It’s no secret that getting a massage feels amazing. But what many people don’t know is that there is a chance of experiencing flu-like symptoms after your massage. This can be alarming to some people, but it is nothing to worry about! In this blog post, we will discuss the causes of these symptoms and avoid them. We will also provide some tips for taking care of yourself after a massage.
- Why feel sore after a massage?
- Lingering pain
- Muscle aches and fatigue
- Headaches
- Sleepiness
- Inflammation
- Hot skin
- Nausea
- Bruising
- Aggravation of an older injury
Why feel sore after a massage?
Do you feel sick after a massage? It’s common to have uncomfortable or tight muscles after a massage, especially if it’s been a long time since your previous one or if you’ve never had one before.
Massage works the same way that exercise does: it pushes blood into your muscles, providing nutrients and eliminating toxins. This technique might temporarily boost inflammation (the body’s healing reaction) in regions where it believes it is needed. This inflammation might be bothersome.
Inflammation and discomfort usually last a few hours to about a day and a half. The same things you do to treat sore muscles after exercise may help soreness after a massage.
While complaints of minor reactions to treatment are normal, some more serious or rare problems can occur. These are some of the varying risks in undergoing deep tissue massage. You can contact a home doctor if you still feel sore after a couple of days.
Are your muscles healthy?
When you arrange a deep tissue massage, you probably don’t care if your muscles are hydrated or dehydrated. When your muscles are healthy and hydrated, they feel soft and spongy, allowing blood to circulate through the tissues and veins readily.
Muscles that are unhealthy or dehydrated are the tissues that frequently produce discomfort. They can feel tight, limited mobility, and are rigid, compressing the capillaries to the point that blood flow and lymphatic drainage are hindered. Tissues can be deprived of crucial oxygen and nutrient exchange if there isn’t a healthy blood flow.
Without the flushing effect of adequate blood pressure, metabolic waste can build up and become stuck. Muscle metabolism surely becomes affected.
Poisoned and dehydrated muscles
Rather than detoxifying the body, deep tissue massage treatment can, in the short term, cause a slightly toxic situation in your body. Suppose you have a lot of unhealthy tissues in your body. In that case, your massage therapist will strive to break up the adhesions that have developed, allowing for more blood flow, mobility, and muscle restoration to a healthier condition. This allows the metabolic waste to be dumped into the lymphatic system all at once.
The faster delivery of nutrients and oxygen, as well as the combustion that results, can deplete water in your bloodstream, leaving you thirsty or dehydrated. This combination can cause a toxic overload in your immune system, as metabolic waste builds at a faster pace than the body can easily eliminate, making you feel awful!
Flu-like symptoms after a deep tissue massage
Many people who undergo relaxation treatments may complain of body pains and other discomforts after their massage session. Here are just some of the common side effects and body struggles people experience after their massage sessions.
Lingering pain
Some clients have experienced discomfort during or after their deep tissue massage therapy session due to the pressurized methods utilized. While this may appear scary, it is a rather typical symptom due to how massage treatments are performed.
The stimulation caused by the action of muscle fibers can often result in discomfort. If your discomfort persists for more than a few days, consult your licensed massage therapist or general practitioner for further information.
Muscle aches and fatigue
Because a massage penetrates the top levels of muscle, it is natural for your muscles to feel painful afterward. Muscles will become relaxed, which may result in weariness or muscular problems.
Any stiffness or soreness you experience following your firmer massage therapy session should only last a few days.
Headaches
Although a headache following a deep tissue massage isn’t as prevalent as the other side effects, it’s still nothing to be concerned about.
The peculiar posture of your head during the massage can cause a headache and other discomforts in the pressurized regions, or whether your neck or upper back was rubbed are all possible causes of head pain.
A headache can be caused by the muscles near your cranium releasing tension or pressure.
Sleepiness
Feeling tired or groggy after your deep tissue massage can release tension in the body, but these symptoms should not last longer than a good night’s rest. Releasing tension in the body can reduce stress, whether physically, mentally, or both, but these symptoms should not last longer than a good night’s rest after your deep tissue massage.
Inflammation
Inflammation can occur as a result of the treatment’s continual stimulation. Otherwise, it might be the consequence of a previous injury, a therapist’s poor performance, or too much pressure administered during therapy.
Like other side effects, inflammation should go away after a few days, but applying ice packs to the inflamed area or taking a low dose of pain relievers may help.
Hot skin
It’s very normal to see indicators of redness or feel the heat, and it’s usually not significant. The consequence of this rubbing might generate such results since this type of massage focuses on exerting pressure.
Furthermore, the sensation of heat might be a favorable indication, indicating that muscles are responding effectively to therapy and are beginning to mend.
Nausea
While nausea is not a typical reaction, it can occur due to your body’s release of toxins after treatment. This is normal, and drinking water to flush out toxins while resting/getting more sleep should prevent any remaining problems.
Bruising
Bruising should not be an issue if you get treatment from qualified doctors. Before getting any more treatments, be honest with your massage therapist about pre-existing conditions (or simply your tendency to bruise easily).
Seek medical attention if the bruising worsens or lasts more than a few days.
Aggravation of an older injury
It’s critical to tell your massage therapist about any previous injuries you’ve had to minimize post-massage soreness and other negative side effects. And, if you’re dealing with a professional, you shouldn’t have any problems.
Deep tissue massages and the pressure associated with the methods can stimulate old wounds, so communication is key. It’s highly important, if for no other reason than to reignite or create new injuries to yourself.
Massage does not need to be painful to be beneficial. No matter the side effects, the side effects impact of deep tissue massage should not last long, especially if you have a professional therapist. Most massage therapists are skilled in a variety of pressure and timing approaches. Please speak out if a method does not feel helpful but is rather painful. They may be able to discover a problem location, but they could not assess the severity of your pain reaction.
Furthermore, inform your massage therapist about your medical history, prescription changes, allergies, and recent illnesses. Each of these factors might influence the massage techniques employed and how your body reacts to them.
You will get the most out of your massage if you communicate with your therapist. Their primary purpose is to assist you in feeling better. Contact your doctor for any more serious or rare reactions to have the necessary treatment.
Ask the help from the GP’s from True Health Medical Potts Point to help diagnose your ailments. Click on the link to visit their site.
References:
https://www.painscience.com/articles/poisoned-by-massage.php
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-does-my-body-feel-worse-after-a-massage/
https://www.popsugar.com/beauty/Why-Do-I-Feel-Sick-After-Massage-41617740
https://www.healthtap.com/q/flu-like-symptoms-after-massage/
