If you've ever experienced muscle pain after a massage, it's likely because the soft tissues have been manipulated to break adhesions, knots and retention patterns and restore muscle condition to a functional state. Sore muscles, ligaments, and damaged tendons will be painful when the massage therapist starts working on them. Torn tissues “squeak” when you press and manipulate them, but you may be surprised that areas that were previously calm or that had only minimal problems respond with a very noticeable sense of pain. Another reason deep tissue massage (DTM) can hurt is if it is performed by an inexperienced massage therapist who may use unnecessary force or may aggravate an old injury.
Therefore, choosing an experienced massage therapist and passing on past injuries to your massage therapist is very important and can save you a lot of pain and agony. Pain can occur because your muscles are not used to deep treatment. However, if this is not the case, you should contact your massage therapist immediately and apply ice to your back or to the pain point. After a deep tissue massage, you may experience a slight headache, which is quite common and also goes away over time.
There are several different types of massages, such as Swedish massage, which is very light and applies little pressure, so it is very unannoying. A deep tissue massage is usually the type of massage that can cause some discomfort, since the tissues and muscles are actually working, but a well-trained massage therapist will always work within the client's comfort level. A deep tissue massage is very beneficial for any type of injury and will help with the healing process. If massages are always harmful to you, they can mean several things.
It could mean that the tissue being massaged is not 100% healthy and receiving a massage would be very therapeutic for that tissue, since it would help improve circulation so you have fewer aches and pains. It could mean that you need to communicate a little more with your massage therapist just to let them know if there's too much or too little pressure. What they think might be an adequate amount of pressure could be too much for you in certain areas, so don't hesitate to talk and tell the therapist how you're feeling. The bottom line here is that massage can cause a bit of discomfort if you're already experiencing aches and pains all over your body.
Even if you don't realize it, we could all benefit from a massage from time to time to get rid of the stress and tension that has built up in your body. Before performing your next massage, be sure to communicate your comfort levels with your massage therapist and you won't be disappointed. For many DTM therapists, the answer to the question “why do deep tissue massages hurt” is quite simple and straightforward - it is due to the amount of pressure that is applied to the muscles of the affected body part to break up scar tissue, so some people may feel pain and pain afterwards. The deep tissue masseur aims to break up scar tissues (adhesions) found deep in the muscles to release chronic muscle tension and provide relief.
First, deep tissue massage therapy requires firm pressure to reach the deeper layers of the muscle. Since this type of massage therapy is intended to relieve stiffness, contracted areas of the body, muscle knots, and muscle tension, massage therapists apply pressure and perform deep movements to reach the inner layers of muscle fibers and stiff tissues. Otherwise, massage therapist Kathleen Mortimer believes that feeling uncomfortable is sometimes normal and simply means that the muscles are very tense; however, there is definitely a difference between severe pain and severe pain on the massage table.
