Yes, No, & Maybe! Every body reacts differently to massage, and it is hard to predict how anyone may feel during or after a session. There is a such thing as a “good” hurt and a “bad” hurt. You should be able to intuitively know the difference. During your session, if the massage ever hurts in a bad way, please let your therapist know. If you are tensing up other muscles to “take” it, the pressure is too much and is contradicting the goals of the session.
On a scale from 1-10 where 1 you barely feel any pressure and 10 you feel like you are ready to hit your therapist because the pressure is way too much, a 7 is where the most therapeutic benefit lies. That 7 is your 7. We ask that you monitor your thoughts. If they ever take a negative turn: the massage hurts in a bad way, you feel bruising, or you can’t even feel your therapist at all, please speak up, and let your therapist know. We try to be intuitive and feel what your muscles need and are telling us, but unfortunately, we are not mind readers, and as every single person is different, we rely on you to help us fine tune the pressure you need for each particular session.
After a massage, some people feel sore for the next 24-48 hours. Some people feel this after even very light work; some people do not feel this at all even after very deep work. It is hard to anticipate and predict, but if you do feel sore after a session, increasing your water intake may help drastically. Most people feel better directly after a session while others feel sore for 24-48 hours and then feel drastically better. If you have continued pain or soreness after a massage, please let your therapist know on your next visit as pressure, techniques, and/or time spent on an area may need to be adjusted to provide you with a more optimal session.