Side effects of massage
The whole point of a massage is to leave you feeling relaxed and pampered. Most people feel wonderful after a massage, both physically and mentally relaxed, grounded and connected to their own bodies, and pleasantly pampered.
Sometimes however, the side effects of a massage can be quite intense, and even quite unpleasant, depending on how regularly you get a massage, and what condition your body is in at the time of the massage.
Because the massage works to remove a build up of toxins and increase blood supply and thereby oxygen, these toxins are released into the blood stream, and sometimes result in the classic detox symptoms: headaches, sinus, in rare cases even nausea.
If you are very tense, and rarely get a massage, it is not unusual to feel bruised the next day. The massage does not in fact bruise you, the sensation is as a result of the massage working to remove the sharp crystalline build up toxins in the muscle. For this reason it is sometimes advisable to request a softer massage at first, and build up over subsequent sessions.
How can you ensure that you get the best treatment for you?
Each of our bodies are quite different, what may feel wonderful for me, you may hate, so be clear with your therapist as to what you like in your massage in terms of:
- Where you are carrying tension or pain that you would like them to focus on,
- How hard or soft you prefer your massage to be,
- What you really love or hate eg: feet, head etc.
Don't be too shy to let the therapist know, as she goes, if the massage is too hard, or if you would like her to work harder, or work more in a particular place. Your therapist is not a mind reader, so let her know what you like. Oooos and Aaahs are are a great sign posts for the therapist to follow, so feel free to let it out!