A frequent question that I hear from new clients is "My (Aunt Betty) had a massage, and she was so sore she could hardly move the next day. Will I be sore, too?"
We have all heard horror stories about the massage therapist who had bone-crushing pressure and didn't listen when asked to back off. I've actually had a client of mine tell me that when she asked her (previous) therapist to lighten up, the response was "I'm not using a lot of pressure, and it has to hurt to work." How's that for compassion?
Does Massage "have" to hurt?
Let me put it this way - it is normal, especially if you've never had massage therapy before, for muscles to feel a little stiff or sore after a treatment. I think of it much the same as working out, after all, muscle tissue is being manipulated and worked, so a little discomfort is not unusual. For therapists it takes intuition, experience and time to learn just how much pressure the tissue (and client) can take, and this amount of time varies among individual therapist. Massage therapy doesn't have to be excruciating, and can be very effective when applied with moderate pressure and appropriate techniques.
I also feel very strongly that no person should ever feel so much pain during a treatment that there are tears involved, or that they feel so ill the day after a treatment that they can't get out of bed. I've had it happen to me when I was a newbie to the therapy, and it was not only uncalled for, it was also ineffective. A good massage therapist should never brush off indications of pain - as a massage professional myself I wouldn't return to someone who disregarded my requests to stop.
Another thing to consider is the condition of the client going in for a treatment. If someone has had an injury, chronic muscle pain and/or tightness, or has been leading a sedentary lifestyle, then he or she will be more sensitive to pressure and techniques than someone who has no injuries or who been working his or her muscles regularly. Injuries themselves require more caution, as it is imperative to assist the healing process and not cause further damage.
To compare massage therapy to a workout routine - if a person has never been to the gym before, it is not a good idea to ask him or her to leg press 100lbs, any more than it is wise for a massage therapist to put all of his or her weight behind their elbow as they perform muscle stripping on the back of a new client. Either way you look at it, if a client has never had a treatment before, neither the client or therapist will know what constitutes deep pressure to the other. Depth of pressure is very subjective, and pain is also a subjective response - what is painful to client A might feel great to client B - there is just no way to tell.
Now my approach is this - when I first start treating a new client, I use broad, firm pressure, and resist the urge to "go deeper" even at his or her request. What I tell them before they get on the table is that the first treatment I will be very moderate, using broad, firm pressure, because I'm not sure of how my client will react - they may feel great in the days following the treatment, in which case next time I will use more pressure if he or she feels they need it. If my client feels not so great in the days following a treatment, then I know I need to do something different and will adapt subsequent treatments to suit my client.
(as an aside - It didn't take me long to learn that the size of the client has absolutely no bearing on how much pressure he or she can take. I have been able to use deep pressure effectively and painlessly with some very small women, and much less pressure with some very muscular and burly men.)
In a nutshell - while some pain is normal, your request to a therapist to lessen the pressure should never be ignored or brushed off. You are paying for a treatment, and you always have the right to stop or modify what is happening (an FYI in case your therapist doesn't tell you this.) As a client, if you are not happy with your therapist and communication doesn't seem to help, you have the right to find a therapist who will do his or her best to be of service to you.
If you are a therapist, especially a new one, I encourage you to take the time to listen to your client and his or her muscle tissue - not everyone is created the same, and it does take time to learn how much is "enough". Also, be sure to advise your client of any possible side effects or risks associated with the treatment (informed verbal consent), and let him or her decide what is right for their body.
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