First massage treatment – what to expect…
You should feel very good immediately after your massage, but your muscles could get sore (possibly, very sore!) within hours or the next day. This is typical after a first massage treatment, and means that your body is healing. The soreness can stay from 1 to 3 days, or even longer in extreme cases.
What to do?
Drink plenty of water: somewhere between half your body weight in ounces and up to a gallon a day. Proper hydration is critical and will allow the toxins that have been released into your bloodstream to be removed from your body. Ice the area for up to twenty minutes (but never longer!), three or four times a day, starting immediately and as needed thereafter. Ice is a natural painkiller. Medicinal painkillers actually work against you by slowing down the body’s ability to heal! Do not take them!
What not to do?
Do NOT massage yourself!!! No poking, stretching or kneading! By doing so, you will aggravate the symptoms and make yourself feel worse, possibly even causing long-term damage. When in pain, ice it instead!
Healing is a process. There is no quick fix. It will take time. For good, lasting results, a minimum of four sessions is recommended.