Why would a procedure that’s beneficial to your health also cause pain? The answer is that if you have any tension in your muscles prior to a massage, the process of healing those tissues might itself also cause some soreness.
Cathy Wong, ND, describes the process:
“When there is chronic muscle tension or injury, there are usually adhesions (bands of painful, rigid tissue) in muscles, tendons, and ligaments. . . Deep tissue massage works by physically breaking down these adhesions to relieve pain and restore normal movement.”
Chalk it up to the old adage of, “no pain, no gain.”
Luckily, there are three steps you can take to minimize the soreness and possibly even prevent it altogether.
1. Drink a lot of water before and after the massage. 
Your body is about to have a surge of toxins rushing through it. Toxins will be released from your muscles and possibly even created by them during an intense massage, so assist your system in its elimination of the unwanted guests.
2. Front-load your nutrition. The food you eat in the days leading up to your massage will contain the nutrients that your muscles use first as they begin to repair. Make sure it’s hyper-nutritious (e.g. packed with vegetables and fruits), to give your body a head-start in its healing process.
3. Communicate with your therapist about your massage history. If you’ve experienced pain from a massage in the past, let your massage therapist know. Share with her the type of massage you received, its intensity level and how long it’s been since your last massage. The more she knows, the more she can tailor your experience to suit your personal needs. Never had a massage before? That’s a must-tell!
After your massage, be sure to get plenty of rest and perhaps even take a bath to continue the calm. If you feel emotional, that’s totally normal. Take some time to cry, laugh, scream into a pillow or whatever your body is telling you to do. Massage is supposed to be cleansing—don’t deny your body its opportunity to cleanse emotionally, as well.
Give yourself the gift of a stress-melting, emotionally-healing massage at Burke Williams Spa. We have various approaches and styles—let us help you determine which is best for your needs, time and budget. Contact us to schedule a treatment.
