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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Does massage therapy hurt?

    Related Topics
    Back & Neck Pain Pain Sports Injuries & Prevention
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  • Kevin Shapiro

    Physiotherapist

    17 years experience in Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom in private practice. I specialize in the treatment of back and neck pain as … View Profile

    Deep Tissue Massage an cause slight discomfort while being administered ( even treatment soreness for  a 2 days  is normal)

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  • Dr Adam Dabboussi

    Chiropractor

    Adam has a strong interest in treating a range of musculoskeletal based conditions ranging from poor posture and office ergonomically based injuries to sporting/athletic injuries/conditions.Adam … View Profile

    It does depend on the intent of the massage, whether its help treat a condition, or just getting a massage for therapeutic benefits.

    As said above, if the massage is being administered in order to treat a condition, it can cause slight discomfort while getting the massage and afterwards for ~48hours.

    If you're getting massage for therapeutic benefits, most of the techniques are quite gentle.

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  • Grant Frost

    Physiotherapist

    A senior physiotherapist with a background in effective management of most common and uncommon physical injuries and dysfunctions.My interests lie in not only the successful … View Profile

    Massage therapy does have the capacity to be uncomfortable whilst being administered. Depending on the issue that you are having treated, it will determine how you can expect it to feel.

    If you are injured or in pain, you can expect massage therapy to potentially be a little more uncomfortable than someone who is a little stiff and tight and wants to be loosened up.

    It is important to note that massage should never be “painful” or “unbearable”. It should always be administered within the limits of what feels comfortable for you, so it important that you have a strong line of communication with your therapist in order to get the best results.

    If you are counting down the seconds until the massage is over as its too intense, then you run the risk of being very sore and tender both immediately after and even more so the next day. As mentioned above, varying degrees of treatment soreness are acceptable but it should never be painful or an increase in your pain.

    There can be a little bit of ego that creeps into a massage where the slogans “no pain, no gain” or “the harder the better” tend to be followed literally by the therapist, but as mentioned above, whether its your Physiotherapist, Chiropractor, Massage Therapist, Myotherapist or even the local Sports Trainer, they should never exceed your comfortable ability to cope and will get the best results accordingly.

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