The primary reason muscle aches occur after a massage is due to the inflammation or minor injuries caused by the manipulation of muscle fibres. When pressure is applied to the muscles, it can lead to small tears in the muscle tissue, similar to what happens during intense physical exercise.
At a minimum, you should rest for at least 24 hours after your massage to ensure your muscles have plenty of time to repair themselves.
An acute injury is a sudden, sharp, traumatic injury that causes pain. Typically the result of an impact or trauma such as a fall, strain, sprain or collision. Massage shouldn't be performed on the injured site because it encourages circulation and can increase swelling during the body's initial response to injury.
Pressure that's fine for you may cause severe pain, emotional distress, “sensory injury” (sensitization) in others, or even physical injury, so pressure should be customized but often isn't.
If you only have a minor (grade I) muscle strain, it should heal within a few weeks. Moderate (grade II) muscle strains may take several weeks to months to heal completely. A severe (grade III) muscle strain can take four to six months to heal after surgery.
Injury Risk: Applying excessive pressure can cause bruising, inflammation, and even muscle or tissue damage. This can lead to prolonged recovery times and exacerbate existing issues.
These are areas of the body where deep, sustained pressure should be avoided because of the structures that lie beneath. Those areas are the anterior and posterior triangles of the neck, suprasternal notch, sternum, axilla, spinal column, umbilical area, inguinal triangle, popliteal fossa, and the antecubital fossa.
The pressure and movements during a massage can break apart spasms or micro-scars in the muscle fibers. This can lead to soreness similar to what you might experience after exercising.
Massage can assist the healing of damaged fibers by increasing blood circulation. Increased blood circulation provides an increase of oxygen and nutrients to an area. An increase of oxygen and nutrients can help repair fibers, decreasing inflammation and pain. Massage can help reduce muscle tightness caused by DOMS.
Certain skin conditions, such as open wounds, burns, rashes, or contagious skin infections (like impetigo or fungal infections), should not be treated with massage. Even non-contagious skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema may be aggravated by massage if not handled carefully.
Stretching can help you heal from a muscle strain, as long as it's not severe. Stretching can also help when healing a new muscle contusion. For example, our athletic trainers often recommend simultaneously icing and stretching quad contusions right after the injury.
Massage therapy techniques can help to relieve, reduce or even prevent muscle knots. Deep tissue massage or sports massage techniques work on the muscles that are tight or have the knots. Trigger point massage can be firm and specific pressure to the areas of restriction or “knots” and cause release of that knot.
It's important to note that you should never massage a strained muscle that hasn't been given 72 hours to rest. Massaging a freshly-strained muscle can actually increase inflammation and even cause further injury, so be sure to wait at least three days before attempting any massage therapy.
Experiencing sharp pain or excessive discomfort during or after the session is a clear indication that the massage wasn't beneficial. While some discomfort can be normal, especially with deep tissue massage, it should never cross the line into sharp pain.
These include direct manipulation of the spine, the front of the neck, and any visibly injured or inflamed areas.
Excessive pressure can probably cause “rhabdo”: poisoning by proteins liberated from injured muscle, a “muscle crush” injury. For example: an 88-year old man collapsed the day after an unusually strong 2-hour session of massage therapy.
Muscle knots feel like small, tender lumps or nodules. They are palpable and can be felt when touched. However, knots can be discreet and exist deep in the muscle, and a person may have to press hard into the connective tissue to feel the knots or trigger points.
The most common reason for pain during massage is the wrong pressure. While your masseuse might think they're applying the right amount of pressure, you may feel too much. This is very typical when having a deep tissue massage because it is a type of massage that requires intense pressure to massage the tissue.
Avoiding activities that cause pain and may further injury the muscle. Physical therapy to regain strength and function. Giving adequate time for the muscle strain to heal. Returning too soon can lead to re-injury.
To help simplify diagnosis and treatment, doctors often classify muscle strains into three grades, depending on the severity of muscle fiber damage: Grade I strain. In this mild strain, only a few muscle fibers are stretched or torn. Although the injured muscle is tender and painful, it has normal strength.
Their study found that, as we age, the lines of communication to the stem cells of our muscles deteriorate and, without the full instructions, it takes longer for injured muscles to heal. Even then, the repairs aren't as good.