More Miscellaneous Cases Studies And Tales Of Massage Woe
A weird, extreme case study paper tells the horror story of one persons awful experience with a severe reaction to infrared heat and massage therapy.19 The trouble started after several treatments. His neck and arms were swollen, the pain became unbearable, and his serum muscle enzymes were increased which means some degree of rhabdo, which implicates the massage itself as a significant mechanism of injury. Massage is not likely to blame for the incident, though it was probably interacting with some unidentified vulnerability in the patient, such as a muscle disease or a complication caused by a medication. Clearly massage and heat alone do not normally cause such severe side effects! Nevertheless, the potential for awful interactions does exist, and this is a good example of it.
Alternative therapies may have serious complications, and patients usually do not report them unless asked specifically, the authors point out. Although notice that some of these are too serious not to report.
Stretching injuries. Stretch is sometimes applied to patients by massage therapists, sometimes very strongly, and of course they routinely recommend it. Although mostly safe, obviously you can overdo it. I know this one from personal experience: Stretching Injury.
Is It Normal To Feel Pain Following A Massage Treatment
One of the things we get asked about often here at Araya Beauty during or immediately after some of our more intense massage treatments is it it supposed to hurt?! and the answer, quite frankly, is yes! If done correctly, a deep tissue massage should invoke some feelings of initial pain, often follwed by a couple of days oreness or even mild bruising its not for the feint-hearted but as the saying goes no pain, no gain!
Of course, the pain should never be excruciating . We pride ourselves on being attentive, respectful communicative before, during and after all of our massage treatments from start to finish and we do offer softer, more relaxing options such as Thai oil massages for those who dont like it rough, so to speak!
Most of our massage clients know by now that deep tissue massages can be some of the most relieving and beneficial types of massages to receive. However, some can often become apprehensive to receive a deep tissue massage when they hear that there might be some pain or soreness involved in the process.
Generally speaking, soreness is simply a positive side effect that the massage was successful in doing its job in relieving all of your pesky knots and muscle tension.
Articles Like This Dont Write Themselves
Suggested price to continue reading is $6 USD.? Dont want to pay? Just keep on scrollin by! Like passing a street busker.
You do not have to pay to continue reading. The suggested price really is just a suggestion. I refuse to clutter my pages with typical internet advertising so instead you get a strongly worded suggestion to support my work. But only in a few of the most substantive and popular articles.
And why six bucks? I would rather suggest $3 for this, honestly, but my hands are tied. Its weird, but $5 online purchases are rejected by credit card companies at an extraordinary rate, because that price point is strongly associated with fraud . And under $5, the fees start to defeat the purpose of the donation. So $6 is the minimum viable price point for a micro-transaction.
But, if youve come this far with me, you can see that this is a super deep dive into the topic of soreness and malaise caused by massage, like a small ebook that I could easily be selling to Kindle users . Certainly its more than a mere article: its an actively maintained resource, heavily referenced, and ad-free for millions of readers over the years. Please help it exist.
Or support PainScience with a premium newsletter subscription, and get 13 mostly short posts of pain science news per week, plus some extra posts, plus members-only content scattered around the site. See the membership page.
~ Paul Ingraham, PainScience publisherVancouver, Canada
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You May Be Dehydrated
Water dehydration is a risk factor that most people forget. Water is crucial for flushing out toxins in the body. Massage therapy also helps by decreasing the chances of cramps due to hot weather. Drinking water also increases electrolytes, which can combat having too much potassium and sodium in the body. Make sure that you drink enough water and hydrate yourself before getting a deep tissue massage appointment.
Lessons For Professionals And Patients
These are rare but real incidents. Healthy people are unlikely to be injured by massage. Most of dangers are related to undetected vulnerabilities, and they emphasize the importance of alternative health professionals being trained to spot the scary stuff. The measure of a health professionals competence is not what they do with relatively healthy patients, but whether they have the training and humility to recognize more precarious clinical situations.
Massage therapists need to know that the most important part of their job is the smart management high-risk situations that they may see only a handful of times in their entire career. Its like being on guard duty: 99.9% of the time, nothing bad happens. But how do you handle a curve ball when it finally comes? But they also need to know that chronic pain is a relative common dangerous situation, easily aggravated by
Consumers need to know that massage isn’t perfectly safe, that a “no pain, no gain” attitude is the source of most of the danger, especially for chronic pain patients. They should run away from cocky therapists who trash-talk mainstream health care they are the most likely to ignore, minimize, or rationalize side effects, while missing or misinterpreting serious symptoms.
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Pregaming To Loosen Up Isnt Such A Good Idea
A glass or two of vino may seem like just the thing to nix any nerves about letting a stranger touch your naked body and really relax heck, some spas even offer wine. But its probably better to hold off.
Alcohol and massage are a no-go, Lewis says. If someone is intoxicated, a massage will speed up circulation so much that the alcohol will flush into the tissues and hit the blood faster and stronger. The body also filters it faster, so instead of a rush of drunkenness, you just get sick.
Not as fun as wed hoped
How Long Should You Rest After A Deep Tissue Massage
Well, you shouldnt indulge in heavy physical activityfor 24 hours. You can stretch a bit, walk here and there or go for a light swim may be. That enhances the work done upon the muscles.
Once youve eaten something, you can doze off if youre drowsy. Once you wake up, try not stressing yourself too much for one day. Take it easy, youll have a good day at work.
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What Happens During A Deep Tissue Massage
During this type of massage, the therapist will stretch your muscles and apply varying deep pressure techniques. Some common methods used are cross-fiber friction, trigger point therapy, and myofascial release. Healthy muscles should have a smooth structure, but those that are tight and stressed are rigid. By working out the knots in your muscles, the massage could result in microtears in the tissues, just like exercising.
A professional therapist will focus on making sure you are comfortable. Communicate with them if something is uncomfortable or if it hurts. They will be able to pinpoint the areas that need the most help, but let them know if you would like them to focus on less stressed muscle groups.
When To Contact A Professional
Massage therapy can be done at home but sometimes self massage isnt possible. If you cant reach the area you want, cant press hard enough, or just are unsure of your skills then its time to contact a professional massage therapist. They are trained to treat multiple conditions with massage therapy and know the ins and outs of manual therapy.
Sports massage can be a part of physical therapy as well. A physical therapist can evaluate your running injury and develop a treatment plan that involves massage. They will be able to help you regain your range of motion and guide you through the entire recovery phase so you can resume physical activity.
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Deep Massage Can Damage Nerves
Researchers at the Arizona May Clinic have found that excessive focal pressure to the neck and shoulder area can damage the spinal accessory nerve, which was not previously recognized as a cause of injury to the nerve.
The spinal accessory nerve is a small nerve traveling in the back side of the upper shoulder area.
To illustrate the dangers of deep massage to the neck and shoulder area a healthy 38-year-old woman found it difficult to lift her left arm and experienced shoulder pain after a massage. When the pain and limited arm movement persisted she visited her doctor who used electromyography to confirm injury to her spinal accessory nerve. A magnetic resonance imaging revealed evidence of swelling in the shoulders trapezius muscle, which is supplied by the spinal accessory nerve.
For the following 6 weeks the woman underwent physical therapy and gradually improved, however, 2 years later, the woman still experiences mild pain and weakness in her left shoulder.
Not All Massages Are About Relaxation
There are other types of massage lots of them and many of these other massage types/styles known as modalities by professionals, utilize quite a good deal of pressure in order to break up a connective tissue called fascia. Breaking up body tissues is what leads to the potential dangers of deep tissue massage.
Fascia is the white web-like structure that grows all over our bodies under our skin and around muscles, organs, and joints. Fascia is essentially what holds us together and aids in strength like lifting.
Your muscles and connective tissues have to relax first before deep pressure can be effective. If your therapist goes too deep too quickly, you could end up with a good deal of bruising or a tear or a tendon. The last thing you want out of a massage is a new injury.
Professional tip: If you can afford a 90 or 120 minute massage, then do it. The longer a therapist has to work on you, the better your expected results can be and the less soreness you will likely feel afterwards. In my experience, one hour is just barely enough time to work quickly through most areas of the body in a way that brings about relaxation. Right about the time that I feel the clients body give into the massage and relax, the time is up.
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Why Did My Body Get Sore After My Massage
Here are other possible reasons for the soreness youre feeling.
- This is your first massage. Remember the soreness you felt during your first workout? You felt sore afterwards, and that is the same thing here.
- Your body is still getting used to a massage. It might take another session or two and then your body will be accustomed to it.
- Your muscles take a while to get relaxed. This is especially true if youre stressed out. Allow the massage to slowly work.
- It could also be your bodys anti-inflammatory response to the massage. This happens with some people and is something to expect.
- Another possible reason is your muscles have micro tears. If your muscles already have some injury, it needs to be treated to remove the discomfort.
- Your massage therapist is massaging you too hard. It could also be that theyre not doing it properly so make sure you go to a qualified masseur.
- The massage went too deep too fast. An effective massage takes its time for your muscles to get used to the massage. Going too deep early may cause discomfort and soreness.
- Your muscles probably were not warmed up. You should never work out without warm ups, and the same rule applies to massage. A bit of light massage is necessary so your body will be ready for the more intense massage.
Massage Related Myths You Must Know
1. Myth 1: You can get a massage from anywhere, they are all the same.
All massages are not the same and there is a wide variety of techniques available to treat different disorders. Massages offered in a spa setting focus on relaxation while those done in clinics or hospitals can treat conditions like backache, muscle spasms and other conditions. It is very important to go to a trained massage therapist to get maximum benefit.
2. Myth 2: The main purpose of massage is to move muscles.
It is not just the muscles which are targeted during a massage. The purpose of massage is to ease the tension in muscles, connective tissue and the deeper structures. A proper massage can lead to better flow of lymph and can reduce fluid accumulation. It also results in better blood supply and availability of more nutrients.
3. Myth 3: Massage is only temporarily effective.
It is a common misconception that the massage only provides temporary relief to muscle aches. In fact a well-trained massage therapist can help you to improve your posture and after a few regular sessions your muscles will be realigned and the posture related issues will get resolved.
4. Myth 4: Cancer cells can spread through the body with massage.
There is absolutely no truth in it. Cancer cells cannot spread by a massage. On the contrary, a massage done by a trained professional can ease the aches and pains and discomfort of someone undergoing chemotherapy or battling cancer.
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Ugly Pain In Massage Therapy
Ugly pain in massage therapy is, by my definition, never okay. Ugly pain is often caused by things that are not going to offer even minimal, delayed benefits, and may even be dangerous. Its important to be able to spot ugly pain for what it is and completely eliminate it from any therapy youre receiving. What kinds of handling may cause ugly pain?
- truly excessive pressure or overstretch that is simply way over your personal pain threshold for that day, location, or situation
- fingernail digging or skin tearing sensations, very common in fascial release therapy
- nerve pinching or gland compression in one of the bodys endangerment zones, vulnerable spots where sensitive tissue is exposed
- disturbing infected or inflamed tissue, which is usually hypersensitive to light pressures
Ugly pain is inflicted only by careless, incompetent therapists. Ugly pain should simply never happen. Yet it does happen, and a shocking number of therapists will actually attempt to justify it or minimize the concern.
For instance, many poorly trained therapists do not know the endangerment sites, and will carelessly dig their thumbs into that hollow between your jaw and your ear, where there are exposed nerve bundles and salivary glands that can really smart when poked.6
There are massage therapists who seem to believe that any painful sensation is simply part of the process, and if they poked you in the eye they would call it ocular release therapy.
Do You Have Bad Posture
Poor posture occurs when your spine is positioned unnaturally. The curves of your spine are accentuated, which increases the stress on your joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
This prolonged poor positioning results in a buildup of pressure in your surrounding soft tissues.
For most people, we spend many years of our lives sitting and leaning forward in our studies, jobs, and how we drive a car and sit down to eat. This helps to create a huge impact on our body, creating various muscle imbalances.
When you lean in front of a desk, your body is not properly aligned, forcing some muscles to work incredibly hard all day while others weaken. Sitting in the same position for an extended period of time causes your muscles to shorten, lengthen, and even reshape. This then causes muscle imbalances allowing your body and muscles to be pulled into bad posture.
Lower back pain is the most common complaint, but research shows that neck, shoulder and arm pain is increasingly common due to postural dysfunction.
Our deep tissue massage is a form of soft tissue relaxation consisting of a manual approach to the hands to relieve the stress and tension that builds up in the soft tissues of your body after being put into a tense position. With deep pressure reaching and stretching deep muscle fibres and producing increased blood flow to the muscles, the overall goal of deep tissue massage is to reduce pain and increase your range of motion.
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Why Do You Feel Sore After Deep Tissue Massage
Athletes, sports enthusiasts, and people who are just tired after long hours of work can relax by looking for a licensed massage therapist for their muscle pain. However, the soreness of the muscles can disable a person to function the whole day after a massage. Muscle memory is a key to reduce feeling sore after deep tissue massage. Hence, many masseuse experts suggest having regular massages to avoid reverting to the experience of pain. On the other hand, an expert of deep tissue massage in Sydney advises that patients only take deep tissues once they only feel any muscle pain. It is not recommended to have daily or weekly massages without supervision from an orthopedic or a physical therapist.
Those For Whom Massage Is Not Suitable
Due to the intensity and pressure of this treatment, it is not suitable for all people.
Those who have blood clots or are taking blood-thinning medications should avoid deep tissue massage, as strokes can cause the clots to dislodge. If a person with clots wants deep tissue massage, they should consult their doctor before continuing with this type of massage therapy.
Some have recently recovered from surgery or recent chemotherapy, which should also see a doctor.
Deep tissue massage can be beneficial for people with osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, but they should always consult their doctor before undergoing this treatment.
In addition, you should avoid using this high-pressure technique directly on an area with rashes, healing wounds, tumours, hernias, etc.
Moms-to-be should also avoid deep tissue massage. Instead, they can opt for Massages for a pregnant woman or pregnant.
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