Muscles are meant to glide against the tissues around them. After an injury, surgery, or a long period of poor movement, those layers can start to stick together — which restricts movement and often causes pain well away from the site itself.
Soft tissue mobilisation uses graded pressure and movement to restore that glide. It is generally more gradual than deep massage, working progressively through tissue layers rather than pressing straight through them.
When it is used
Often early in a rehabilitation plan, when tissue is not ready for aggressive work but needs to start moving again. It also pairs well with joint mobilisation — freeing the soft tissue first often lets a stiff joint move better.