You've just had a wonderful massage, and you go
home feeling both relaxed and rejuvenated. But the next morning,
you wake up with twinges of muscle soreness, maybe some fatigue,
and you just don't feel yourself. What happened? Chances are it's
the massage, and it's perfectly okay.
It's very much like doing a
workout. If the muscles aren't used to it, they often respond
with some soreness, this should last for no more than a day or
two. If it last longer, the massage may have been too intense,
and the therapist should adjust for this in the next session.
However, just as with exercise, when your body adjusts to having
this type of workout, your physical response will also be less
intense.
A professional massage is more than an ordinary back
rub. Your massage therapist can find all the kinks that have
built up from daily stress and too little or too much exercise.
The whole point of a therapeutic massage is to release that
tension, work out the kinks and help your body relax so it can
function at an optimal level. All of this work stretches muscles,
pushes blood into them and gets things working again.
There are
several theories, in addition to muscle function, as to why
people sometimes experience after-effects from massage. We point
to one theory being closely examined by experts. Neurological
sensitivity, or "Sensitization," looks at the "whole response of
what's going on in a person." To explain, massage provides a
significant amount of input to the central nervous system and the
body input to the central nervous system and the body responds to
that increased information. Pain and other occasional
after-effects may be the result of a system that has received
more information than it can handle at that particular time. And
because the amount of sensory input we receive during any day or
week is always fluctuating, sometimes we may be overloaded and
other times not. It depends on the total stress (emotional,
spiritual and physical) being experienced by the body at that
moment.
So what can you do to minimize sometimes painful side
effects? It's important to communicate with your massage
therapist regarding your expectations, as well as your current
state of health. Your therapist can then tailor the massage to
your personal needs and desires, and make adjustments in
intensity or technique as the session proceeds. In some cases, a
more soothing session may be more appropriate. In others, the
therapist may need to change the kind of technique used. Much of
this can be judged by how the person is feeling and responding
during the massage.
Understand that your body is an organism made
up of complex systems that react to a constantly changing influx
of external factors. Maintain good health practices and keep your
mind free of negative clutter. Drink plenty of water immediately
following your treatment, and continue to do so for the next day
or tow. This will re-hydrate your tissues and ease the effects.
Take it easy after your massage. Go home, relax and just allow
your body to find its balance naturally. Like exercise, make body
work a habitual practice for good health. And if you wake up the
next morning a little sore, it's probably because you had a
really good massage.
As a part of the BodyCare team we hope you
enjoyed your experience here with us. We look forward to being a
part of your health maintenance program.