25/05/2026
Sports Massage & Pain....
A sports massage should not be excruciating to be effective. In fact, extreme pain can make the treatment less useful and sometimes harmful.
Here’s why:
Your muscles often tighten defensively when pain is too intense. That can work against the goal of helping tissue relax and move better.
Severe pain, bruising, or feeling like you must “endure” the session can irritate tissue and overload the nervous system instead of helping recovery.
People with chronic pain can actually become more sensitive under stress or excessive pressure.
A good sports massage is often:
Intense but tolerable, a
“good discomfort” rather than sharp pain
adjustable based on your feedback
followed by feeling looser or more mobile, not injured
Many experienced massage therapists describe the ideal pressure as strong enough to feel therapeutic, but not so painful that you tense up, hold your breath, grip the table, or dread the treatment.
Some soreness for a day or two can happen after deep work, but:
severe bruising,
lingering pain,
numbness,
or feeling physically overwhelmed
are signs the pressure may have been too aggressive.
If you ever get a sports massage, it’s completely appropriate to say:
“Can you reduce the pressure a bit?”
A therapist will work with you to find that sweetspot between good pain and counterproductive pain 💚