Connective Tissue Massage (CTM) or BindegewebMassage is a style of pain management massage that is performed mainly from the upper back down to the hips due to its purpose of reflexively affecting the autonomic nervous system. Since it operates reflexively and under the radar of consciousness, you are usually unaware of its continuous operation unless it is causing pain and dysfunction.

Associated with vital internal functions, it helps maintain internal balance and stability (homeostasis) by coordinating activities like digestion, respiration, blood circulation, excretion, and hormone secretion. It can and usually does play a key role in the generation and maintenance of chronic pain and medically unexplained symptoms because it is one of the most influential complex adaptive systems of the mind/brain-body. Connective tissue changes of body surface areas are believed to correspond to pathology of internal organs.

The benefits of its application for pain relief are usually rapid and dramatic. It is especially helpful with menstrual pain, low back pain, abdominal distress, and most visceral organ pain and dysfunction. Long term effects can be the return to optimum internal balance and stability.