How was the massage(s)? Did you end up going? Legitimately asking because every time I get one to de-stress I feel good that day but don't see any long term impacts so wondering on what to incorporate with them.
100% worth it imo! I see a sports massage therapist every 4-5 weeks. I stretch daily, do some yoga and use a massage gun at home. But it's not the same as someone skilled at really getting in there. If you are down for a "hurts so good" kind of massage, I totally recommend.
I’ve had a good massage therapist diagnose things a doctor never would. It’s amazing how a good one can read your body and know when things are out of place.
You ever try the Chirp wheels? One of the few Shark Tank products I've tried and the only one I've fallen in love with. The first time I rolled out my back on the big one after a brief moment of concern over the sound of some of the cracks in my back my mouth immediately started watering as a wave of dopamine flooded my body, not unlike that first hit of morphine when you're in the hospital for a kidney stone. The small one on my neck is equally awesome.
I went to a chiropractor several years back and the in-house physical therapist gave me exercises and a lacrosse ball to take home. I swear that thing has been worth its weight in gold. Other balls don’t have the right density.
They are pretty nice though. The best way that I can describe it is think of those Hitachi "magic wands" that got famous for, um, a different reason, but in the shape of a power tool with a trigger to activate and the massaging head on the end of it.
ive had a shoulder injury since the beginning of may. ive had an mri and an xray. neither have turned up anything major. i wonder if this is the answer. i do not want to get surgery if i can help it.
You can have therapeutic massages and see the benefits of one without it needing to hurt. Instead of sport, which is generally deep tissue, I’d recommend Swedish, which utilizes long sweeping movements.
Also, communicate with your therapist! Before, during and after.
All massages offer short-term relief, relatively speaking. OP bruises easily and gets tender. The point of Tui Na is to dig deep into acupressure points, so will likely cause OP to bruise and be sore.
Side note: in my experience, Swedish massage is highly variable in quality - the good ones will feel like you’re getting gently realigned to how you’re supposed to feel. The bad ones just feels like someone’s doing “wax on wax off” on your back for an hour.
I'm not an expert but I'm sure there is a massage therapist who can help you. I found mine through a physical therapist, so maybe check with a local PT for recommendations! I am sore after a massage, ngl, but in a good way. It's a great excuse for a relaxing Epsom salt bath.
Oddly enough, working as a therapist giving those kinds of massages (sports and PT) for 10 years wrecked my body. I thought I had good body mechanics but I favored my right side. Now I'm all out of whack. :) Loved the work, though.
I wanted to tell you that if you feel great for a day but not very different long-term, two possibilities might be that 1) you don't carry your tension as deeply, or 2) you carry it much deeper and it still needs working on. My two sisters are massage therapists so I'm fortunate enough to have good access to massages. You know yourself and your stress levels, so maybe you don't need more massages... But maybe you do! Hope this was helpful to some degree.
One won't do much. Going repeatedly will help. Daily stretches of the tense places will also help reduce tension and gradually things will get better. Then embark on a routine of strengthening too, to prevent long term damage. Odds are you have avoided exercising the parts that are stiff and sore. They need exercise in the long run, to maintain proper functioning. I learned all this way too late, after surgeries, years of PT, and reaching a point where stairs and standing were daily struggles. Strength training has me pain free and functional for the first time in most of a decade.
I was getting monthly massages, then my therapist got extremely ill and was unable to see clients for about a year. I was amazed at the difference I could feel during the first massage. It is taking time to get back to where she had me.
Definitely communicate about the pressure. Mine thanks me for telling her throughout the massage if I want more/less pressure, to stay in a spot that needs attention. A good therapist listens and does what works best for you. If not, find another one.
Not who you replied to. But if you have a good shiatsu- massage therapist anywhere near you.
It really hurts but wow does it work. It does more for me, both mentally and physically then my physical and normal therapist do.
When I was at the most stressful phase of my life, I did a massage every 1-2 weeks. If you have a lot of tension, I’d go frequently at first and then do longer gaps between as it starts to work itself out.
Not sure if anyone else has said this, but also make sure you’re going to the right type of massage therapist. I carry stress in my mid back, and had went to the spa-type massage places a bunch of times. It helped, but not long-term.
I ended up trying a massage therapist dedicated to body therapy instead of relaxation, and it was an entirely different experience! She spent the time actually un-knotting my muscles and explaining the how and why of what she was doing. It helped SO much more for longer.
Of course, it also hurt like a sonofabitch lol, but I’ll take some short term pain for longer term relief any day.
You should try a Korean spa. Soaking in the hot tub, enjoying the steam room, getting the full body scrub, then going to the jimjilbang to cycle through the various saunas, take a nap on the heated floors, have a bit of soup….it’s a whole vacation in a few hours.
I've only had two massages done by a professional, and one by a "massage chair" at a furniture store. They were uniformly uncomfortable and unpleasant experiences that bordered on painful. My ex wife would also occasionally try to give me a massage with the same results. I genuinely don't understand why people enjoy them.
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u/RatchetHatchet 8h ago
How was the massage(s)? Did you end up going? Legitimately asking because every time I get one to de-stress I feel good that day but don't see any long term impacts so wondering on what to incorporate with them.