Sometimes it hurts when your muscles are being massaged. The reason for this is usually that your muscles are on the ‘tight’ side.
Muscles are supposed to be balanced. That means that they are all working together and none are ‘too strong.’ They are all ‘just right.’
But sometimes that’s not the case.
Sometimes muscles on one side of your body are a little tight and they pull on other muscles. The tight, short muscles can be tender to the touch even though they don’t usually bother you.
Or, at least, you didn’t know that they were bothering you.
The muscles that get pulled on get tight, too, but it is a different type of tight. It is called taut.
When something is taut, that means that something is pulling on it and it cannot relax.
The goal of massage is to relax your muscles and help get them back into balance. But sometimes a massage practitioner only works on the muscles that are complaining the most. Those are usually the taut muscles.
That tends to be a very unsatisfying massage. Why?
Because the muscles that are causing the problem–the shorter, tighter ones which are usually in the front of the body–are not relaxing. They just keep pulling and pulling even more.
Not good.
Massaging muscles which are taut (weak and overstretched, too) can be very uncomfortable.
On the other hand, if the massage therapist understands HOW bodies work and WHY you have uncomfortable or painful symptoms, then all is good.
That educated, skilled therapist will spend time relaxing the short, tight muscles (not just the taut ones.) That might cause some discomfort but you will say, “Yes, that hurts but it is GOOD pain.”
Can you imagine such a thing? Good pain?
But it’s true. When your muscles are being treated in a way that will help them relax your body says: “Yes! This is the right thing!” even though it is causing discomfort.
So, when your muscles are tight, there can be pain when you are massaged. But the discomfort may feel like good or appropriate pain OR it may feel non-productive and not appropriate.
If it feels ‘wrong’ do not hesitate to tell your therapist. We appreciate feedback that helps us to do a better job and not to ‘hurt’ you needlessly during a therapeutic massage session.
If you feel that your massage therapist needs to understand how your body works a bit better, maybe this article will help. Please feel free to share it.
Your therapist may not be doing a favor for you when it hurts to have a massage.
Hi Kathryn,
I have hypermobility syndrome and I recently turned to massage for my back as therapy, among other things. I loved it! I am quite sensitive to touch (doc calls it “elements of fibromyalgia”) but with the therapist I went to, even the fibromyalgia trigger points were fine. I even enjoyed it, and after a few sessions, I was even able to fall asleep during my sessions.
I’ve maxed out my insurance coverage for the year and now my back, especially the lower towards the tailbone area, hurts like anything without the massage. It feels like a constant, gnawing sore 🙁
Definitely recommend massage for pain relief!
Hi Daphne,
Thank you for writing! I really enjoyed reading your comment. I am a BIG fan of massage myself!
Here are a couple of possible options for you:
1. Go for half-hour appointments to keep the cost down.
2. If there is a massage school in your area, that is another good way to keep costs down.
3. Take a class with a friend or family member and learn how to do massages for each other.
4. Pay your regular therapist for an hour to teach you and a friend how he (she) does your massage. That will just be a brief overview of the technique he uses, but may be enough to be helpful.
Yay for massage!
Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach
Hi Kathryn,
Those are great advice, so thanks! Will remember them, although right now, I’m really not in a position to spend money (I just graduated from university a few weeks ago, and am looking for a job). So it’s old fashioned lying flat on the bed with a pillow between my knees and the bed, warm showers, heat, walking, etc. Me quiting cold turkey from everything was probably what triggered this sudden everyday pain–in university, I did ballet, hydrotherapy, massage therapy, physiotherapy. Regardless, I’m proud to say that with the exception of Arnica-gel, I haven’t touched any pain meds! Not even Tylenol or Advil. But I will definitely look into massage schools when my position affords it!
Hi Daphne,
Good job staying away from the pain meds! Sometimes medicine is necessary but more often people could use natural remedies if they knew what to do.
I wish you the best finding a job quickly and remember to keep taking care of yourself.
Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach
I love getting a massage but every time i do its okay at first but if they work it too long its very painful and uncomfortable. He says the muscles are tight but i worry its something like fibromaligia and yet i dont hurt until the massage.
Hi Tim, Here are my best long distance thoughts.
The person doing the massage is working on a symptom too long. The idea is to help muscles relax by working on the areas that are causing the symptoms. Symptoms are things like tightness or numbness.
A lot of massage practitioners don’t understand the difference between ‘taut’ and ‘tight’ and try to force taut muscles to relax. But taut muscles cannot relax. They are already overstretched and that is why they are taut. Taut muscles feel tight and that is why a lot of practitioners get confused.
If you had fibromyalgia, you would hurt all the time. And sometimes a massage simply calls attention to an area that you did not know needed a bit of work.
Since it’s your body, you get to ask the therapist to lighten up or move on. We really appreciate directions like that. It helps us do a better job for you.
Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach
In no way shape or form is a Massage suppose to hurt. If it does then the therapist is going too deep. If I were getting a massage that hurt I would tell her/him that it was hurting, and if the therapist is knowledgeable then he/she would stop right there and ask if its the pressure or move to a different part of the body.
Hi Kathryn, There are practitioners who believe massage should never hurt. I am not one of them. I don’t think the client should be in extreme pain but there is a good chance that there will be discomfort. When the discomfort is elicited in the appropriate muscles (the muscles that need to be relaxed), most folks call it ‘good pain.’ As in: “That hurts; don’t stop. It’s good pain.”
When I receive a massage, I do NOT want only the application of oil to my body. I want the practitioner to actually touch the muscles and not only the skin. When sufficient pressure is applied to make muscle contact, there may be some discomfort, depending on the state of the muscles.
And you are absolutely correct that if the pressure is too deep, too uncomfortable, or feels inappropriate in any way, the client should let the therapist know. In turn, the therapist can and should lighten their pressure or alter technique. Thank you for writing, Kathryn.
Kathryn Merrow
The Pain Relief Coach