Post Session

Drink Water: For one to two days following your treatment, make sure to stay hydrated. As massage increases greater circulation and your tissues release previously stored toxins into your bloodstream, you may feel fatigued following a session. Increasing your water intake will assist your body in flushing these things out. It is also highly advised to drink water before receiving a massage as hydrated tissues are easier to work with. Myofascial limitations change in state as they loosen, becoming more fluid and hydrated or gelatinous. This calls for water. Hydration helps you heal more quickly, lessens discomfort after therapy, and extends the duration of fascial releases that take place during treatment.

You May Feel Sore: You may feel some soreness for up to 2-3 days after treatment. The soreness is due to sustained pressure to the deeper tissue layers that assist in the break up of muscular adhesions, and release of toxins to allow for blood, oxygen, and nutrients to better circulate and flow through the area that was restricted. This is a normal reaction to treatment. The therapeutic effects of massage are cumulative, so the more often you get a massage, the faster your body will respond and the less sore you will feel.

Rest: Although you may feel great after a treatment, it is a good idea to let your body rest and heal, especially if you have not had a massage in a while. Avoid any strenuous activity, especially heavy lifting and any sudden jolting movements, for a day after treatment. The intensity of a workout should be mild-moderate. Sustained pressure on connective tissue makes it more gel-like. The technical term for this change is thixotropic effect. This state of increased softness lasts about twenty-four hours, so high-intensity exercise may pull or move the tissue back to old patterns or even induce new strain patterns.

Stretch: If you sit at a desk for long periods of time, it is vital to take breaks and stretch/move your body. Set a timer on your phone for every hour or two (or whatever works best with your schedule) as a reminder to stand up, walk around your home or office, or give yourself a quick full-body stretch. Foam rollers, tennis balls, and theracanes are useful tools to use at home for self-massage that will extend the benefits of your last session until your next appointment.

Be Aware: Pay close attention to your posture. Remember that repetition is essential to developing any habit, good or bad, so pay attention to how you stand, sit, handle your phone, slump on the couch, carry your bag, and move your body. Consider your posture; is your weight distributed equally between your feet? Do you prefer one foot over the other? How much air do you inhale? Keen body awareness can be the key to moving past detrimental patterns we hold within ourselves.

Follow Up Session: Your goals, your symptom profile, and how well your body responds to treatment will all influence when you have your next appointment. It's crucial to have reasonable expectations about what one massage can accomplish. More than one session is required if you need massage to treat chronic muscular tension or recuperate from a soft tissue injury. The greatest way to release lifelong knots and stress is with a comprehensive program that combines stretching and exercise, focusing on one's posture and movement, relaxation techniques, and a regular massage schedule. Regular maintenance sessions are encouraged once you are pleased with your treatment's success in order to keep your health at its best. The therapeutic effects of massage build up over time, so the more massages you receive, the chronic patterns of tension begin to relase, relaxation gets deeper, and the more benefits you'll experience from session to session