There may be some discomfort during the procedure, but it should never be confused with pain. The discomfort experienced during massage is that which is bearable, i.e., it should be good hurt feelings and not “please stop it!” This discomfort occurs because the muscle tightens together, and the body is reacting to annul the pressure applied to it. But if you noticed that you are holding your breath during a massage, it is time you have a word with your therapist.
When you start holding your breath in massage, it means that your body is trying to counteract with the pressure applied to your skin. The moment the body discovers that it is undergoing some pain, it develops a “flight to fight” response, which may result in holding of the breath. In this case, the patient should inform the therapist that they are experiencing pain so that the therapist will reduce the pressure.
Our bodies have different levels of resistance to pain. Some people can bear much pain while little would cause others shouting and rolling on the table. For this reason, it is better to have a dialogue with your therapist before the procedure where you would have made everything clear. However, if a person feels pain in every massage session, such a person should see a doctor.
There is this belief among people that deep tissue massage is the most painful. Sincerely, this massage is the one that requires the application of firm pressure, but it shouldn’t be painful. The deep tissue massage is the one in which the therapist will apply pressure to operate on the innermost layers of the tissues and muscles. But before then, the therapist must have rubbed the body with lotions to loosen the top tissues and muscles.
The deep tissue massage is an intensive type that aims at relieving pain associated with the back, shoulders, and stiff neck. It is also used to relax tight muscles in the hands and legs, and to improve the body movements. The massage should not be painful, and some people claim that it is more effective when no pain is passed through during it. The deep tissue massage should not be performed on your first visit to the Spa, or else you will regret thinking of having a massage. You should ease your way into massage by starting with the less intensive type.
Therefore, shun every idea that says massage is a painful procedure; the law of “no pain no gain” doesn’t apply to it.
