When you have a massage it’s all about you, the patient. I want you to feel at ease, and for us to establish between us what it is you are hoping to achieve from massage and for us both to be clear about a treatment plan and whether those expectations are attainable.
Massage can have amazing results, it can make you feel better and more mobile than you may have felt in months, it can also make you feel sore temporarily. I describe this soreness much in the way you might feel after returning to the gym after a long break. For me that soreness is positive because I know I have made my muscles work and I will soon be feeling the benefits! Generally this soreness, if it is experienced, lasts little more than 24 hours after which you will feel much better.
Having a massage shifts toxins from the muscles into the blood and lymph systems.It is beneficial to drink plenty of water to flush out and detoxify the body. If you are prone to them, you can sometimes experience a headache after massage. If you drink plenty of water and relax after your massage you are less likely to experience a headache.
It is not uncommon to feel chilled after massage, and I don’t mean in the relaxed sense! Working on the muscles increases blood flow to the muscles and the skin surface. This increases the heat lost from the body and can lead to your feeling sometimes quite cold afterwards. Bring a warm coat or fleece and in really cold weather a scarf is beneficial. Wrap up warmly.
Plan your massage so that you can have a quiet day or evening, especially if it is your first treatment or if you are seeing a new therapist. You can never be quite sure how your body will react, often patients have said that they felt unusually tired after a massage. Be guided by your body’s response, if you feel the need to sleep then do it, you will feel better for it.
Above all if things didn’t turn out as you expected do come back. Sometimes it is a process, everyone responds differently to massage. I prefer to hasten slowly, the first time I see a patient I will work less deeply so that we can gauge the response. For some this will not give sufficient respite and they will feel that massage does not work for them. For others massage has to be a gradual process, slowly building on work done and treatment needs to be very gentle. I am convinced of the benefits of massage and I want your treatment to be right for you so your feedback is valuable.
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