Published by Garden State Circle — Tiffany and Jake Slowinski · Hillsborough
By Tiffany Slowinski
There are plenty of reasons to make time for a massage. Sometimes, it is the promise of an hour when nobody needs anything from you. Other times, it is the stiff neck after a week at your desk or the familiar ache in your back that you have been meaning to address.
What you hope to get out of that hour has a lot to do with which kind of massage will suit you. An appointment devoted to unwinding may look different from one spent working on a stubborn spot between your shoulders. You might be hoping for a little of both.
Knowing how you want to feel afterward does not necessarily mean you know which service to choose. Once you start looking at appointments, two familiar options tend to appear: Swedish and deep tissue.
Swedish sounds like a chance to relax. Deep tissue sounds like the one that will actually fix something — although possibly at the cost of an hour spent gritting your teeth.
For Julio Solano, owner and sole therapist at Sol Massage Therapy in Hillsborough, choosing an approach starts with a conversation. Before his hands ever reach a shoulder, he wants to know what brought the client to his table.
Owner, Sol Massage Therapy, Hillsborough
Has there been an injury? Where is the discomfort? How much pressure feels comfortable?
Licensed in New Jersey since 2018, Solano uses those answers to shape the session. Most of his clients come looking for deep tissue work. That does not mean everyone gets the same massage.
His practice has also earned local recognition: Sol Massage Therapy received the 2023 Central Jersey Community’s Choice Award for best massage therapy, according to the business’s website. For someone considering a first appointment, his approach begins with something less formal but equally useful — time to explain what hurts, what feels comfortable and what they hope to get from the session.
What is the difference between Swedish and deep tissue massage?
Solano describes Swedish massage as maintenance for someone who is not dealing with much pain. The emphasis is on relaxation, making it an option for clients who want to unwind and keep feeling good.
Deep tissue involves more focused, therapeutic work. Firmer pressure is part of the approach, though Solano says the pace matters just as much.
“Deep tissue is definitely going to be slower, more therapeutic in relation to a relaxation massage,” he says.
To explain why, he offers an example that might make your shoulders tense just reading it: an elbow pressed into a muscle and immediately dragged back and forth.
That would feel rough, Solano says. When firm pressure arrives too quickly, the body can brace against it. He works more gradually, giving the muscle time to respond before increasing the pressure.
The distinction helps explain why deep tissue does not have to mean spending the appointment holding your breath. There is a technique to working deeply, and patience is part of it.
Getting to the bottom of tight shoulders
Before deciding how to address a tight spot, Solano wants to understand where it came from.
An injury calls for a different conversation than tension that has accumulated through stress and daily routines. When an injury is involved, he checks for contraindications — reasons a treatment may be inappropriate — and follows the medical team’s plan.
“I’m not a doctor,” he says.
For everyday tension, he has several tools to draw on. He may use hot stones when stress is contributing to the tightness or consider cupping when it has become persistent. What he chooses depends on what he finds during the massage and how the client responds.
At Sol Massage Therapy, those tools are included in the appointment when Solano uses them. Clients do not have to decide in advance whether to pay for an upgrade.
Two people who arrive complaining about tight shoulders may have different sessions. The location of the discomfort gives him a starting point. The client’s history and response help him decide where to go from there.
How much pressure is enough?
Pressure can be surprisingly difficult to describe. What feels moderate to one person may feel intense to someone else.
“Everybody has a different tolerance,” Solano says.
That makes feedback part of the appointment. Choosing deep tissue does not commit a client to tolerating more pressure than feels comfortable, and Solano pays attention to when the work may be becoming too much.
He also considers factors such as injuries, bruising, cuts, conditions including lymphedema, and muscle fatigue after an intense workout when deciding whether deep tissue is appropriate.
Overdoing pressure can cause bruising, he says. Knowing when to ease up is part of the therapist’s responsibility.
For clients, the useful question is how the pressure feels in the moment. There is no need to prove you can handle whatever comes next. Telling Solano that something feels too intense gives him information he can use.
What should you expect after your first session?
A first appointment gives Solano a chance to learn how someone responds to massage, including afterward.
Some clients experience soreness following unfamiliar work. He compares it to the feeling after a first workout — an experience that helps explain why he takes a measured approach with someone new.
The first visit is not necessarily the time to introduce every tool or make the session especially intense. He wants to see what the client can comfortably receive and use that information to guide future appointments.
Solano says soreness may diminish as the body becomes accustomed to the work, though he continues to assess each person’s tolerance.
His aftercare advice is simple: Stay hydrated and allow some time before the next workout. He also takes issue with the familiar claim that drinking water after a massage helps “flush toxins,” calling that explanation a myth.
How you felt later that day or the next morning is useful information to bring to the next appointment. It helps him understand what worked well and what may need adjusting.
Does deep tissue massage cost more?
At Sol Massage Therapy, the answer is no. Swedish and deep tissue massage are priced by appointment length, so choosing more focused work does not mean paying a higher rate.
A 60-minute massage is $110. Longer appointments are available, with the full pricing guide below. Hot stones, cupping and other tools Solano uses during the session carry no additional charge. View massage services and rates.
That takes one decision out of the conversation. If Solano thinks a particular tool would be useful, the discussion can stay focused on why he wants to use it and whether the client is comfortable with it.
The same principle applies to pressure. There is no reason to ask for more simply because you booked deep tissue, or to assume a gentler session would be less worthwhile. What matters is what brought you in and how you respond to the work.
A conversation worth having
By the time you arrive for a massage, you may have spent weeks thinking about the spot that bothers you and very little time thinking about how to describe it.
Solano’s questions give you a place to start. Tell him when you notice the discomfort, whether an injury is involved and what you have liked or disliked about previous massages. During the session, let him know when the pressure needs adjusting. Afterward, pay attention to how you feel so you can discuss it at the next visit.
Those conversations help him get to know the person he is working with. They also give you a clearer idea of what to expect when you return.
The appeal of a massage may begin with an hour to yourself or the hope of easing a stubborn ache. At Sol Massage Therapy, you do not have to translate that hope into a treatment plan on your own. Bring the questions, explain what has been bothering you and let Solano begin with what he wants to understand first: you.
Sol Massage Therapy pricing and appointments
Swedish and deep tissue massage have the same rates. Hot stones, cupping and other tools used during the appointment are included at no additional charge.
| Appointment length | Price |
|---|---|
| 60 minutes | $110 |
| 90 minutes | $165 |
| 120 minutes | $220 |
Rates are listed on the Sol Massage Therapy services page.
Location: 112 Courtyard Drive, inside BLÍSSS Self Care Studio, Hillsborough, New Jersey. See the arrival directions and first-visit information.
Appointments: Book through Fresha.
Website: Sol Massage Therapy
Email: Julio@SolMassageNJ.com
About This Article
Garden State Circle interviewed Julio Solano, a licensed massage therapist and owner of Sol Massage Therapy, in October 2026. Prices and policies may change; confirm details when booking.
Sol Massage Therapy is a member of the Garden State Circle, which verifies its members’ information and publishes features about them. How the Circle works.
This article is produced by Garden State Circle and is part of our local coverage of Somerset County.
This article is maintained. If anything here is wrong or has changed — a name, an address, hours, or whether a business has closed — tell us and we will check it. Businesses named here are welcome to write in directly. admin@gardenstatecircle.com