One of the confusing things about both deep tissue massage and sports massage is that, not only do they provide a wealth of benefits including pain relief , but they also cause pain to some degree.
In this article, we explain what happens to the body during and after a deep tissue massage and why clients experience a degree of soreness or tenderness in the massaged area. So, what happens to the body after deep tissue massage? Most clients report feeling mild soreness akin to DOMS after deep tissue massage. This usually lasts a few days after which time clients report benefits such as pain relief, improved range of motion, better sleep, and lower blood pressure.
After a deep tissue massage, you can expect your muscles to feel a little tender - often described as being similar to DOMS delayed onset muscle soreness. Although inconvenient, muscle tenderness should be mild in nature, and subside within a few days. Deep tissue massage stimulates and breaks down muscles that may not ordinarily be used and need time to become accustomed to it - just like with exercise. In fact, with frequent and regular deep tissue massage, many clients report that this soreness decreases over time.
However, there are a few ways in which they can relieve soreness after the fact:. Learn more about the soreness associated with deep tissue massage in our recent blog where we go into more detail about why it happens and what clients can do to minimise soreness and inconvenience.
Whilst it may cause soreness to the muscles, deep tissue massage comes with a range of benefits to clients that are willing to see past a few tender sessions and stay the course. One of the key benefits of deep tissue massage is that it helps to reduce pain, whether that be a sports injury, a musculoskeletal condition or a chronic illness.
