Because of the deep pressure, certain parts of a deep tissue massage can be painful. However, it should not be unbearable, and pressure can always be adjusted until a more tolerable pressure is reached.
Obviously, everyone is different and will benefit from massage individually, however, more often than not, most people feel the benefits of deep tissue massage after just one treatment!
Sometimes, if a client has a very stubborn knot, or has a lot of tension build up, I will use Myofascia release techniques, in addition to deep tissue massage techniques.