How long should you wait between deep tissue massages

For so many of us, a massage is an incredible way to relax, destress and give some much-needed attention to our hardworking bodies. It’s a method for healing and nurturing injuries and strained parts of our musculoskeletal system.

If you’ve been to see a licensed massage therapist, they may have given you a suggestion for when you should see them again. Depending on what you’re seeing them for, they could recommend multiple visits a week, once every six weeks or anywhere in between. 

But have you wondered: Is too much massage harmful? Here’s what you should know.

How Often Should You Receive Massage Therapy?

Before we get into answering the question “is too much massage harmful,” it’s helpful to understand how often you can get a massage. 

The frequency in regards to how often you should get certain types of massage usually relates to what you’re treating and how you’re treating it, but also your medical health. 

Certain conditions mean that you need to wait longer between massages, while others — mostly pain management-related — can be a good reason to have them more frequently. 

Here’s a brief rundown of how often you can have different massage techniques:

Lymphatic Drainage Massage

This massage is typically used after surgery or to treat medical conditions like lymphedema. It encourages the lymph nodes to drain, releasing fluid and metabolic waste. The frequency usually depends upon the need and often begins with daily treatment, and will gradually decrease to two or three times a week. 

Deep Tissue Massage

This type of massage is most often used to treat specific muscle injuries and reaches deep layers of muscle and layers of tissue. Depending on the injury, you can have daily or weekly massages.

Swedish Massage

Because it is mostly used for relaxation, mental health and physical maintenance, most massage therapists recommend it once a month.

Massage Chair

You can use a massage chair for 20 minutes a day.

Massage Gun

Depending on how you’re using your massage gun, you should stick to 30-60 seconds per session for up to 15 minutes per day during a self-massage. 

Is Too Much Massage Harmful?

Well, if you’re asking yourself “is too much massage harmful,” you probably have great health insurance or use self-massage techniques and tools. And the answer is yes, it can be. 

Massage is more than just feeling good: it triggers chemical change, blood circulation, movement of lymph fluid, among other things. In order to allow your muscles, tendons and ligaments to heal, you need to give your body time to do what it does. 

Massage can also trigger delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which is the same thing you feel after you’ve put in a good workout. It’s your body responding to the inflammation as it heals. 

While the instinct may be to massage, there are a few other things you can do to manage your sore muscles, including staying hydrated, stretching, using heat or cold therapy, essential oils and topical treatments and, of course, rest. 

The best way to know if you’re having too many massage sessions is to talk to your massage therapist, physical therapist or health professional. 

It’s always important to consult your massage therapist if you are pregnant, have any health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, or fever due to cold or flu, as well as disclose any previous injuries. 

These things don’t necessarily mean you cannot have a massage, but they often require your massage therapist to adjust their techniques. 

We all know that massage can get expensive. However, working with your massage therapist, you can make a plan that works for you, stretching out the time between massages and utilizing techniques that they teach you so that you can continue care and massage at home. 

A lot of people, including some massage therapists, really believe in the “no pain, no gain” approach. While pain or discomfort can be a normal part of a massage, especially methods like deep tissue massage, the pain shouldn’t be unbearable. 

Think of it in terms of the good tension you experience when working out, and anything beyond that is very possibly causing more damage. 

A lot of people push their pain threshold to the limit when doing self-massage. That pain might be telling you you’re running over bone or nerve bundles, and this can cause damage like neuropathy in the long run. 

It’s also possible to over-stimulate the muscle, leading to fluid build-up in the muscle tissue.  

Maximize Your Massage

While we’re on the subject of “is too much massage harmful,” you may be interested to know how to extend the benefits of your massage. 

While certain types of massage are geared towards healing things like sports injuries and acute damage, if you’re using massage for chronic pain, these tips may help improve the post-massage experience and long-term outcomes. 

Schedule

Set aside a chunk of time, like a full afternoon instead of an hour, to get your massage so that you can take full advantage of the benefits both physically and mentally. Going right back into a stressful workday can undo it all. 

Diet

Eating a healthy meal will help continue the feeling of relaxation and healing, but the long-term benefits of eating healthy are ones we are all familiar with. A healthy diet can help our bodies to heal and get our internal systems in working order. 

Hydrate

Massage is dehydrating, and drinking enough water before and after a massage can help to minimize muscle soreness after your massage. Water also helps to flush toxins that are released into your system from the massage, so making sure you’ve drunk enough keeps things moving as they’re meant to. 

Avoid strenuous activity

Getting back to the gym or engaging in other highly physical activities right after your massage can undo all of the effects of your massage. If you feel the urge to be active, try yoga or stretching. 

Set the mood

We tend to enjoy our time on the massage table, but as soon as it’s over, we tend to rush back to our normal lives. Keeping that feeling of relaxation going will help you to reap all the benefits. Treat yourself to a nice lunch, enjoy a cup of tea, listen to some easy music and spend some time doing a light activity that you enjoy. 

Bottom Line

So, is too much massage harmful? The answer is yes, it can be. The best way to answer this is to listen to your body and talk openly with your massage therapist. 

Don’t prioritize pain: it often won’t heal you in the way that you believe it will. Give yourself time between massages to rest, heal and enjoy the benefits. And, before you start feeling that tightness or pain, book your next massage. 

A sports massage can be a great way to relieve tension in your muscles and reduce the risk of both injuries and pain. In this article, our qualified sports massage therapists explain how long you should rest after having a massage, and why resting is important for your muscles.

How Long Should You Rest After a Sports Massage? To experience the maximum benefits of a sports massage, you should rest for 24-48 hours after a massage to allow time for muscle recovery. You shouldn’t workout within this timeframe, but you can partake in light exercises, such as walking, swimming, and gentle yoga.

Read on to find out more about why you should rest after a massage, as well as the benefits of doing so.

At a minimum, you should rest for at least 24 hours after your massage to ensure your muscles have plenty of time to repair themselves. Post-massage soreness is completely normal after a sports massage, and your muscles may still feel tight after 48 hours, which is a sign they are still recovering. 

Why Should You Rest After a Sports Massage?

There are a few reasons why you should rest for at least 24 hours after a sports massage, we explore some of the reasons below:

Risk of Injury

After a massage, your muscles and connective tissues are more pliable and soft, which could increase your chances of an injury. If you take part in strenuous exercise (such as weightlifting, or running) soon after a sports massage, you are putting yourself at risk of straining your muscles and tissue, which could result in swelling, bruising, and loss of strength.

Dehydration

When your muscles are trying to recover after a massage, your body uses up more water. Because of this, your chances of becoming dehydrated are increased. You should avoid excessive sweating and give your body time to get back to its normal hydration state. We’d also advise that you drink plenty of water before and after your massage to help speed up your sports massage recovery.

DOMS

Delayed onset muscle soreness, also known as DOMS, is the achy feeling you get after an intense workout. DOMS after a sports massage is completely normal, as your muscles are working hard to repair themselves. If you workout while experiencing DOMS, you aren’t giving your muscles enough time to heal, and your workout may also be quite painful.

How Long are Your Muscles Sore After a Sports Massage?

As we mentioned earlier, you may experience delayed onset muscle soreness after a sports massage due to the technique we use that carries nutrients and blood to your muscles. The soreness usually peaks after 24 hours, like it would after any other workout. Most of the DOMS will be gone after 48 hours, but it could even last longer than that. 

For more information on aches and pains you may feel during and after your sports massage, read our blog post. We discuss why some massage techniques may be slightly painful, but also how they can benefit your body. 

Can You Work Out After a Sports Massage?

To ensure your body has time to recover after a sports massage, you should avoid heavy workouts for at least 24 hours after the massage. Heavy workouts may include running, weightlifting, and climbing. If you want to stay active, try partaking in light exercises, such as walking, swimming, and gentle stretches.

What are the Benefits of a Sports Massage?

Sports massages aren’t just for regularly active people, or those who are injured. In fact, all of us could benefit from a sports massage from time to time, as massages come with many benefits:

• Increased flexibility and muscle mobility
• Helps with joint mobility
• Increased blood flow and nutrients to the area
• Helps to eject metabolic waste, such as lactic acid
• Promotes relaxation and releases endorphins
• Boosts your performance and wellbeing

To find out more about the science behind sports massages, as well as our top tips for getting a sports massage, read our recent blog post.

How Often Should You Get a Sports Massage?

The frequency at which you get massages will depend on how active you are and the goals you want to achieve with your session. If you’re part of a sports team or partake in heavy exercise, you may want to go for a sports massage once a week. This ensures your muscles have the chance to relax, and any smaller niggles can be sorted before they become painful. If you have an injury, speak to your massage therapist and see how many sessions they’d recommend for a speedy recovery.

Sports massages aren’t just for athletes, even if you only enjoy light exercise once or twice a week, a massage once a month is recommended to keep your body in check. To find out more about the recommended frequency of sports massages, read our recent blog post.

Sports Massages at Katie Bell

Here at Katie Bell Physiotherapy & Wellness, we offer a range of massage services, including deep tissue and sports massages at our clinic in Sheffield. Our massage therapists will work collaboratively with you to ensure you get the most out of your massage session. 

The team of therapists at Katie Bell is greatly experienced in tailoring a sports massage to the individual in front of us, so no matter your pain threshold you will leave feeling relaxed & rehabilitated. 

Visit our sports massage page to find out more, or get in touch with our friendly team if you have any questions, or need advice. We’ll be happy to help!