As the owner and operator of several massage and wellness centers in Tucson, Arizona I am frequently asked many questions about different treatment modalities. Should I feel like this? What is the best treatment for _____. And many others.
The most frequently asked question is, “Does it or should it hurt?”
There is a belief out there that massage should hurt because without the pain there aren’t any therapeutic benefits. There is a contrary belief out there that suggests massage should never hurt and if you are sore after a massage it is the result of a bad therapist. It is my professional conclusion that both of these premises are extreme and therefore false.
Let’s start by defining what “hurt” really means.
A massage therapists’ primary objective is to help alleviate soft tissue problems. This can be an uncomfortable process for many reasons. One important consideration to always look at is if there is already damage to the area in question. Or is there a chronic repetitive movement pattern that is simply over working and fatiguing the muscles causing pain.
It doesn’t matter what the problem is. Any discomfort or “hurt” experienced by the client should be easily breathed through during the therapeutic process.
For example, on a pain scale of 1-10 (ten being excruciating) the “hurt” or pain that you feel from the massage should never be more then a 7 or 8. You should be able to take a deep breath and relax with the pressure helping the muscle to also relax and release the spasm. If you find yourself tensing, or unable to take a breath then the pressure is too much and you should ask the therapist to lighten up if they have not already done so.
Another common question is should people be sore after their massage. Quick answer is sometimes. It is important to note that the soreness should not be acute pain, but more like the discomfort from a good work out or a hard day’s work.
When you get a deep tissue massage, the therapist is separating muscle layers, milking metabolic waste out from between the layers and sometimes breaking up adhesions or scar tissue. These types of sessions may leave you sore, but then after 1-2 days (on rare occasions 3 days) you should feel great and that problem area should feel much better. You may see that you have an increase in your range of motion, reduction of pain or increased muscle stamina, depending of course on what the problem was in the first place.
Massage therapy is like dancing on the edge of the good pain and the bad at times, it is a very thin line.
If you live in Tucson, Arizona visit Peaceful Spirit and discover how massage will improve your health and over all well-being. There you will discover the many benefits of therapeutic massage.
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