What To Expect After A Massage

What To Expect After A Massage

Is this your first massage? If so, here are my guidelines for what you can expect after a massage. Massage has a cumulative effect and thus requires a regular regimen to achieve long-term wellness. But did you know what you do after your massage can impact your body’s ability to heal after the session?

Here are the guidelines that I highly recommend you follow after your massage to achieve the best benefits for long-term health and wellness.

1. Be aware. If this is your first massage, please be aware that you will feel spaced- out after your session for about 20-30 minutes. This is normal, as the feel-good chemical
   (dopamine) is released in your brain. Whether you receive a 30, 60, or 90-minute session, please take your time getting off the table as you may feel dizzy. If I were you, I would lay
   there for 2-3 minutes after leaving the room and take some nice, deep, cleansing breaths because your diaphragm is the greatest lymphatic pump. Those nice, deep, cleansing
   breaths will help to get things moving. Then, slowly get off the table and get dressed.
2. Schedule your next appointment. Please be prepared to sit down with me for 5-10 minutes after your massage to checkout and go over a treatment plan tailored to fit your needs. This is important because your body may not be “healed” in one session. Massage is a cumulative effect and thus requires a regular regimen to achieve long-term wellness. We are on the right path if you feel 10% better after your first session with me. During this time, I would like you to sit, relax, and sip some water.
3. Hydrate yourself. If I were you, I would divide your body weight by two: that equals how many ounces of WATER you should drink for the next 24-72 hours after your session. Please avoid excess coffee, tea, soda, alcohol, and other toxins for this time period so you are not overloading your Lymphatic System while it is working to remove the “toxins.” Massage is like passive exercise, so “toxins” (mainly lactic acid) are released from your muscles into your bloodstream. Too much lactic acid build-up in your bloodstream can cause flu-like symptoms, especially nausea, so it is important to hydrate yourself. Rest. Don’t plan on doing any heavy exercise or out-of-the-ordinary tasks for the remainder of the day if you can. I would highly recommend taking a nap because your body will be in a state of change for the next 24-72 hours, and it does a wonderful job of healing when it is at rest.
4. Apply Moist Heat. After a Deep Tissue or Therapeutic Massage, it is common to experience increased pain, tenderness, or even slight bruising after the session for the first 24-48 hours, depending on the techniques used to loosen the tissue and where it is located on your body. You might even be swearing at me and calling me unkind names, but after that pain subsides, you will more than likely be calling me wonderful names. What I love doing after a massage is to soak in a hot tub of water with Epsom Salts. Epsom Salts contain magnesium, which your muscles love magnesium, and it’s absorbed through your skin straight into your bloodstream. Plus, the hot water will help keep those tissues loose and limber. Please remember to drink WATER during this period, because with the increased heat from the water those “toxins” will be moving throughout your body faster.
5. Stretch. Depending on what type of massage you receive, I may show you stretches I do daily to encourage those muscles to retain their new resting length. Please note that I cannot prescribe specific stretches because they are out of my scope of practice, but I will be more than happy to show you what I do.
6. Contact me. If the pain you experience after your massage exceeds a 7 out of 10, please call me at (216) 513-8464 or email me at nourishingmassage@gmail.com. I’m here to provide support if you need me.

Click below to download the PDF.