Is it normal to feel sore after a massage?

Massage has been shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation. However, you might experience soreness after a massage. Is this normal?

1. Why do you feel sore after a massage?

Massage therapists use various techniques to manipulate your muscles and soft tissues. Muscle soreness or stiffness is normal after a massage, especially if it has been a while since your last massage or if you have never had a massage before.

Massage is like exercise; it pushes blood into your muscles, bringing nutrients and removing toxins. This process can temporarily increase inflammation (the healing response) in areas where your body feels it needs attention.

This inflammation can cause discomfort, typically lasting a few hours to about a day and a half. The same methods you use to treat muscle soreness after exercise can help alleviate post-massage soreness. Massage doesn’t have to hurt to be effective. Accordingly, many massage therapists are trained in various techniques regarding the amount of pressure used and the duration.

A common belief is that soreness after a massage is due to releasing toxins from muscle tissue into the bloodstream. However, there is no research to support this.

If a technique doesn’t feel therapeutic but simply painful, you need to speak up to the therapist about this. Therapists can generally detect a problematic area, but they cannot feel the intensity of your pain response.

Additionally, you should inform the massage therapist about your medical history, any changes to medications, allergies, and recent illnesses. Each of these factors can affect the massage techniques used and your body’s response to them. Communicating with your therapist will help you get the most benefit from your massage.

2. Is it normal to have a headache after a massage?

In reality, many people experience headaches after a massage. The causes may include the following conditions:

• Sensitivity or allergy to a product used during the massage. These can include products such as essential oils used in diffusers, detergents used to launder fabrics, or an ingredient in the massage oil.
• Dehydration: Dehydration itself can cause headaches. If your basic water intake is low before the massage and combined with the massage, this can lead to headaches.
• Too much pressure during the massage: During a deep tissue massage, if the therapist uses too much pressure beyond your pain tolerance, it can cause muscle soreness, bruising, and increased blood circulation, which can lead to headaches.
• Postural blood pressure changes: People experience blood pressure changes when standing up after sitting or lying down for a period. Orthostatic hypotension, or postural hypotension, is a type of low blood pressure that you may encounter. Headaches can be one of the symptoms of hypotension.
• In deep tissue massage, the therapist targets deeper muscle layers. This often involves a lot of pressure and can be quite painful when the therapist presses hard on tight or knotted muscles.
• Hormonal changes: Another common cause of headaches is hormonal changes. While significant hormonal changes are often associated with menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, or the use of hormone replacement therapy and birth control pills, natural hormonal fluctuations occur in both men and women.
• The most common type of headache is a tension headache. It often feels like a tight band around the head and may be accompanied by neck pain. If you have a headache after a massage, it is most likely a tension headache.

3. What to Do If You Experience Soreness After a Massage

Tips to combat soreness after a massage that you might find helpful:

• Clearly communicate the pressure you want during the massage. For example, provide feedback if the pressure is too light or too strong.
• Avoid deep tissue massage.
• Avoid full-body massages; instead, opt for services focusing on the head, feet, or hands.
• Drink at least 250 ml of water before and after the massage.
• Increase your water intake for the two days following the massage.
• Avoid alcohol the night before and the night of your massage.
• Have a light meal after the massage.
• Ask your therapist for some stretching exercises to do after the massage.
• Take a warm or cool bath after the massage.

Experiencing soreness after a massage is completely normal; the discomfort may subside after a few hours or 1-2 days. However, you can use these tips to help alleviate the soreness. If you only feel sore after the massage without any therapeutic benefits, you should contact your therapist to discuss it.