Massage and Bodywork frequently asked questions (FAQ)

A massage or other treatments should not be too painful, but the aim is to get results and sometimes it’s possible to feel “nicely sore”.

You should say during the massage how you feel and then the masseur can adjust the pressure of the massage.

A massage as a treatment is not an endurance competition where we measure who can take the most pain and hardest strokes. The aim is to give a pleasant, effective and relaxing massage.

The masseur will ask during the massage how the customer feels and if the strokes should be harder or lighter. A massage should never create bruises, but some people get bruised more easily than others. In these cases you will probably be aware that you bruise more easily so this will not cause alarm. Some illnesses and medication can also impact your likelihood of bruising.

The name of the type of massage may tell you something about what’s it’s going to be.

Every experienced and professional trained masseur should know how to perform massage fulfilling the needs of the customer. It’s not even true that Sports massage is more painful or sports masseurs use more pressure in general when performing the massage because there are so many techniques, tools and types of massage strokes that experienced massage therapists or bodyworker can use..

Remember anyone in Finland can use the title “sports masseur” but most of the sports masseurs have received their knowledge and experience from working with athletes and sports. From 2007 onwards the muscle treatment of athletes has been a part of the specialist vocational qualifications of trained masseurs. This training includes the athletes’ needs regarding training, competitions, coaching and sports injuries.

The techniques and methods in sports massage and classical massage are still similar in both massage types masseur can use mobilizing and trigger point techniques and do fascia release.

The hand print of the trained masseurs or bodyworkers are result of studies, work experience and the way how he or she wants to treat people.

But hey isn’t the sports massage  more promising and effective sounding form of massage?

A masseur can use different physical treatments, like cold, heat and electric treatments as a preliminary treatment or during the massage, depending on the customers’ needs and problems. These needs are mapped during an introductory consultation and examination when the masseur suggests a treatment that he/she thinks is the best for the customer.

A heat treatment needs to be agreed beforehand because the heat packages need to be heated before the treatment. It is good to remember that heat and cold don’t work in the same way for everyone and therefore similar conditions can sometimes be treated in different ways.

Heat relaxes muscles and makes them more elastic, eases pain and improves the blood circulation on the surface of the skin and the metabolism in the tissues. Heat is relaxing and calming. A surface heat treatment is usually used as a pre-treatment for tight, sore and tight muscles and for relaxation. The treatment is made with heat packages wrapped in towels and the treatment time is about 10–20 minutes but packages can be moved and left over customer’s body if performing longer massage.

Heat treatment is not used for e.g. treating a new injury if the customer has infections or a severe heart or blood vessel disease. The masseur decides if the treatment can be done and therefore it is good to ask the masseur at the time of booking if surface heat treatment can be used.

The cold treatment used as a physical treatment reduces the blood flow in the treated area and slows done the metabolism in the tissues and “numbs” the nerves, thereby reducing pain and swelling. Warm and inflammated muscles and tendons can also be treated with cold packages. Cold treatment is given with cold packages wrapped in a thin cloth for about 15–20 minutes. The area being treated is observed during the treatment.

TENS treatment (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) uses mild electric current and it’s generally used in acute or chronic pain. TENS treatment is effecting to pain signals going to your spinal cord and brain and might also increase endorphin production in your body. Some people feels that it also relaxes muscles. You can buy your own TENS device and get instructions how to use it at home.

Depending of the masseur or bodyworker we have knowledge and skills to use different kind of special techniques. These techniques are usually combined to massage or other treatments  if necessary without need to ask for them.

These special techniques can also be directed to specific problems or client group for example pregnancy massage, lymphatic drainage and masticatory (Oclusal muscle massage). Other techniques that we often use are trigger point, mobilizing and fascia release techniques. We can also use IASTM  tools (instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization tools) or massage gun.

The most common reasons for a massage appointment are pain, aches, tightness or stiffness around the neck and shoulders, arms, upper back, lower back, buttocks or feet. The symptoms can also be repetitive headaches, dizziness, shooting pain in the limbs or numbing. Common problems are also ischia or cramps. A massage can help you to relax in a stressful and busy life situation.

Some customers have pain spots that radiate pain; these are called trigger points and they can be on the muscle or on the membrane on surrounding the muscle. The customer can feel that the trigger points ache, that they are numb or radiate pain to other places. During the treatment these feelings usually get stronger at the start but go away when the trigger point “melts”. We usually treat the trigger points during the massage without any extra session or so. Numbness or radiating feeling can also be cause of nerve pinch.

Symptoms can in many cases begin as a feeling of stiffness, light ache or pulsating pain. If the symptoms don’t go away or if they get worse then you should contact us as soon as possible. Stiffness in muscles or joints can also start to limit movements, the pain can start to disturb everyday tasks or pain can wake you up in the night.

If we think that massage is not the right treatment for the problem then you will be directed to the appropriate healthcare professional.

There are contraindications to massage and in those cases some parts of the treatment should be left out, adjusted or not be done at all. You should ask the masseur when booking the appointment if you have some questions or doubts. If we can’t answer straight then we still find out and get back to you.

You should mention the things listed below and other serious and acute illnesses and accidents when you are making the booking and definitely during the introductory consultation. The things listed below don’t always prohibit the treatment if the treatment of the illness and the medication is correct.

In uncertain cases you should ask the treating doctor if massage is suitable for you. If you e.g. have recently had a cancer surgery you should ask for a written permit for a massage from the doctor or another party.

Relative contraindications to massage Cases when the massage treatment might have to be modified

• Active rheumatism
• Acute vein thrombosis
• Low or high blood pressure
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Flu and cold (mild, no fever)
• Wounds, abscess, blisters, infected hair follicles and otherwise broken skin
• Eczema
• Gout
• Other heart conditions
• Other problems in arterial blood circulation
• inflammation in joints
• Neurological problems e.g. spastic muscles
• Osteoporosis
• Pregnancy
• CAD
• Atherosclerosis
• Fresh injuries
• Hernia
• infectious diseases

Absolute contraindications to massage Cases when the massage treatment cannot be done at all, treatment must be modified heavily or we need written approval from your doctor.

• Antibiotics prescription (after you’re done taking the medicine you also need to make sure it has helped)
• Infections caused by bacteria, viruses or fungus
• Haemophilia
• Fever
• You are hungover or intoxicated
• Untreated cancer and uninvestigated tumours
• Contagious skin diseases or other diseases

Healthy mothers with normal pregnancies can have a massage. It is good to tell the masseur about the pregnancy so that he/she can take it into consideration when planning the treatment. For example the pelvis is not treated heavily and the stomach is not treated at all. When it is no longer possible to be on the stomach the customer can be treated side lying or sitting up in the mobile massage chair.

Expectant mothers have different pains and other feelings because of the physical, psychological and hormonal changes of pregnancy. Back pain and soreness around the neck and shoulders are common. The situation does not necessarily get better immediately after pregnancy because of breastfeeding and carrying the baby. You should therefore also tell the masseur if you have given birth recently.

Sore muscles and stress can be eased with a massage treatment that will contribute to comfort and wellbeing during the pregnancy and also after it during breastfeeding. Pregnancy can often result in bloatedness, tiredness in the feet and varicose veins. These symptoms can be eased very well with manual lymph therapy, which is gentle, effective and relaxing. An expectant mother should use correct sized first-class medical compression socks (support socks) to reduce tired feet and swelling.

After giving birth you might get stiffness, pain or other problems because of the breastfeeding, carrying and sleeping positions. You should always mention if you have small children that you need to carry or lift during your everyday life.

You can exercise and do sports normally before and after the massage. If the exercise has been heavy then the massage can be more “painful” than normal if the muscles have not had time to recover. You should let the masseur know about this before the massage.

We recommend that you relax the rest of the day after the massage and also the next day, because the aim of a massage is to relax and shape the muscles and the muscles won’t stretch to optimal performance after a massage. The muscles need time to recover after the massage and therefore we recommend that you don’t do hard physical exertion the day after the massage. You can do some light exercise and stretching.

You should pay attention to the things that cause problems with your muscles, fascias, nerves, joints etc in your everyday life.

Things like ergonomy, stress, sleep, relaxation, hobbies are just some things which should be considered and be in balance in your life.

During or after treatment we may show you some stretches or give instructions how to maintain and improve strength or do warm up to improve your wellbeing.

Unfortunately no.

After the treatment you may feel relaxed, sleepy and light. You should get up slowly from the massage table and sit for a while before getting up, especially if you have a tendency for dizziness or low blood pressure.

It is good to drink a bit more liquid (water) than normal because the massage speeds up your metabolism and makes you thirsty.

You should not do any heavy sport the rest of the day or do any physically heavy work because the aim is to relax and therefore you should enjoy feeling good the rest of the day.

The day after the massage and during the following couple of days you may get a headache or a bit of soreness in your muscles depending on what the treated problems were, what areas have been treated and how they were treated. Often it helps to take painkillers or anti-inflammatory medication until the pain goes away on its own.

It’s not a rule that massage will create the above reactions, but some people may sometimes experience them. The feelings are normal.

If the pains are significant and last long or you get other symptoms that you haven’t had before then you should always contact the masseur or the local health service.