You probably went into a massage session for a feeling of serene tranquillity and to get into a state of thorough relaxation. If you are one of those people who turned to massage therapy to seek relief from muscle pain, tension, then you may feel annoyed if you wake up with muscles that feel a little sore the day after the massage. It may come as a surprise for you. Feeling sore after a workout or doing a lot of chores is to be expected, but soreness after a massage! You will begin to feel sore 6 to 8 hours after the massage and will reach a peak 2 to 3 days later.
Muscle soreness or tightness will last for hours, sometimes even days, depending on how your body reacts and how effectively the soreness is managed. There are some massages to challenge muscular restriction so that your movement is restored and becomes more fluid, easy, and relaxed. The soreness is because the soft tissues of your body are manipulated and stretched to break down the knots and adhesions. Any tissue or muscle groups that are caught in a twist are released with just the right amount of pressure during a massage session.
It is done so that the muscles can get back into a more untwisted and relaxed state. Massages increase blood circulation to the tight spots in the body.
Your therapist will stretch, loosen up, and break up these muscle groups called knots leading to micro-tears in the muscle as they do so.
What this means is more blood flow to the tight spots and also you are setting up the muscles for recovery, but you will also feel plenty of soreness or inflammation after this. For instance, if you are experiencing soreness in your back, it could be an indication that you are carrying some tension in that spot. The longer you have been experiencing this, the more depth that needs to be applied to get the muscles working like normal again. The soft tissues can totally feel the effects of good hurt by feeling sore.
