4 Myths of Massage Therapy
It may come as a surprise that a large part of my massage practice is purely education. Some of this education revolves around what they’re feeling in their body and how they can counteract those feelings physically or emotionally. But most of it is actually correcting mis-education.
I hear myths repeated without any knowledge behind the claims except for “my massage therapist told me it’s true, so it must be” or “my colleague said it, and it sounded good.” Sometimes, it’s simply no knowledge of the benefits of massage.
Whether it’s correcting misinformation or simply providing a foundation for clients new to massage therapy, I strive to equip my clients with knowledge to help them achieve true wellness by understanding what’s going on in their bodies. I am mindful of the vulnerability present in one’s healing journey, and it is a true privilege to be part of that process. Here are a few points I share frequently:
- Massage must be painful to be effective.
Actually, massage does NOT need to be painful in order to be effective. Some of the most effective massage is the least invasive. The tissue in your body is like an onion, each layer of fascia (tissue) needs to be warmed before you move on to the next via thixotropy. A massage therapist should never blindly dig into your body without warming the tissue. It can lead to more injury or new injury. Also, deep tissue does not always mean more pressure, it means working WITH the tissue through the layers. If it doesn’t let me in, I’m not forcing it. Granted, there is a time and a place for doing very specific work within a certain pain tolerance. There is also nothing wrong with working within a hurt-so-good pain scale. However, doing painfully deep work can hinder our healing process by attracting unwanted inflammation and soreness. Just know that a good massage therapist will have the knowledge and experience to create a positive, desirable change in your body without causing harm.
- Massage is a quick fix.
Massage therapy requires time and consistency to reap the benefits, just like with most natural therapies. It takes time for our bodies to create imbalances and tension, therefore one session won’t “fix” you. By the way, none of us need to be fixed anyway; we just have room for improvement. It is beneficial to incorporate regular massage into your wellness routine as well as other self- and home-care routine your therapist suggests for you.
- Water flushes out toxins.
This is quite possibly the most circulated myth out there in the massage profession. Just the other day, I heard a massage therapist at my chiropractor’s office say to someone “Make sure you drink a lot of water today to flush out all those toxins!” Guess what? There is no scientific evidence that massage dislodges toxins in our tissues. Are we assisting the lymphatic system by manipulating tissues? Absolutely! But you only need the weight of a nickel on the skin to stimulate lymph. Drinking water after a massage will help our kidneys filter the lymph fluid, but it is not directly pulling toxins from our tissues to be excreted through urine.The real reason you should be drinking water is because you are made of 60-70% water. We need it to survive even down the cellular level. It also keeps our tissue lubricated, preventing tension and the formation of adhesions (knots). Within our tissue is something called interstitial fluid. When we are dehydrated, we are lacking this fluid, therefore lacking lubrication for our tissue and joints. This, among countless other reasons, is why a therapist should be telling you to consume water. A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces AT LEAST, and more if you live an active lifestyle. If you weigh 100 pounds, you’ll want to drink 50 ounces of water every day. Drinking out of the same water bottle everyday is a great way to keep track of your intake. Set yourself up to be successful.
- Tend to the problem rather than the cause.
The majority of the people I see for treatment are looking for relief from upper thoracic (back) pain. I almost always spend time in their problem or complaint area, but I will also work in the front of the body. Some nice work in the pectoral muscles of the chest helps to open up the chest, releasing the shoulders, and relax the back muscles that, before, were overstretched and hanging on for dear life. Similarly, if someone complains of low back pain, I will spend time in the gluteal area focusing on the attachments around the sacrum as well as spending time in the hamstrings. So often people believe a back rub will take care of their back pain but forget that everything is connected. Working on the opposing muscles of the problem area has the potential to bring you amazing relief. Paying attention to the areas crying out for help feels good, but addressing the root cause will be more effective and promote longer-lasting results.
The most important thing to remember is that you and your massage therapist should have open communication before, during and after each session. There are plenty of massage therapists in the sea of bodywork. Don’t settle for one that doesn’t have your best interests at heart.
Author: Jenny Bork is a licensed massage therapist who specializes in stress management, chronic pain and movement education. She is currently accepting new clients.
Photo credit: Konstantin Stepanov