What if the massage treatment hurts?

This depends on the type of massage and the depth of the strokes. A light, relaxing massage that doesn't probe very deep into the muscles, shouldn't hurt, ever. With that being said, there is a 'feels good' hurt and an 'ouch, stop it' hurt. A good massage, even a really deep tissue massage, should always stay in the 'feels good' hurt range. Many therapists like a scale of one to ten, “one” being “I can’t feel that at all”, ( as with some energy therapies, or Lymphatic Drainage massage) and “ten” being “If you do that again I’m gonna hit you! Your therapist will usually want to stay in the 6-7 range in this scenario, but he/she won’t know where it is unless you speak up.

Pain can be an indication that the muscle is possibly injured or inflamed and pressure should be adjusted. Also, pain can cause you to tighten up and negate the relaxing effects of the massage. The most effective and deepest massage always works with your body's natural response, not against it.

To be effective, massage doesn’t have to be deep (meaning the therapist is pressing hard against your muscle, trapping it against your skeleton.) Massage therapy not only addresses the physical needs of a person, but also their mental and emotional needs and wants in order to help the person feel relief from physical injuries, get rid of daily stress or help them maintain good health in general. There are many advantages to massage therapy. The physical advantages of massage therapy, such as relieving arthritis, circulatory problems, pulled or strained muscles, tension headaches, increasing the immune system, insomnia and many other physical problems can help a person’s physical body feel better. There are also many mental benefits as well, including satisfying the need for a nurturing touch, relieving anxiety and increasing awareness of the mind-body connection (Source). The unique element of touch involved in massage therapy is especially important for patients choosing this treatment for mental purposes because it gives the patient a sense of love and care.

Bottom line here is communication with your therapist. He/she won’t know how effective his/her treatment is unless you communicate.