Many people turn to massage when they experience muscle pain or tensionto seek relief, to correct a problem or to relieve pain. But everyone has probably experienced it: muscle soreness-like pain occurred after the massage. Maybe you're wondering why it hurts after a massage when you thought it was supposed to make you feel better? In this article we will explain why everything hurts after massage and when it is normal. It's also helpful to know what you can do to ease the pain.
Why do you have sore muscles after a massage?
Muscle soreness often occurs after a deep tissue massage. Most people experience muscle soreness the next day.The muscle pain can last hours or days, depending on the type of massage, your body's reaction and how the pain is being treated. Muscle soreness after massage is most often associated with therapeutic and sports massage, where the intention of the treatment was to relieve muscular tension and eliminate pain.
If you feel muscle soreness after a massage, it is because the soft tissues have been massaged to release blockages, knots and tension and restore the muscle condition to a functional state. During a massage treatment it is often necessary to apply firm pressure and deep rhythmic movements along the body meridians. As a rule, the more chronic or persistent the condition, the more depth is required to get the metabolism moving and loosen the stuck connective tissue. Just like the body needs time to recover after a heavy workout, recovery time after a massage is also important.
Why do some massages hurt?
Every person has a unique body type and responds differently to a massage treatment. It is very unlikely that you will experience muscle soreness after a light, relaxing treatment such as a Swedish massage. Over time, the body adapts to the pain, so many people who undergo regular massage treatments experience very little or no ill effects.
“Pain is resistance to change,” and it is your remedial massage therapist’s job to challenge your muscles and connective tissue. Therapists speak of “good pain” and use the optimal depth of pressure, speed and direction of movements. Environmental influences, dietary habits and stressful conditions can also sometimes change a patient's reaction after a massage.
“No pain, no gain”: Is sore muscles after massage a good thing?
The popular belief that you have to experience pain to get a positive massage result is untrue. In fact, “less is more” would be a more accurate statement to describe how much pressure should be applied during a massage treatment. There is a fine line between “too little pressure,” which does not produce improvement in the body’s structures, and “too much pressure,” which makes a patient tense and can take their breath away. Breath is key. If you are in so much pain during a treatment that you cannot breathe, you must inform the therapist. “No pain, no gain” will not serve you here and may lead to other painful symptoms in the strained muscles.
Do you have more pain after a massage than before?
A common fear one might have when experiencing muscle soreness after a massage is: “I didn't have any pain before. Did my therapist cause harm?” In cases where extreme treatment pain required one to tense up to endure it, this may be true. However, a healing massage is not a one-time treatment. If you only want treatment for pain relief, you will need to inform your massage therapist so that they can apply lighter pressure to relieve the symptom rather than deeply massaging the muscles.
A healing massage works like treatment therapy. Typically, after the second or third treatment, you will know whether your treatment goals can be achieved. Depending on your goals, you should also know how many sessions are still required. Depending on the type of remedial massage, the pain can sometimes get worse before it improves.
What to do if your muscles are sore after a massage?
Muscle protection is the term used to explain how our brain reacts when we experience muscle soreness-like pain after a massage. It is the unconscious tensing of the painful muscles to protect the painful area. After the same day massage, you can take some simple and pleasant measures to prevent muscle soreness the next day:
Drink plenty of water before and after the massage.Well-hydrated muscles before massage are more flexible and less tense. There are also some strong beliefs that drinking plenty of water can also help flush away the toxins released by the massage. Avoid alcoholic, sugary and caffeinated drinks. In addition to water, opt for healthy options such as coconut water, fresh fruit or vegetable juice, or herbal teas.
Do gentle stretching exercises in the evening.This helps relieve muscle tension and improve muscle flexibility and blood circulation. It is also a good way to relieve stress and relax your body and mind. In this article we haveStretching exercises with instructions for each body partcollected.
Take a warm bath, ideally with Epsom salts(200 to 400 grams for adults), and just try to unwind for 20-40 minutes. Epsom salt is an inexpensive and effective way to help your body rid itself of toxins and reduce muscle inflammation. You also get the added bonus of absorbing the beneficial magnesium found in Epsom salt through your skin. Here you can have severalRecipes for bath products with home remediesdiscover. Alsoessential oilscan relieve muscle pain.
If the pain persists, it can be very usefulto take painkillers, to break the pain cycle so that the brain can relax the “stressed muscles”.
