What is post-massage soreness and how should I manage it?

• Sleepy and fatigued

• Hot and increased sweating

• Cold like symptoms such as stuffy, blocked or runny nose

• Soreness and tenderness on areas treated

• Headaches and dizziness

How to manage post-massage soreness?

1. Avoid strenuous exercise

You should avoid strenuous exercise after a deep/sports massage for at least 24 hours as this may increase your risk of injury, make the muscle soreness worse and may cause more damage.

Increase the risk of injury = as your muscles and connective tissue are more pliable and soft after a massage this can increase the chances of straining them which can lead to swelling, bruising and loss of strength which can take up to several months to heal depending on the severity.

Increased muscle soreness & damage to muscles = exercising especially weight training creates tiny tears in the muscles and so does having a massage. Therefore exercising too soon can cause tissue breakdown instead of building new, healthy muscle. This is why it is important to wait at least 24 hours to ensure muscles have enough time to heal.

Strenuous exercise may involve weightlifting, running or high intensity classes. After a massage you should keep the body moving with light exercise such as walking, gentle stretching and easy paced swimming.

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 2. Stay hydrated

It is importing to stay hydrated following a massage as this can help to hydrate muscles, flush out toxins, support lymphatic system to remove waste products, lessens muscle soreness and promotes well being. You should drink enough water to feel hydrated, however this depends on your age, size and activity level. You should also try to avoid caffeine and alcohol as they can interfere with the benefits of the treatment and make you feel worse.

3. Stretches/exercises in-between sessions

After a massage you can complete light stretches whether this be the ones you do on a regular basis or prescribed exercises from the therapist usually sent via email after your session. It is important to complete the exercises sent to you to help with your recovery between massages and to keep the benefits of treatment last longer.

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4. Book your next appointment

It is very common that you may need at least 3 treatments to feel the benefits to it’s fullest. Once you have had the initial massages which could be every 2-4 weeks to begin with this can be changed to a maintenance plan which would be to get 1 massage every 4-6 weeks. This is very much based on the individuals needs and could involve many factors such as occupation, activity levels, lifestyle, injury severity and the client’s own goals and outcomes which can be discussed with the therapist at your appointment.