Why does pressing on sore muscles feel good?

Author: Prof. Kristofer Reilly  |  Last update: Sunday, June 29, 2025

The chemical release caused by rubbing the skin plays a significant role in easing your pain. When the therapist places pressure on your skin, it stimulates the vagus nerve. This sensory nerve releases a chemical cocktail of wellness into your bloodstream.

Does putting pressure on a sore muscle help?

Deep tissue techniques such as petrissage, kneading and rolling apply pressure to the muscle, increasing temperature and blood circulation. An increase of temperature allows the muscle to relax, reducing any tightness. Massage helps to alleviate pain and prevent injuries that may affect athletic performance.

Why does pressing on muscle knots feel good?

The theory is when you put pressure on it you're limiting blood flow to the knot, and when you release the pressure, more blood flows in,” he explains. The increased blood flow can help the muscle relax.

Is it good to push through muscle soreness?

"Working out when sore is okay as long as it isn't affecting your movement to the point where it's causing you to compensate and do something in a way that's unsafe," says Dr. Hedt. "Muscle soreness can be a deterrent to exercising, but it's temporary and the more you exercise, the less you should feel it.

Why does pressing on pain help?

A new study published online September in Current Biology suggests that touching an injured area on one's own body reduces pain by enhancing the brain's map of the body in a way that touch from another cannot mimic.

How Massages Can Improve Muscle Growth

Why does pushing on a sore muscle feel good?

The chemical release caused by rubbing the skin plays a significant role in easing your pain. When the therapist places pressure on your skin, it stimulates the vagus nerve. This sensory nerve releases a chemical cocktail of wellness into your bloodstream.

Why does applying pressure to pain feel good?

The nervous system and the brain react to pressure in these areas and provide relief. Pressure reduces inflammation and relaxes tight muscles in the back.

How sore is too sore?

Soreness is considered normal if it occurs between 24-72 hours after a workout, and if it does not prevent you from completing normal daily activities. If it lasts longer than this, or is so intense that it prevents you from functioning normally, it could be a sign of significant damage.

How to speed up recovery?

POST-WORKOUT RECOVERY: 7 TIPS TO RECOVER QUICKER
  1. COOL DOWN PROPERLY. Post-workout recovery begins as soon as you stop training. ...
  2. STRETCH AND FOAM ROLL. ...
  3. EAT A POST-WORKOUT MEAL. ...
  4. HYDRATE. ...
  5. KEEP MOVING. ...
  6. GET PLENTY OF SLEEP. ...
  7. GET A MASSAGE.

Should you rub out sore muscles?

Massaging a sore muscle can help release tightness. Working through the knots helps the muscle relax itself. It also sends blood flow to the area and pushes pooled fluid out of the body, which helps speed recovery. A bonus: It feels good!

What does it feel like when a knot releases?

This myofascial release has a comparable sensation to being rocked by your mother when you were a baby. It causes a pleasant wave sensation to travel throughout the body. It is, in fact, a relaxing experience. That wave infiltrates the restricted areas to allow for softening.

Why does releasing muscle tension feel good?

Endorphin Release

“Endorphins are the body's natural painkiller and mood lifter,” Trachman explains, noting that stretching is an excellent way to get those endorphins.

Do muscle knots pop when massaged?

Trigger points, or muscle knots, are hyperirritable spots within a taut band of skeletal muscle. The pressure applied during therapy can cause these points to release, sometimes resulting in a popping sound. This release can alleviate local and referred pain associated with trigger points.

Which muscles heal the fastest?

With that being said, different muscle groups tend to have different rates of recovery, with smaller muscles—biceps, triceps, calves—being able to recover more quickly than larger muscles—lats, quads, hamstrings, etc. In addition, different individuals are able to handle different amounts of training volume.

Why do I like the pain of being sore?

It's a post-pain rush similar to the high of morphine or heroin, which also bind to the brain's opioid receptors. Meanwhile, the pain of intense exercise also causes a spike in another of the body's painkillers, anandamide.

What not to do with sore muscles?

Here are 4 things to avoid when you are experiencing those tight and sore muscles.:
  1. AVOIDING MOVING! NOT A GOOD IDEA!
  2. AVOIDING EXERCISE BECAUSE IT HURTS! DON'T DO THIS!
  3. AVOIDING POOR TECHNIQUE! ALWAYS.
  4. AVOID – Plyometric Exercises when your Sore.

What is the number 1 thing to help with recovery?

The most important thing I will say to do when you're really sore, is just get moving. Walk around the block, vacuum, or even wash the car. Getting your body moving is going to start that blood flow back up and really help you feel better quicker. (Costco is always a good place to go on active recovery days!)

Is 24 hours enough rest for muscles?

A good place to start is with three rest days per week. This means you'll be strength training four days out of the week. Give your muscle groups 24-48 hours between workouts to allow those muscles to recover. An upper- and lower-body four-day split is a common program that gives three rest days per week.

What drinks help muscle recovery?

Fruit juices. Like electrolyte-rich sports drinks, drinking 100% fruit juices helps replenish electrolytes lost through sweating, as well as carbohydrates and glucose. Tart cherry juice is growing in popularity because it contains anti-inflammatory chemicals that help prevent muscle damage and reduce muscle soreness.

How long is it OK to be sore?

Sore muscles after exercise

It can affect people of all fitness levels, particularly after trying a new activity or pushing yourself a bit harder than usual. Usually your muscles will stop aching in 2 to 5 days and you won't need any medical attention. You should be able to ease symptoms yourself.

Why am I so sore I can barely walk?

Many people experience acute muscle stiffness because of: Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), muscle pain and temporary inflammation that develops after an intense workout. Insect bites or stings.

Why is my sore so painful?

Wound pain can be caused by skin damage, nerve damage, blood vessel injury, infection and ischaemia.

What is the strongest natural painkiller?

Endorphins are the body's natural painkillers. Released by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in response to pain or stress, this group of peptide hormones both relieves pain and creates a general feeling of well-being.

Why does pressing sore muscles feel so good?

Hormones such as endorphins, serotonin and dopamines are feel good hormones produced in the brain. The endorphins produced can work so powerful that they manage to mask pain. Massage helps relieve pain by providing muscle relaxation.

Why does pressing relieves pain?

Applying pressure to a given pressure point affects a corresponding body part. According to research , massaging pressure points can activate nerves in the muscles. These nerves then send energy signals to the central nervous system. This process may help reduce sensations of pain.

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