Tolerance is the pressure that is intense but still breathable, usually about a 6 or 7 out of 10, above which the body guards.
In 📝Trigger Point Therapy that number is a shared language, not a medical pain scale and not a contest. Below it the hold may never meet the point; above it the muscle fights and the point stays. The person is the authority on the number. A 📝jump sign means the hold is already over the line.
Clients are asked, not told. If they cannot speak or breathe, the contact comes off. Bruising, numbness, or next-day pain that is sharp rather than a familiar ache is too much dose.