My aunt came into our massage center last completely unable to move her neck. I worked on her, but I was very gentle…I didn’t want to hurt her, even though I knew she needed deep therapy. Two days later, one of my therapists worked on her. Since he’s not related to her, he had no trouble giving her the treatment her body needed. She came out of that massage with significantly more mobility, and it was obvious the treatment had helped. Yet, she said it had hurt at times, when she really wanted to just relax. She preferred my gentle massage, even though it didn’t help her as much.
To be effective, your massage should be a relaxing experience. If you’re uncomfortable during the massage, you’ll tense up and the massage becomes counter productive. However, sometimes a little pain is necessary to treat the problem. The book Body Work: What Type of Massage to Get And How to Make the Most of it (Thomas Claire, Basic Health; 2006) says:
Some deep-tissue techniques used to address sports injuries or chronic pain require intense pressure to realign muscle fibers, break up scar tissue or restore oxygen-rich blood to fluid-depleted areas. This can smart momentarily and cause some soreness afterward, but it pays off with healthier tissue.
How much pain is too much? That depends on you. I have clients who can tolerate tremendous amounts of discomfort, and others who simply can’t. Most of my clients endure the discomfort because they know how good they feel for weeks after. Communicating with your therapist is the best way to ensure you get the therapeutic benefit without overdoing the pain. I can tell you personally that I’ll do what I need to do to address the problem, but if the client asks me to ease off, I will. The most important thing during your massage is that you feel comfortable. But remember that a little bit of discomfort or pain is normal, and when it comes to reducing chronic pain, it is probably necessary.
I think that pain is a sign that the body is already under stress and you should not add any more stress to it. Instead of using deep tissue techniques, you have the option of using energy technique to first release the blocked energy in the area, then when the irritation settles, then you can work in the area itself. Too many massage therapists believe that pain is good, but actually there is a reason why pain is created. There is already too much stress in the area. If massaged too much in the area, someone might create a chronic problem.
Michael Tatzber
July 5th, 2008
I explain to my patients that I don’t ever want it to hurt more than feeling good bordering on pain. In that, you know you are making some direct structural change, yet since it feels more good than bad, it isn’t doing so much damage that it can’t be easily taken care of with ice packs and water intake, maybe a lukewarm Epsom salt bath. I always try first to do a general Swedish in the large area to get everything relaxed and warm first, starting with superficial muscles and working my way deeper.
JM
July 6th, 2008
One more trick: when I have someone who’s really tender to touch, I start with lymphatic drainage. Generally after a couple of minutes, it makes the area a lot less tender and ready for more pressure.
JM
July 6th, 2008