Should a good massage hurt?
Everyone knows that going to a massage therapist for a body massage or having a massage at home feels great and does you good, but should it hurt to be really effective?
The idea of ‘no pain, no gain’ doesn’t really apply in massage.
Certain massage techniques can hurt but a well-trained therapist will always work within the comfort level of their client.
Many times a client will say, “oh, my gosh, that hurts but it’s a good hurt so keep doing what you are doing!” It is a fine line and every therapist has her or his own way of managing that line with their clients.”
If you are looking for a pure relaxation massage, there should not be any techniques applied that implement pain or even discomfort.
If a client is coming in for a chronic muscular issue such as ‘knots,’ ongoing pain or a re-occurring injury, massage can and will be uncomfortable to a certain extent.
Although it should not be unbearable, in mixed treatments a level of un comfortability can be expected.
When it comes to pleasure-pain balance, there is definitely a ‘bad’ pain. You should not accept discomfort or pain if you’re not getting any muscular relief from it. There should be no sharp, burning or hot pain.
The therapist can use a pain score out of 1 to 10 with the client so pain can be monitored and progress easily reported. Communication is essential as your professional wants to know what you want and like.
We all have different tolerance levels for pain so a massage that is not painful for one person may be painful for you.
If you find that your massage therapist isn’t working between your tolerance levels for pain, then it’s important that you say something.
Massages should almost never cause you any physical pain and leave you with soreness.
Understanding the difference between treatments is essential for choosing the one that fits your needs and expectations.
Each treatment should be well explained before and adapted during the massage in order to create the perfect balance between wellbeing and discomfort.