Muscle soreness is common whether you are building muscle, doing simple workouts, or even playing sports. While it’s a clear sign of muscle tear and growth, sometimes the pain gets unbearable.
At this point, massaging does come into the mind. After all, massages are usually associated with feel-good feelings and the release of stiffness and pain. But did you ever feel like massaging the sore spot made the pain worse? What’s up with that! Can massaging sore muscles make it worse?
Some people have experienced new injuries and aggravation in the existing pain after taking massages. So, should you go for massages and can massage make inflammation worse or improve it? Here’s all about whether massaging a sore muscle is a good idea or a complete no-go.
Key Insights:
- Massaging sore muscles can sometime make the pain worse depending on your technique.
- Swedish massage, deep-tissue massage, and sports massage are three different types of massages that are usually used to get rid of muscle soreness
- Getting a massage from a professional is advisable in certain circumstances instead of going for a quick self-massage session.
Now that we have some basics clear, let’s move ahead and dissect the subject of massaging sore muscles, so the next tine around you’re sore, you know how to manage the soreness without causing yourself more pain.
Can Massaging Sore Muscles Make It Worse?
Absolutely not!
Massaging a sore muscle after a workout or any intense physical activity helps improve recovery. Applying the right massage techniques with the right intensity for the required interval can help with alleviating muscle soreness.
The reason why massaging muscles makes it worse for some people is because they have failed to assess the intensity of pain and choose the wrong massage type.
Sometimes, when the muscle soreness is because of severe medical issues like fractures, sprains, poor sleeping positions, and underlying health issues, massaging sore muscles can make it worse.
Apart from this if the muscle soreness is because of exercising, proper massage is proven to reduce it.
As per the reports of the study published in the Journal of Athletic Training, massage applied after eccentric exercise can alleviate DOMS.
The study includes 10 healthy subjects (5 men and 5 women) with no history of upper arm injury or experience in resistance training. The subjects performed 10 sets of 6 maximal isokinetic eccentric exercises.
While one arm received 10 10-minute massages 3 hours after exercising, the other arm received no treatment. As per the results of the study, massage was effective in alleviating delayed onset muscle soreness by 30% and swelling as well.
So, should you massage sore muscles after a workout? Of course yes, and this is how it works.
How Does Massaging Sore Muscles Help Recovery?
As per the reports published in the Journal of Sports Medicine, massage can reduce muscle tension, affect neurological excitability, and increase blood flow to improve the sense of well-being.
It clearly mentions that post-exercise massage can reduce the severity of muscle soreness.
Based on the study, here is how can massaging sore muscles make them better.
#1. It improves blood flow – Applying pressure during the massage releases the congested area and improves blood flow. This results in better circulation of oxygen and nutrients leading to healing and recovery.
Increased blood flow removes the stagnant fluid and reduces inflammation. So if you have been wondering if massage can make inflammation worse, the answer is no. Rather, it can help treat it.
#2. Stimulate the growth of mitochondria – Massaging stimulates the growth of mitochondria which converts glucose into energy and allows the cells to repair and recover. This accelerates the healing process and therefore there is a decline in muscle soreness.
#3. Relaxes your body – Massaging sore muscles releases feel-good hormones like dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. These hormones help relax and ease your body and thus reduce the prevailing pain and soreness.
Clearly, massaging sore muscles can help improve the condition rather than making it worse. Then why does massaging sore muscles hurt? It is because you might be choosing the wrong massage for your sore muscles.
Best Massage for Muscle Recovery
There are various types of massages and only applying the right one can help you recover better. You can either go for professional massage therapies or do self-massage. Self-massages are performed manually or with the help of vibrating massagers.
The question of can massaging sore muscles make it worse often comes from those who have tried self-massaging and it didn’t work out for them.
Professional massage therapy on the other hand is performed by professional therapists. They acknowledge the type, intensity, and duration of massages. Here are some of the best massages for muscle recovery.
#1. Swedish (Relaxation) Massage
Swedish massage involves applying gentle and medium pressure on the muscles by combining long strokes, kneading, and rubbing.
It improves blood flow and lymph drainage, aids flexibility, and relaxes tight muscles. Interestingly, Swedish massage can also lower blood pressure, treat anxiety, and improve sleep quality. This is why it is also called relaxation muscles.
Therefore, if you are unable to sleep and feeling anxious because of painful muscle soreness, go for this massage therapy. It is very helpful for those experiencing muscle soreness in the neck, shoulders, and lower back.
#2. Deep-Tissue Massage
It is also called orthopedic or clinical massage. Deep-Tissue Massage is similar to Swedish massage but with more pressure and deeper strokes. It focuses on muscle strain and injuries and therefore targets the inner layers of muscle fibers and connective tissues.
Deep tissue massage focuses on muscle knots that block blood circulation and cause limited mobility and soreness. It is best suited for athletes, runners, and those with muscle injuries.
However, it is not recommended to perform after 24 hours of workouts because it is intense and can cause inflammation leading to post-massage soreness.
#3. Sports Massage
This massage type is a combination of different massage techniques that help treat muscle injuries from different sports.
It applies traditional massage and techniques to treat soft tissue aches, pains, and soreness. It assists well in recovering and reviving the muscles, ligaments, posture, and performance by releasing toxins.
So, what toxins are released after massage?
It removes toxins like lactic acid and stimulates the release of endorphins. Sports massage is a great post-workout recovery technique and works like magic for tired legs. It is recommended for those who are often involved in some kind of exercise.
These massages for muscle recovery need to be performed by professionals. In case you are going for self-massages, do it under guidance. Along with these messages, you can also include other techniques and tips to improve the recovery process.
Tips to Fix Sore Muscles
Fixing sore muscles is not as easy as looks. Sometimes the pain becomes unbearable and you need to apply certain tips and tricks to get relief from it as fast as possible.
Here are certain tips to include in your regime apart from massage to get rid of muscle soreness.
#1. Your muscles repair during the night.
Therefore, if you don’t have at least 6-7 hours of sleep you are most likely to experience muscle soreness for a prolonged period.
You can include sleep supplements for muscle recovery that include natural supplements. You can also practice sleep hygiene techniques for undisturbed sleep and muscle recovery.
#2. Feed your muscles with enough nutrients within 30 minutes of intense exercise.
Include 20-40 grams of protein and an equal among of carbohydrates within half an hour of doing an intense long (60 minutes) exercise.
#3. You can take a hot or cold shower to reduce inflammation, alleviate soreness, and improve blood flow.
Don’t hesitate to include essential oils to promote relaxation. You can also add baking soda or Epsom salt and soak for up to 30 minutes.
#4. Don’t forget to stretch before and after the exercise.
It helps release minor muscle tension, improves blood circulation, improves flexibility, and even treats small sprains. Not to forget performing stretching warms up the muscles and eliminates the possibility of developing muscle injuries whereas, stretching after exercise relaxes the muscles.
#5. Make sure to keep yourself hydrated.
Proper hydration keeps the fluids moving and thus reduces inflammation, removes toxins, and supplies nutrients to every muscle cell properly. A study recommends drinking 400ml to 600ml water 2 hours before working out to those living in the hot climate areas.
However, the practical recommendation is to drink 150-300 mL every 15-20 minutes of exercise.
Incorporating massage into your habit along with these tricks and tips can help treat muscle soreness faster. If you have decided on taking a massage for muscle soreness, here is some additional information that might serve some help.
FAQs
Muscle soreness is best treated with a combination of different methods and techniques. But if you want a pain-free solution through massage therapy, it’s crucial to be aware of the nitty-gritty details.
1. How long should you massage a sore muscle?
10 minutes of self-massage is enough to provide relaxation to normal muscle soreness after everyday exercise. However, if it is DOMS, get yourself a good amount of 30-minute massage.
2. When not to massage a muscle?
If you have muscle soreness due to any reason other than exercise, don’t massage your muscles without any professional consultation to avoid any further or severe damage.
3. Why do my muscles hurt worse after a massage?
This is the physical response of the body as inflammation starts to heal. However, if the pain continues to exist for days it might be due to the wrong massaging technique, too much pressure, or muscle rupture or tear.
4. Is it better to stretch or massage sore muscles?
Stretching can prevent muscle soreness in the first place and massaging can help reduce it. Therefore, you can include both in your routine for better muscle recovery.
5. Can massage make knots worse?
Massaging muscle knots can only get worse if you are overdoing it. Therefore, avoid putting too much pressure on a prolonged period.
Massaging the right way can be the best trick to get rid of muscle soreness.
Conclusion
So, can massaging sore muscles make it worse? Not at all! In fact, contrary to this, massaging improves blood circulation, relaxes muscles, improves mood, and releases toxins.
However, the trick is to perform the right type of massage for your muscle soreness for the recommended time under the guidance of professionals. To improve the effectiveness you can include supplements and make sure to keep yourself hydrated. You can go for pre and post-workout massages for better relief.