Another common type of massage, so-called deep tissue, tends to be more targeted to problem muscles and includes techniques such as acupressure, trigger-point work (which focuses on little knots of muscle) and "deep transverse friction" where the therapist moves back and forth over muscle fibers to break up scar tissue.

WSJ: Don't Call It Pampering: Massage Wants to Be Medicine

When Susan Lewis visited a Manhattan day spa, she was all set for a deep-tissue massage and some "quiet and relaxation, " says the 42-year-old film producer in New York.

WSJ: The Ultimate Spa Treatment: Privacy

Dissolve your weary body into the saline pool for an energizing swim at The Spa at Rancho Bernardo Inn - named the best outdoor spa in the area by San Diego Magazine - followed by a deep-tissue massage with a botanical scalp treatment or a kiwi-pineapple body wrap to invigorate you.

BBC: Daily deal: Luxury and libations in Southern California

Inflammation can extend deep into dental tissue and cause the loss of supporting connective tissue.

NPR: Study Links Pot Smoking to Gum Disease

This may be accomplished by scrubbing, but if the burn is deep enough, the unhealthy tissue must be shaved away, he said.

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