After we have discussed where your aches, pains, and muscle concerns are I will then be able to give you a suggestion on what kind of massage I think will be the most helpful for you.
You may have noticed that I used the word "suggested". The reason for this is because in the end it is YOUR massage time. If you have back pain but you would rather just have a full body massage with not a lot of focus on the back, we can do that. During the massage we are a team and we work together on helping you feel better!
When you come into the massage room you can expect low relaxing lighting and peaceful non-lyrical music to help ease you into a relaxing state of mind. The room will also be at a comfortable temperature, with the massage table being complete with a blanket and heating mat to keep you cozy. I use coconut oil for my massages, but for those with an allergy please let me know ahead so I can be prepared. Unless otherwise told not to, an essential oil diffuser will be running that will give a hint of a relaxing aroma in the air.
Steps Through a Standard Massage:
Regardless of the kind of massage you’ve received you should be feeling better than before the massage. If it was your first massage it is not uncommon to have a sense of euphoria. If it was an extreme therapeutic massage you may feel like you just worked out, with some sore and tender muscles. If it was purely a relaxing massage you may feel sleepy and need to sit down and regroup before going home. Either way, awesome!
I will give you water after the massage to encourage you to continue to drink more water after you leave. Although most of us know that is it important to drink at least eight 8oz. of water a day, we hardly ever make that quota. However following a massage, it is crucial that you drink plenty of water, regardless of what kind of massage you received. You will also want to rest and continue to relax for the rest of the day after the massage if you can. Save stressful activities for the next day and any exercising should be calming and mild.
The reason it is important to drink water and rest after a massage is for the same reason it’s important to drink water and rest after a hard workout. Your muscles and body are having to adjust from a manual physical change. The water helps insure that your body has the fluid it needs to replenish your muscles and the rest gives your muscles the opportunity to do so. Drinking water and getting rest will affect how you will feel in the days following a massage and so for the most positive outcome I recommend plenty of water and continued rest.
For those who had a relaxing massage your body will continue to feel a bit like jelly in the few days that follow the massage.
Similar to after a workout, those who have had a therapeutic massage, or had focus on a particular problem area in the body, will most likely have muscle soreness. As I have mentioned, depending on what you do after the massage, will greatly change how you will feel the next day.
With that being said, you should not be so sore that you can't do standard daily activities. There should never be a visible bruise. Typically, you should not be sore for more than two days. If any of these things happen don't panic or write off massage, this simply means that the pressure was too much for your muscles. It is common for people to handle a great deal of pressure during the massage, but then realize later on that the result was too much for their muscles to handle. The solution is to let those muscles heal and then to communicate to me before the next massage, what happened so that the massage and pressure can be altered.
There is a learning curve in knowing what kind of massage, and pressure you will need, especially when you are new to massage. There may be trials and errors but I will always try my very best to give you exactly the massage your body needs.