t push as hard.

Holding the gun sideways is mechanically awkward if you try to lean in with full force—and that’s actually a good thing. It acts like a built-in governor, stopping you from overdoing it on small, bony, or tender areas.

3. The vibration feels more like a glide than a jackhammer.

With the head at an angle, the percussion isn’t slamming straight down into the tissue. The ball still moves at the same speed, but the contact surface is more indirect, so the sensation is softer and less abrupt. There isn’t research specifically on sideways ball contact, but studies on percussive therapy suggest you don’t always need huge force or deep displacement to get benefits like reduced stiffness, improved range of motion, and less pain.

When to Use the Side-of-the-Ball Technique

Use this gentler approach when:

• Working over bony / thin-tissue areas
  • Back of the hands
  • Front of the hands and wrists
  • Front of the shins
  • Top of the feet

​
These spots don’t have much muscle for the percussion to sink into, so direct ball-tip work can feel sharp and jumpy. Turning the ball sideways gives you vibration and mild pressure without smashing bone. Guidelines for massage guns consistently warn against driving the tip directly into bony areas for exactly this reason. University of Utah Healthcare+1

• Easing into very sensitive areas
  If a spot lights up the moment you touch it, start with the side of the ball to “introduce” sensation. Once the area calms down, you can (if needed) rotate the gun gradually toward more direct pressure.
• ​When your hand is getting tired or sore

• Gripping a massage gun upright with a lot of force can fatigue your hand and forearm. Holding it more sideways sometimes lets you use a different grip and less pressure, which is easier on your body while still giving the tissue useful input.

How to Try It

1. Turn the massage gun on a low or medium setting.
2. Place the side of the ball against the area you want to work.
3. Keep the gun parallel to the body surface, so you’re not driving the tip in.
4. Glide slowly, or hold one spot for 15–30 seconds while you breathe.
5. Check in with your body: if it feels jumpy, sharp, or like too much, back off or move slightly.

If you want to go deeper later, you can gradually rotate the gun so more of the tip makes contact—but you don’t have to. Many people find that the sideways-ball method gives them enough relief without needing full-force percussion.

The TakeawayYou don’t always need more pressure and more intensity to get results from a massage gun. Sometimes, simply turning the head so the side of the ball meets the tissue is the difference between “I can’t tolerate this” and “Wow, this actually feels good.”
​
It’s a small tweak, but on sensitive areas—and for tired hands—it can make your massage gun way more usable and effective.

This muscle runs from the top of your shoulder blade up into your neck. Where it attaches to the top inside corner of the shoulder blade (the superior angle of the scapula) is a common hot spot for pain, stiffness, and tension headaches.
The good news: you can often calm it down with nothing more than a wall, a tennis ball, and a few minutes of exploring.

Step 1: Find the “corner” of your shoulder blade

1. Place your hand on the back of your shoulder.
2. Slide your fingers in toward your spine until you feel a little corner of bone – that’s the top inside corner of your shoulder blade.
3. Just above and around that corner is where the levator scapulae hooks in. This is the area we’re going after.

You may already feel tenderness there just pressing with your fingers. That’s your target zone.
​

Step 2: Set up with the tennis ball

1. Stand with your back to a wall.
2. Place the tennis ball on that target area, then lean back so the ball is gently pinned between your shoulder and the wall.
3. Start with light pressure—you should feel “good hurt,” not sharp pain or burning.

Step 3: Explore until you hit the right spot

This is the key to making this technique work.
Instead of staying in one position, move your body around the ball to search for the tightest, most tender fibers:

• Step your feet closer or farther from the wall to change how much you lean into the ball.
• Bend your knees a little, then straighten back up so the ball rolls up and down over that corner of the shoulder blade.
• Take a tiny step side to side to let the ball roll inward and outward.

When you find that “oh wow, that’s it” spot, pause there.

Step 4: Hold, breathe, and slowly melt the tension

Once you’ve found the tender point:

1. Lean in until the pressure feels like a 6 or 7 out of 10 – strong but still comfortable.
2. Take slow breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
3. Hold for 10 seconds or until pain feels like it is lessening. If pain doesn't lessen, use less pressure.
4. Let the pressure off, move the ball slightly, and repeat on a new spot if needed.

Most people do best with 2–4 spots per side, once or twice a day.

Step 5: Finish with a gentle stretch

After the tennis ball work, gently stretch the levator scapulae:

1. Sit or stand tall.
2. Turn your nose toward your opposite armpit (like you’re smelling your shirt).
3. Gently nod your head down until you feel a stretch along the back and side of your neck.
4. Hold 15–20 seconds, then repeat on the other side.

When To Use This Technique

Use this self-massage when:

• Your neck and shoulders feel tight after computer work or driving
• You wake up stiff on one side of your neck
• Stress is “living” between your neck and shoulder

Skip it and talk to a provider first if you have:

• Sharp, shooting, or electric pain down the arm
• Recent whiplash or serious injury
• Numbness, tingling, or unexplained weakness

Make it a habit, not a one-time fix

The levator scapulae works hard all day to hold your shoulder and neck. Giving it a few minutes of focused attention--finding the right spot and patiently leaning into the ball from different angles—can be a simple daily reset.

Share this with a friend who’s always rubbing the top of their shoulder. Their neck will thank you.

Many people ask for “deep tissue” but aren’t sure what that actually means. You might be surprised that deep tissue isn’t just pushing harder. It’s a combination of skilled palpation and very specific pressure aimed at the muscles that are actually causing your pain.

Step 1: Palpation – Finding the Real Source of Pain

Palpation is the way a massage therapist “reads” your muscles with their hands.
The therapist should slowly work through the layers of tissue, looking for:

• Bands of tight muscle
• Tender trigger points that “talk back” when pressed
• Spots that reproduce the ache you feel during the day

This assessment lets the therapist narrow things down from “my neck hurts” to “this small, overworked section of your upper trapezius is the real troublemaker.” Without good palpation, deep tissue turns into random hard pressure, which is uncomfortable and far less effective.

Research on massage for conditions like low-back pain shows that hands-on work can reduce pain and improve function compared with no treatment or usual care, especially in the short term.(Cochrane Library) Deep tissue builds on that by being more targeted.

Step 2: Broad Firm Pressure vs. Focused Firm Pressure

Effective deep tissue almost always uses both broad and focused pressure.
Broad Firm PressureBroad pressure is applied with a forearm, fist, or flat palm. It:

• Warms up the tissue
• Signals the nervous system to down-shift and relax
• Spreads pressure over a wider area so your body can receive deeper work without tensing up

This is where deep tissue overlaps with relaxation massage. If you skip this step, focused work feels like “digging” rather than skilled treatment.

Focused Firm Pressure

Focused pressure uses thumbs, knuckles, or a massage tool to compress a very specific area:

• A trigger point in your shoulder that sends pain into your arm
• A knot along your shoulder blade that’s behind your “tech neck”
• A tight band in your hip that feeds low-back pain

Because the pressure is precise, we can work deeply without needing to push hard everywhere. Targeted compression helps release stubborn spots and restore normal movement in a way broad pressure alone can’t.

Early research is even exploring deep tissue techniques for post-surgical pain; for example, a randomized trial is studying deep tissue massage on back pain and comfort after cesarean birth.(ClinicalTrials.gov) While more studies are needed, it reflects a growing interest in focused pressure for pain relief.

What a Deep Tissue Session Looks Like Here

A typical deep tissue session at PressurePerfect Massage:

1. A thorough conversation – where you hurt, what activities aggravate it, and how firm you like pressure.
2. Palpation warm-up – we use broad, firm strokes to locate tight or painful areas and let the muscles start relaxing.
3. Focused work – we sink in slowly and stay on specific points or bands of tight muscle, adjusting pressure based on your feedback.
4. Integration – we blend the focused areas back into surrounding muscles with broader strokes so your body doesn’t feel like it has “holes” where we worked.
5. Quick after-care tips – simple stretches or positioning changes that help the work last.

The goal isn’t to see how much pressure you can tolerate. The goal is to use just enough focused pressure, in the right places, to change the muscle and reduce pain.

When Deep Tissue Helps (and When It Might Not)

Deep tissue is often a good fit if you have:

• Chronic neck and shoulder tightness from computer work
• Hip and low-back discomfort from standing, lifting, or sitting all day
• Old areas of tension that never seem to let go with lighter massage

​We adjust our approach if you have acute injuries, recent surgery, or medical conditions that make very firm pressure unsafe. In those cases we can still work specifically, but with a lighter touch.

If you’re in Phoenixville and want deep tissue work that’s specific, not just “hard,” our therapists at PressurePerfect Massage use palpation and targeted pressure to go after the knots that actually hurt—while still leaving you relaxed enough to enjoy the rest of your day. 

Questions? Email or text. You can schedule here. 

Self-massage is a great way to keep your legs feeling good between sessions, but you don’t have to figure everything out on your own.
At PressurePerfect Massage in Phoenixville, our therapists (including Vivian!) work with:

• Runners and walkers with outer knee or hip soreness
• People who sit a lot and feel “locked up” through the hips
• Anyone who wants deep, precise pressure without feeling beaten up afterward

If your IT band keeps flaring up, or you’d like a customized home routine to go with professional massage, we’d be happy to help.
👉 Ready for some hands-on help?
Book a session on our Massage Services page or call us at PressurePerfect Massage and we’ll help you figure out the best plan for your legs and your lifestyle.

When to Use This

• After a long computer day
• After upper-body workouts
• If you notice your shoulders rounding
• If you get recurring tightness at the base of the neck
• Before shoulder mobility work

When to Skip It

• If you’ve had recent chest surgery or injury
• If you have uncontrolled osteoporosis in the area
• If there’s bruising or swelling
• If anything feels sharp or “not right
• When in doubt, check with your health provider.

​
​Make It Work Even Better

A pec release is even more effective when you:

• Stretch the front of the chest afterward (doorway stretch)
• Strengthen the upper back (rows, band pulls)
• Get regular massage to keep the pattern from coming back

We help people with this exact neck/shoulder pain and chest pattern all the time — if you’re local, you can book here.

Have you been pressing away with that tennis ball or lacrosse ball until you're bruised, thinking no pain, no gain? Well, you might want to consider the research that suggests moderate pressure is the best pressure for pain relief: Massage Therapy Research Review, Field 2014 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5467308/

As a massage therapist of 30 years, I was intrigued when I came across this research because it confirmed my experience in the massage room with thousands of clients--most get a better pain relief response with medium pressure.

How do you achieve medium pressure when doing self-massage? Here's one technique that I learned in neuromuscular massage school. Think of a scale from 1 to 10. One is a little pain. Ten is a lot of pain. Apply pressure with a foam roller, tennis ball, lacrosse ball or massage tool to the point where you feel you're at 5. If the pain doesn't dissipate has you hold the pressure on the area, lighten your pressure to a 4.

Here's a video I did for massage therapists to help them find the best pain-relief pressure for the client: 

​

If you have questions, email me ([email protected]) or leave a comment below.

​
I met Charlie at All Kinds of Fast Running Store in Phoenixville, PA. Charlie has a doctorate
in Physical Therapy. Bottom line: he can diagnose. Essentially, Charlie is what becomes before the MRI. 

So if you have a nagging or acute injury and you're not sure if you should run, a PT doc like Charlie should be on your radar. He'll do a differential diagnosis and help you figure out your best course of action. 

Don't go too excited. He may shut you down. But I guarantee you'll walk out the door knowing your best options. 

Here's his website:
www.physicaltherapyjohnson.com 

Here's his contact info: Charlie Johnson, PT, DPT, OCS

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 484-552-3767

UPDATE: Dr. Charlie is entirely online now. So he can advise you no matter where you are. Go to his website, listed above, to talk to him.

If you need to find a PT like Charlie in your area, check out: www.abpts.org 

A while back, I interviewed a Dr. Nick DiNubile (orthopedist), Dr. Ira Meyers (podiatrist), and Dr. Marty Hoffman (researcher). Besides having different specialty perspectives, each doctor came at pain from a different experiential angle. Dr. DiNubile was not a runner, Dr. Meyers is a runner, and Dr. Hoffman is an ultrarunner. 

I interviewed each doctor and wrote a 3 article piece for E-zine magazine. The articles provide the beginner and recreational runner with some common sense advice regarding whether to run through pain or not.

Here's are the Article Links:
1. Running with Pain: Breaking the Rules
2. Running with Pain: Unacceptable Pain
3. Running with Pain: The Mistake Zone

More about Dr. DeNubile here.

More about Dr. Meyers here.

In this interview, Dr. Hoffman talks about the key research in the Ultra study--"the most extensive research to date on ultrarunners."