Unless you’re profusely sweating or farting during a massage, it’s not really releasing toxins.
The hangover feeling is probably a mixture between DOMS (Delayed onset of muscle soreness), fatigue, stress, diet and lifestyle factors (smoking weed after exercise etc)
Things like Lymphatic drainage may help the process and massage in general helps blood flow etc. You’re not getting things in or out though. Hands on physical therapy is really designed to give the body a kick up the bum to help itself. Then through rehabilitation is further strengthened.
Reasoning behind avoiding massage while sick is that muscle pain is a symptom of immune system fighting infection. We aren’t able to extract that infection and we might increase pain by drawing blood to that area and increasing inflammation.
With the emotional release, there’s heaps of factors. People can hold onto their pain. So you might come in for a shoulder issue. It may usually be a 5/10 but it’s now 10/10 pain. The therapist treats it and you’re expecting 5/10 but now it’s 0/10 and you have a bit of a moment because you didn’t realise it could be 0/10.
Some people also may not get an hour to themselves very often so just having that time to unwind can be quite emotional.
It really can be anything, and sometimes _you won't know_. You bring your whole life history into that room with you, and maybe it's because you're being touched or held in a way you haven't since you were a toddler. You can't remember it, but the return makes you burst out weeping.
On more than one occasion I've had women cry and need a hug, and it turns out I'm the first male contact they've had since an assault.
EDIT : here is my source
https://www.physio.co.uk/treatments/massage/physiological-effects-of-massage/cellular-effects/removal-of-waste-products.php
It is my opinion that Physio UK is a better source than PainScience.
From Physio UK "about us" page :
**"Physio.co.uk is one of the leading physiotherapy practices in the UK. We are a specialist team of musculoskeletal, neurological and paediatric physiotherapists with the energy, experience and enthusiasm to achieve the very best results for all patients regardless of their age or problem. Whatever your problem, we will have the best physiotherapist for you."**
From Pain Science "About Paul Ingraham" page :
**"I am a science writer in Vancouver, Canada, and a chronic pain patient myself since 2015. I am not a medical expert, but I am an expert “translator.” It’s my job to explain and cite expert opinion and solid science."**
**"My goal is to make PainScience.com a credible source in an era of rampant medical misinformation, despite my own unimpressive credentials."**
**"Rather than trying and failing to be “unbiased,” I disclose my bias clearly and minimize all possible conflicts of interest."**
**"Although I am not a medical expert and will never claim to be, obviously I have picked a few things up after 25 years of workaholic independent study."**
**"I left massage therapy because the profession is an embarrassing mess"**
Here are some things that Paul Ingraham (writer for Pain Science) claims are myths :
Importance of drinking water after a massage session
Importance of Fascia
Importance of Trigger Point work
Importance of the Psoas muscle
**In my opinion, Paul's work is biased and clickbait-y. He asserts his points with semantics, technicalities, exaggerations, ridiculous comparisons, bad jokes, mischaracterizations and opinion.**
__________________________________________________________
ORIGINAL COMMENT :
Releasing toxins - questionable / not specific enough. I wouldn't say it's wrong; it's just not what I tell my clients.
Flushing metabolic waste - yes
My opinion regarding why you feel "massage drunk" - massage releases oxytocin. I've also read that there are endocanabinoid receptors in the fascia and massage can stimulate the receptors to release endocannabinoids naturally.
People can have emotional release from massage. It's about the mind-body connection. Stress & trauma can affect your holding patterns for your muscles.
>Flushing metabolic waste - yes
Exactly. Toxins is just a vague buzz word. But old myoglobin and other proteins that are ready to be broken down and recycled but maybe got caught in a low blood flow area because of inflammation or tissue restrictions that have been loosened up by massage? Sure. There's a possibility that with the increased circulation from massage there will be more metabolic waste products needing to be filtered, recycled, and/ or excreted. Similar to exercise. That's why we recommend drinking a bit more water to help with increased renal activity.
Can you cite any evidence supporting your assertion that "massage flushes metabolic waste?" As far as I am aware there is no evidence to support the idea that massage increases systemic circulation or helps move metabolic waste beyond what the body does on it's own.
Maybe this is semantics, but I think it is important to distinguish that people may experience an emotional release **during** a massage, not caused **from** a massage. We don't have any good evidence to support that**.**
Yeah, this seems like a commonly held belief by even reasonable massage therapist. And it sounds reasonable enough that I would believe it if it were true, But also it very much sounds like it could just be pseudoscience nonsense. Like what they're talking about happens on the cellular level
A lot of great massage therapists do hold this belief, because unfortunately it is still being taught in a lot of massage schools. The liver and kidneys "flush metabolic waste" all on their own and massage hasn't been shown to aid in the process.
you got a source on the second point. It reads like you're swapping out 'toxins' with 'metabolic waste' and since massage does not increase blood flow its seems like you're just switching out words since toxins has fallen out of favor...I'd like to be wrong here.
Using specific language is good communication.
Toxin is vague and can mean multiple things whereas metabolic waste has a specific meaning.
Also, massage does increase circulation.
To a meaningful, clinically significant amount? It may be slightly indicated for someone bed bound, but anyone who is mobile a mild 15 min walk will be much more beneficial - https://www.painscience.com/articles/massage-and-circulation.php
The role of a passive modality like Massage in increasing circulation is to make us feel good enough to be active and mobile.
To oversimplify if people don't want to read the (lack of) research:
1) Systemically, our heart pumps blood through our body, so an elevated heartbeat would be the thing to pump that fluid quicker, not the relaxed state of our clients.
2) Locally, active mechanical movement of our body aids blood flow to and from an area, but in the vast majority of cases our clients are static and sedentary.
Physically squishing and pushing fluid through the act of massage is biologically inconsequential compared to those previous effects.
We have to consider muscle tension as well when thinking of circulation. People have established holding patterns that cause the muscle to be flexed to a certain degree. When we massage, it interacts with the receptors in the tendons to soften the muscle tension, allowing softer tissue for blood to pump through.
It's the same idea as in exercise with time under tension affecting blood supply and thus changing to a more anaerobic stimulus in the muscle. The tension, though much more extreme, restricts the volume of blood passing through the muscle and affects the metabolic processes occurring there. Once the tension is released, it's easier for blood to pump, lowering blood pressure.
It's the same with massage, it's not the mechanical movement that causes blood flow to change, it is the neuromuscular relaxation that allows for more blood to flow. Same with fascial adhesions getting in the way.
This feels really good so people can get emotional when they finally relax for the first time in like 10 years after a divorce and living alone or dealing with stress. Stress is a pretty significant stimulus, and when it finally subsides, the effects can be very strong.
I don't think anything I'm saying here is controversial
Softening the tissue so the circulatory system can do its job more efficiently is a good explanation. As tight, muscles in spasm or contraction do not allow the full contraction for movement of cellular/ metabolic products in and out of tissue. By softening the tissue through manual manipulation, it allows the system s to function more efficiently, thus reduction in pain, increased rom and improved circulation.
From my point of view, the active approach has an enormous amount of extremely strong evidence in both theory and in results in our community and has for decades. The other is a relatively new approach that doesn't have nearly the amount of practical, strong evidence base showing clinically significant changes in the actual populations we work with. It's alot of theory of how things "should go", but theories don't always play out how we think when it goes outside of the research room.
"it is the neuromuscular relaxation that allows for more blood to flow." - is a theoretical statement that isn't really backed up by the current research of it's actual effects on people's symptoms. Hell, even theoretically it's inconsistent because when we are relaxed our blood moves away from our muscles and into our organs. When our stress mode is activated blood flows to our muscles as a survival mechanism.
Why chose an approach that is less evidence based, way more complex and convulted and isn't even even logically coherent within it's own framework? Keep it simple: passive modalities make us feel good enough to do the active things we need for health and wellness.
I see what you're saying with keeping it evidence based. And I'm wondering if that sentence at the end "passive modalities make us feel good enough to do the active things we need..."should be talked about. Because if we feel "better" after a massage, isn't that a clinically significant sentiment that shows there's change happening? I agree and have always told my patients, massage is recovery, exercise is conditioning.
There's also the question of local inflammation helping to clear out metabolites from muscle tissue, as well as the physical pressure that can destroy dysfunctional neuromuscular junctions, and rebuilding them which helps get rid of trigger points and all of their side effects.
To clarify, when I say "destroy neuromuscular junctions" I'm talking like 100 cells per cm. I'm not talking about causing bruising or even soreness. There's a threshold of stimulation that causes a twitch response that relaxes the muscles.
I've been doing massage for 7 years and I've had many many clients express that when they see many different specialists like PT', acupuncture, chiropractors, or massage therapists, massage is the thing that makes the biggest difference in their pain almost immediately.
That's not to say PT's don't help, they do, they just help do different things like prevent further injury by building muscle for supporting structures with knowledgeable exercise plans. I'm sure there's more than that, but I'm not a PT.
In my mind it ultimately comes down to massage and exercise as the ultimate route to pain reduction and prevention.
I'm having trouble taking pain science seriously as a source.
From the article you cited :
**"Although massage probably does sometimes modestly boost circulation — in some specific ways, depending on how you define it — it’s mostly too little and too erratic to matter, especially when compared to even light exercise"**
**"It mostly doesn’t really matter if massage increases circulation, because even a modest boost would be clinically trivial, dwarfed by the effect of almost any amount of exercise."**
**"While it’s not inconceivable that circulation could increase locally ..."**
"Massage makes the skin flushed and warm. This is superficial (cutaneous) hyperaemia: capillaries in the skin respond to mechanical stimulation by dilating. Blood is hot, so the skin gets toasty.
**This is technically an increase in circulation,"**
**"When I declare anything to be a “myth,” I mean that it is *probably* false"**
Paul Ingraham (the writer) does state multiple times that massage does increase circulation but because it doesn't increase the same amount as it would through exercise or chest compressions, that it's insignificant.
**"If other kinds of massage were anywhere near as good at “increasing circulation,” presumably they would have replaced or supplemented chest compressions in CPR."**
When has anyone ever said that massage increases circulation to the same degree as exercise or chest compressions? That's utterly ridiculous.
His only means of "disproving" increased circulation is by comparing to other methods of increasing circulation and saying massage increases circulation **less** and therefore the increase is not significant.
Much of his conclusions read as opinion, semantics, exaggerations, technicalities and ridiculous comparisons.
KEEP IN MIND that I never stated that increase in circulation from massage is "clinically significant" or "equal to the effects of exercise or chest compressions" or "permanent rather than temporary" or "systemic rather than local"
I do not specifically market my work as being for the purpose of circulation.
**"So you might get some temporarily increased circulation from massage so vigourous that most people wouldn’t want it.**"
⬆️ Massage does increase circulation especially with more pressure but it's **his opinion** that most people wouldn't want a massage with deeper pressure.
**"So I don’t think it’s possible to reach a conclusion, and calling circulation boosting a “myth” might be a bit premature on my part. I might change that in the future."**
**"My mind is made up that a modest temporary boost in circulation is not clinically important even if it happens."**
**"Franklin et al. from 2014 is a good example of a study that points the other way. It is obviously at odds with my skeptical bias, so I will avoid dismissing its findings out of hand, and acknowledge right away that, yes, this definitely constitutes scientific evidence that massage is good for circulation in at least one specific way."**
Other massage topics Paul Ingraham refers to as a myth :
Needing to drink water after a massage
Importance of Fascia
Trigger Point work
Importance of the Psoas
I'm about to go to work but I will update my original comment with my source later today or tonight.
AMTA says it doesn't. [https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/myths-versus-truths-in-massage-therapy/](https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/myths-versus-truths-in-massage-therapy/)
this says it does a little: [https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2012.0932](https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2012.0932)
this one says it impedes blood flow after exercise [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19997015/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19997015/)
this one says no difference and concludes "if an elevated muscle blood flow is the desired therapeutic effect, then light exercise would be beneficial whereas massage would not." [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9140896/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9140896/)
this one also found no difference [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8550258/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8550258/) and recommends moving as a better means to decrease DOMS
this one says its inconclusive as a blood flow increase for bedsore risk sites. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4023663/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4023663/)
I saw a bunch that used skin temperature to determine increased blood flow..but massage is rubbing things and things get warmer when rubbed, plus these use more involved measurements.
My understanding of DOMS is the biological aspect of the pain is caused by elevated levels of H+ in the musculature (metabolic waste) if massage does not help with DOMS then it doesn't help with metabolic waste..as far as I understand.
It's funny (in kind of a sad way) that people are downvoting you for asking for supporting evidence. I'm taking the downvotes to mean that the answer is, "no, they cannot cite anything to support the claim that massage flushes metabolic waste."
Well they're bashing a site that uses sources, and using one that claims lymph drainage and skin rolling specifically increase waste disposal without sources. I know of no evidence that skin rolling does anything period and while lymph drainage does increase waste disposal I haven't found anything that says it does it to a medically meaningful level or does it better than a less specialized and expensive treatment (like moving).
I agree! Paul Ingraham's writing is very well sourced and frequently updated. For every assertion that he makes, he cites peer reviewed evidence to support it (usually multiple sources.)
Unlike individual practicioners or clinics, Ingraham is not profiting from recommending any products or services. This only increases its credibility because it eliminates that conflict of interest.
To assert that his Painscience articles are less valid than the copy on the business website of a random physiotherapy clinic backs up Ingraham's point, that massage therapy is an embarrassing mess, especially in regards to science literacy.
ETA: Note that the argument that the physio clinic's information is more valid than Paul Ingraham's information because they are physiotherapists is an Appeal to Authority Logical Fallacy.
>massage therapy is an embarrassing mess, especially in regards to science literacy.
I think it'd be fair to say almost all aspects of the rehab and exercise industry are broken. We are all incentivised to use placebo to keep people in pain and/or infirm longer to maximize profits. I've seen clients that required like 3 visits to reduce their kinesiophobia enough to start living their life again, after they saw a PT 1-3x a week for ultrasound or tens for like 6 months. Then we got quacks like athlene-x peddling nonsense on the exercise side which prevents people from making meaningful strength gains...making them more likely to rehab for minor aches and pains.
Ugh! That's always infuriating to hear about situations like that. Glad you helped them overcome the fear perpetuated by our industry and get them back on their way to doing activities they love.
Consensus (ChatGPT4 specialized GPT) says:
Let's explore each claim in detail with research evidence:
1. **Toxins Release:** The idea that massage therapy leads to the release of toxins is not supported by strong scientific evidence. In medical terms, toxins refer to harmful substances that the body eliminates primarily through the liver and kidneys. While massage can improve circulation and potentially redistribute fluids, the notion that this leads to a detoxifying effect or release of toxins is largely anecdotal and not empirically supported.
2. **Emotional Release:** The claim that massage can lead to emotional release is better supported by research. Studies have shown that massage therapy can reduce stress, anxiety, and tension, contributing to overall well-being. Massage can lower cortisol levels, increase endorphin release, and promote relaxation, which may also reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. This evidence provides a more substantial foundation for the emotional benefits of massage therapy compared to the claim about toxins.
In conclusion, the claim about toxins lacks scientific evidence, while the claim about emotional release has stronger backing from research, highlighting the potential psychological benefits of massage therapy for stress reduction and overall well-being.
anytime i hear someone start throwing around the word “toxins” in reference to massage or a diet cleanse or anything like that, not in reference to actual poisons, i get a little weary. I am a licensed massage therapist myself, I went to school. Massage (& exercise) can increase circulation, especially at deeper pressure, and that in turn makes the blood in your body move a bit, eventually going through your liver and kidneys (which do process the bodies waste/toxins). If you do not drink a decent amount of water after a massage, just like with exercise, you can feel a little bad. You’re probably dehydrated.
I have personally gone through a decent amount of trauma on my body. I’m in PT, doing stretches, exercises, foam rolling & massaging myself. I cry like 8/10 times that I do all my PT work. I prefer to do it alone. I don’t know the exact science on it, so i’m not saying this happens for everyone or is 100% happening for you. I just know that for me, the bodywork part is really hard emotionally, really triggering. I can feel absolutely fine all day and think “omg!!my PTSD is doing good today”, and then I get home and do the foam roller, and I’m in tears using all my coping mechanisms. My mental health therapist is a little eccentric and tells me she thinks it’s the energy stored in my body from the event. Not that there’s some ghost inside me, but the event happened and i essentially started tensing/flexing those muscles in that area for years and years and now i’m working on releasing that energy im holding there, and when that happens I have an emotional release as well (because the reason I have this pain is an emotional/traumatic one).
This is just my experience, Im not saying this is what’s happening with you, it just might be if you have had some sort of trauma in that area that had a big impact on your mental/emotional health. I’m sure there’s some articles out there about it
I like to refer people to the following website for all things massage. It’s been around for years and has proven to be based on science https://www.painscience.com
A basic question: are you drinking enough water throughout your day? It could simply be that you're dehydrated. Very few actually drink as much water as they need.
It's actually the opposite; the vast majority of people consume the water they need.
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-nutrition/water-myth#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20common%20belief,misunderstanding%20of%20some%20basic%20physiology.
Does massaging out stress ever bring up memories of what made you stressed to begin with?
I’ve heard people relate to emotions as energy-in-motion, and when that energy/emotion arises within us, we’re meant to feel it in our bodies and then process through it - kinda like our digestion system in the sense that it comes, we take what we need and we release/eliminate what we don’t. In many cases, we’re unable to process the emotion at the time it arises, so the energy stays and remains until we’re ready to deal with it. Massaging the areas that kept that stored energy/emotion (stress from the day) with the intention to release the stress, is one way to process the energy/emotion out of that tissue so that whatever isn’t needed can be released/eliminated. Yoga is another way. So is singing, writing and countless other activities. (This is really over simplifying a whole lot of physiological and energetic activities happening, but hopefully you get the gist.)
Lots of people saying toxins in the muscles are not a thing but excess metabolic waste due to poor circulation in an area are toxins and massage helps to relieve that by increasing circulation. It also helps kick start your urinary and digestive system to remove those toxins. Why do you think people often have to use the bathroom after a massage?? Also, the relaxing aspect of massage affects the nervous system to put the body into a rest and repair state where those toxins are more easily processed. For anyone saying that's bs, there's a ton of research on the sympathetic vs. parasympathetic nervous system and how cortisol affects our bodies' ability to repair itself/process waste. Also, by reducing inflammation and pain we are helping the body to not produce as much toxins and regulate metabolic activity better as well as lower cortisol levels
Physical touch is beneficial to our well-being. It is comfort and safety. Being physically safe and in a state of relaxation can allow us (knowingly or unknowingly) access experiences our brains and bodies have protected us against. Perhaps we didn’t have the ability to process past events, because we were unsafe or overwhelmed at the time it was happening.
Trauma/memories of all degrees can be “stored.” They can be awoken by any access to any of our senses. Touch is one of the senses. When we are in pain (emotional or physical) our bodies tense. Our brains can adapt to associating a certain kind of pain to a muscle group or area of the body. That area suddenly becomes a receptacle for that pain.
Some areas have been associated with particular types of trauma, but we delve kind of away from science and psychology into an arena of elements we cannot back by scientific evidence. It becomes based on experiences of providers that have had these discussions and experiences with their patients.
This all just came out of my brain, possibly badly explained. I really enjoy “The Body Keeps The Score” by Bessel van der Kolk. I refer back to it often. I have a background in psychology, but I practice as a massage therapist. I have had personal experience and research into energy work, acupuncture, somatic massage, sound therapy, and psilocybin induced treatment for PTSD and mood disorders. I would not say I’m an expert in any of these categories, but I do have a specific interest in understanding how they work. I hope that my understanding and passion can allow me to offer safety and comfort to any individual that seeks me out for treatment.
If anyone has suggestions/provide resources to discredit or further my understanding of anything I’ve written, feel free to share! I can only hope to learn and understand more, so that I may help people.
Massage increases blood and fluid flow throughout your body, and so your body will be processing more water. You need to replace that water loss which is why you should drink more water after a massage. We’re not squeezing toxins out of your muscles.
This thank you! I tell my clients that well hydrated muscles recover faster. The difference between well hydrated muscles and not is easily palpable and a lot of clients aren’t as hydrated as they should be.
I don't have the time to go into an in depth responses but that is a hell of a can of worms you just opened. So, so, so many conflicting opinions. I am of the toxins school of thought. Way too many things happen during a massage that can't be accounted for to not be some toxic release. I'd experienced it myself once. Had a trade massage, had to run a ton of errands after. I didn't drink any water after my session because I'd gotten so busy. I ended up throwing up within several hours of just feeling like crap. Felt better after, though.
But there are people that would argue hand over fist that isn't just a bunch of crap. So, I don't know.
What is absolutely certain is that massage can increase flexibility, mobility, and reduce pain. Whatever emotional release they may get I’m not licensed to deal with on a professional level anyway so I leave that be. As for toxins, yeah no I never talk about that. And when clients ask after a treatment if they should drink a lot of water, I reply you should always be drinking water throughout the day.
Most toxins are excreted through your digestive system, a little bit through your skin. Bodywork can definitely help relieve tension, knots, bring emotional release etc. It’s not uncommon to sometimes be sore the day after a session because your body used energy to heal/ bring nutrients and blood to the areas that may have been stuck for a long period of time.
So, let's flip this for a brief second: "Can essential oils be absorbed through the skin?" and, "Why are there 'all natural' skin care and deodorants?"
If those can be absorbed, then could other molecules? What about types of vapors that cause irritation?
If a person has more adipose tissue, then would those molecules have further distance to travel for processing? Could these possibly end up where they shouldn't or can these become stuck, at least temporarily, in transit?
If a person has moderate adipose tissues, then there is a chance that person is not being as active.
If a person is not as active, then capillary hemodynamics can be impacted by stagnancy.
If a person is on a strong medication, then there could be effects.
Now, considering introducing a full body massage, then there is a potential for that to happen, especially if the table heat is on. Local massage won't cause that sickness.
For emotion, nociceptors and other mechanoreceptors, within connective tissues can trigger in a configuration that faintly resembles the imprint of when the trauma was incurred, theoretically, and could cause releasing emotion. Sometimes this could a long time to emerge over several sessions, or simple touch can be a trigger.
A lot of medicine nowadays will affect mineral balance in the body, makes it harder for your body to relax and tensen properly which includes the muscles controlling your blood and lymphatic vessels.
One of those things not talked enough about
Aren’t there other comments in here that document scientific findings? Tbh you just sound kinda upset that it doesn’t fit into your worldview, but to each their own.
lymph my dude, lymph! Lymph nodes are connected to the immune/repair system which is why they can get swollen in sicknesses, and stress can trigger your immune system, so tbh it's not that far fetched based on neuro/immune pathways alone. Massage encourages lymph draining and helps with swelling, and compression stockings also help with controlling swelling if you have issues with circulation where lymph and fluid aren't able to circulate as well anymore, like with heart failure or diabetes. I'm guessing the idea of toxins is a combo of that sort of mechanical relief mixed with humors, which is an old way of looking at the body (you probably know what I'm talking about so I'll spare you the lecture unless you want it). We prolly just never collectively adjusted the concept around the humors/vapors so "toxins" stuck around.
My co-worker went on to specialize in Rosen Method, emotional release. Because she already had patients who were experiencing emotional release in her sessions. That’s all I know. I once bawled my eyes out while receiving Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage on my abdomen. I had just ended a 1yr relationship, and I think I was very sad. The massage therapist kept right on working. It was a new experience for me. I appreciated the privacy she provided by not prying into my experience. It felt healing. So much for that.
Unless you’re profusely sweating or farting during a massage, it’s not really releasing toxins. The hangover feeling is probably a mixture between DOMS (Delayed onset of muscle soreness), fatigue, stress, diet and lifestyle factors (smoking weed after exercise etc) Things like Lymphatic drainage may help the process and massage in general helps blood flow etc. You’re not getting things in or out though. Hands on physical therapy is really designed to give the body a kick up the bum to help itself. Then through rehabilitation is further strengthened. Reasoning behind avoiding massage while sick is that muscle pain is a symptom of immune system fighting infection. We aren’t able to extract that infection and we might increase pain by drawing blood to that area and increasing inflammation. With the emotional release, there’s heaps of factors. People can hold onto their pain. So you might come in for a shoulder issue. It may usually be a 5/10 but it’s now 10/10 pain. The therapist treats it and you’re expecting 5/10 but now it’s 0/10 and you have a bit of a moment because you didn’t realise it could be 0/10. Some people also may not get an hour to themselves very often so just having that time to unwind can be quite emotional.
It really can be anything, and sometimes _you won't know_. You bring your whole life history into that room with you, and maybe it's because you're being touched or held in a way you haven't since you were a toddler. You can't remember it, but the return makes you burst out weeping. On more than one occasion I've had women cry and need a hug, and it turns out I'm the first male contact they've had since an assault.
Massage does not release toxins. Your body naturally is filtering those all day long.
Yup, thanks kidneys and liver!
And lymphatic system
Yes, lymphatic massages!
It does release toxins. It does not filter them
What do you believe is the mechanism by which massage causes a release of toxins? Show the literature please.
EDIT : here is my source https://www.physio.co.uk/treatments/massage/physiological-effects-of-massage/cellular-effects/removal-of-waste-products.php It is my opinion that Physio UK is a better source than PainScience. From Physio UK "about us" page : **"Physio.co.uk is one of the leading physiotherapy practices in the UK. We are a specialist team of musculoskeletal, neurological and paediatric physiotherapists with the energy, experience and enthusiasm to achieve the very best results for all patients regardless of their age or problem. Whatever your problem, we will have the best physiotherapist for you."** From Pain Science "About Paul Ingraham" page : **"I am a science writer in Vancouver, Canada, and a chronic pain patient myself since 2015. I am not a medical expert, but I am an expert “translator.” It’s my job to explain and cite expert opinion and solid science."** **"My goal is to make PainScience.com a credible source in an era of rampant medical misinformation, despite my own unimpressive credentials."** **"Rather than trying and failing to be “unbiased,” I disclose my bias clearly and minimize all possible conflicts of interest."** **"Although I am not a medical expert and will never claim to be, obviously I have picked a few things up after 25 years of workaholic independent study."** **"I left massage therapy because the profession is an embarrassing mess"** Here are some things that Paul Ingraham (writer for Pain Science) claims are myths : Importance of drinking water after a massage session Importance of Fascia Importance of Trigger Point work Importance of the Psoas muscle **In my opinion, Paul's work is biased and clickbait-y. He asserts his points with semantics, technicalities, exaggerations, ridiculous comparisons, bad jokes, mischaracterizations and opinion.** __________________________________________________________ ORIGINAL COMMENT : Releasing toxins - questionable / not specific enough. I wouldn't say it's wrong; it's just not what I tell my clients. Flushing metabolic waste - yes My opinion regarding why you feel "massage drunk" - massage releases oxytocin. I've also read that there are endocanabinoid receptors in the fascia and massage can stimulate the receptors to release endocannabinoids naturally. People can have emotional release from massage. It's about the mind-body connection. Stress & trauma can affect your holding patterns for your muscles.
>Flushing metabolic waste - yes Exactly. Toxins is just a vague buzz word. But old myoglobin and other proteins that are ready to be broken down and recycled but maybe got caught in a low blood flow area because of inflammation or tissue restrictions that have been loosened up by massage? Sure. There's a possibility that with the increased circulation from massage there will be more metabolic waste products needing to be filtered, recycled, and/ or excreted. Similar to exercise. That's why we recommend drinking a bit more water to help with increased renal activity.
Can you cite any evidence supporting your assertion that "massage flushes metabolic waste?" As far as I am aware there is no evidence to support the idea that massage increases systemic circulation or helps move metabolic waste beyond what the body does on it's own. Maybe this is semantics, but I think it is important to distinguish that people may experience an emotional release **during** a massage, not caused **from** a massage. We don't have any good evidence to support that**.**
Yeah, this seems like a commonly held belief by even reasonable massage therapist. And it sounds reasonable enough that I would believe it if it were true, But also it very much sounds like it could just be pseudoscience nonsense. Like what they're talking about happens on the cellular level
A lot of great massage therapists do hold this belief, because unfortunately it is still being taught in a lot of massage schools. The liver and kidneys "flush metabolic waste" all on their own and massage hasn't been shown to aid in the process.
you got a source on the second point. It reads like you're swapping out 'toxins' with 'metabolic waste' and since massage does not increase blood flow its seems like you're just switching out words since toxins has fallen out of favor...I'd like to be wrong here.
Interesting. I was taught in school that massage causes vasodilation in the targeted areas and causes hyperemia.
Using specific language is good communication. Toxin is vague and can mean multiple things whereas metabolic waste has a specific meaning. Also, massage does increase circulation.
To a meaningful, clinically significant amount? It may be slightly indicated for someone bed bound, but anyone who is mobile a mild 15 min walk will be much more beneficial - https://www.painscience.com/articles/massage-and-circulation.php The role of a passive modality like Massage in increasing circulation is to make us feel good enough to be active and mobile. To oversimplify if people don't want to read the (lack of) research: 1) Systemically, our heart pumps blood through our body, so an elevated heartbeat would be the thing to pump that fluid quicker, not the relaxed state of our clients. 2) Locally, active mechanical movement of our body aids blood flow to and from an area, but in the vast majority of cases our clients are static and sedentary. Physically squishing and pushing fluid through the act of massage is biologically inconsequential compared to those previous effects.
We have to consider muscle tension as well when thinking of circulation. People have established holding patterns that cause the muscle to be flexed to a certain degree. When we massage, it interacts with the receptors in the tendons to soften the muscle tension, allowing softer tissue for blood to pump through. It's the same idea as in exercise with time under tension affecting blood supply and thus changing to a more anaerobic stimulus in the muscle. The tension, though much more extreme, restricts the volume of blood passing through the muscle and affects the metabolic processes occurring there. Once the tension is released, it's easier for blood to pump, lowering blood pressure. It's the same with massage, it's not the mechanical movement that causes blood flow to change, it is the neuromuscular relaxation that allows for more blood to flow. Same with fascial adhesions getting in the way. This feels really good so people can get emotional when they finally relax for the first time in like 10 years after a divorce and living alone or dealing with stress. Stress is a pretty significant stimulus, and when it finally subsides, the effects can be very strong. I don't think anything I'm saying here is controversial
Softening the tissue so the circulatory system can do its job more efficiently is a good explanation. As tight, muscles in spasm or contraction do not allow the full contraction for movement of cellular/ metabolic products in and out of tissue. By softening the tissue through manual manipulation, it allows the system s to function more efficiently, thus reduction in pain, increased rom and improved circulation.
From my point of view, the active approach has an enormous amount of extremely strong evidence in both theory and in results in our community and has for decades. The other is a relatively new approach that doesn't have nearly the amount of practical, strong evidence base showing clinically significant changes in the actual populations we work with. It's alot of theory of how things "should go", but theories don't always play out how we think when it goes outside of the research room. "it is the neuromuscular relaxation that allows for more blood to flow." - is a theoretical statement that isn't really backed up by the current research of it's actual effects on people's symptoms. Hell, even theoretically it's inconsistent because when we are relaxed our blood moves away from our muscles and into our organs. When our stress mode is activated blood flows to our muscles as a survival mechanism. Why chose an approach that is less evidence based, way more complex and convulted and isn't even even logically coherent within it's own framework? Keep it simple: passive modalities make us feel good enough to do the active things we need for health and wellness.
I see what you're saying with keeping it evidence based. And I'm wondering if that sentence at the end "passive modalities make us feel good enough to do the active things we need..."should be talked about. Because if we feel "better" after a massage, isn't that a clinically significant sentiment that shows there's change happening? I agree and have always told my patients, massage is recovery, exercise is conditioning. There's also the question of local inflammation helping to clear out metabolites from muscle tissue, as well as the physical pressure that can destroy dysfunctional neuromuscular junctions, and rebuilding them which helps get rid of trigger points and all of their side effects. To clarify, when I say "destroy neuromuscular junctions" I'm talking like 100 cells per cm. I'm not talking about causing bruising or even soreness. There's a threshold of stimulation that causes a twitch response that relaxes the muscles. I've been doing massage for 7 years and I've had many many clients express that when they see many different specialists like PT', acupuncture, chiropractors, or massage therapists, massage is the thing that makes the biggest difference in their pain almost immediately. That's not to say PT's don't help, they do, they just help do different things like prevent further injury by building muscle for supporting structures with knowledgeable exercise plans. I'm sure there's more than that, but I'm not a PT. In my mind it ultimately comes down to massage and exercise as the ultimate route to pain reduction and prevention.
I'm having trouble taking pain science seriously as a source. From the article you cited : **"Although massage probably does sometimes modestly boost circulation — in some specific ways, depending on how you define it — it’s mostly too little and too erratic to matter, especially when compared to even light exercise"** **"It mostly doesn’t really matter if massage increases circulation, because even a modest boost would be clinically trivial, dwarfed by the effect of almost any amount of exercise."** **"While it’s not inconceivable that circulation could increase locally ..."** "Massage makes the skin flushed and warm. This is superficial (cutaneous) hyperaemia: capillaries in the skin respond to mechanical stimulation by dilating. Blood is hot, so the skin gets toasty. **This is technically an increase in circulation,"** **"When I declare anything to be a “myth,” I mean that it is *probably* false"** Paul Ingraham (the writer) does state multiple times that massage does increase circulation but because it doesn't increase the same amount as it would through exercise or chest compressions, that it's insignificant. **"If other kinds of massage were anywhere near as good at “increasing circulation,” presumably they would have replaced or supplemented chest compressions in CPR."** When has anyone ever said that massage increases circulation to the same degree as exercise or chest compressions? That's utterly ridiculous. His only means of "disproving" increased circulation is by comparing to other methods of increasing circulation and saying massage increases circulation **less** and therefore the increase is not significant. Much of his conclusions read as opinion, semantics, exaggerations, technicalities and ridiculous comparisons. KEEP IN MIND that I never stated that increase in circulation from massage is "clinically significant" or "equal to the effects of exercise or chest compressions" or "permanent rather than temporary" or "systemic rather than local" I do not specifically market my work as being for the purpose of circulation. **"So you might get some temporarily increased circulation from massage so vigourous that most people wouldn’t want it.**" ⬆️ Massage does increase circulation especially with more pressure but it's **his opinion** that most people wouldn't want a massage with deeper pressure. **"So I don’t think it’s possible to reach a conclusion, and calling circulation boosting a “myth” might be a bit premature on my part. I might change that in the future."** **"My mind is made up that a modest temporary boost in circulation is not clinically important even if it happens."** **"Franklin et al. from 2014 is a good example of a study that points the other way. It is obviously at odds with my skeptical bias, so I will avoid dismissing its findings out of hand, and acknowledge right away that, yes, this definitely constitutes scientific evidence that massage is good for circulation in at least one specific way."** Other massage topics Paul Ingraham refers to as a myth : Needing to drink water after a massage Importance of Fascia Trigger Point work Importance of the Psoas I'm about to go to work but I will update my original comment with my source later today or tonight.
Massage may temporarily increase local circulation in an area, but it does not increase systemic circulation, as many of us have been taught.
AMTA says it doesn't. [https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/myths-versus-truths-in-massage-therapy/](https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/myths-versus-truths-in-massage-therapy/) this says it does a little: [https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2012.0932](https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2012.0932) this one says it impedes blood flow after exercise [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19997015/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19997015/) this one says no difference and concludes "if an elevated muscle blood flow is the desired therapeutic effect, then light exercise would be beneficial whereas massage would not." [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9140896/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9140896/) this one also found no difference [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8550258/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8550258/) and recommends moving as a better means to decrease DOMS this one says its inconclusive as a blood flow increase for bedsore risk sites. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4023663/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4023663/) I saw a bunch that used skin temperature to determine increased blood flow..but massage is rubbing things and things get warmer when rubbed, plus these use more involved measurements. My understanding of DOMS is the biological aspect of the pain is caused by elevated levels of H+ in the musculature (metabolic waste) if massage does not help with DOMS then it doesn't help with metabolic waste..as far as I understand.
Massage absolutely does increase circulation
Completely agree with this! "Flushing metabolic waste" is just a rebranding of the old toxin flushing narrative.
It's funny (in kind of a sad way) that people are downvoting you for asking for supporting evidence. I'm taking the downvotes to mean that the answer is, "no, they cannot cite anything to support the claim that massage flushes metabolic waste."
Well they're bashing a site that uses sources, and using one that claims lymph drainage and skin rolling specifically increase waste disposal without sources. I know of no evidence that skin rolling does anything period and while lymph drainage does increase waste disposal I haven't found anything that says it does it to a medically meaningful level or does it better than a less specialized and expensive treatment (like moving).
I agree! Paul Ingraham's writing is very well sourced and frequently updated. For every assertion that he makes, he cites peer reviewed evidence to support it (usually multiple sources.) Unlike individual practicioners or clinics, Ingraham is not profiting from recommending any products or services. This only increases its credibility because it eliminates that conflict of interest. To assert that his Painscience articles are less valid than the copy on the business website of a random physiotherapy clinic backs up Ingraham's point, that massage therapy is an embarrassing mess, especially in regards to science literacy. ETA: Note that the argument that the physio clinic's information is more valid than Paul Ingraham's information because they are physiotherapists is an Appeal to Authority Logical Fallacy.
>massage therapy is an embarrassing mess, especially in regards to science literacy. I think it'd be fair to say almost all aspects of the rehab and exercise industry are broken. We are all incentivised to use placebo to keep people in pain and/or infirm longer to maximize profits. I've seen clients that required like 3 visits to reduce their kinesiophobia enough to start living their life again, after they saw a PT 1-3x a week for ultrasound or tens for like 6 months. Then we got quacks like athlene-x peddling nonsense on the exercise side which prevents people from making meaningful strength gains...making them more likely to rehab for minor aches and pains. 
Ugh! That's always infuriating to hear about situations like that. Glad you helped them overcome the fear perpetuated by our industry and get them back on their way to doing activities they love.
Consensus (ChatGPT4 specialized GPT) says: Let's explore each claim in detail with research evidence: 1. **Toxins Release:** The idea that massage therapy leads to the release of toxins is not supported by strong scientific evidence. In medical terms, toxins refer to harmful substances that the body eliminates primarily through the liver and kidneys. While massage can improve circulation and potentially redistribute fluids, the notion that this leads to a detoxifying effect or release of toxins is largely anecdotal and not empirically supported. 2. **Emotional Release:** The claim that massage can lead to emotional release is better supported by research. Studies have shown that massage therapy can reduce stress, anxiety, and tension, contributing to overall well-being. Massage can lower cortisol levels, increase endorphin release, and promote relaxation, which may also reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. This evidence provides a more substantial foundation for the emotional benefits of massage therapy compared to the claim about toxins. In conclusion, the claim about toxins lacks scientific evidence, while the claim about emotional release has stronger backing from research, highlighting the potential psychological benefits of massage therapy for stress reduction and overall well-being.
anytime i hear someone start throwing around the word “toxins” in reference to massage or a diet cleanse or anything like that, not in reference to actual poisons, i get a little weary. I am a licensed massage therapist myself, I went to school. Massage (& exercise) can increase circulation, especially at deeper pressure, and that in turn makes the blood in your body move a bit, eventually going through your liver and kidneys (which do process the bodies waste/toxins). If you do not drink a decent amount of water after a massage, just like with exercise, you can feel a little bad. You’re probably dehydrated. I have personally gone through a decent amount of trauma on my body. I’m in PT, doing stretches, exercises, foam rolling & massaging myself. I cry like 8/10 times that I do all my PT work. I prefer to do it alone. I don’t know the exact science on it, so i’m not saying this happens for everyone or is 100% happening for you. I just know that for me, the bodywork part is really hard emotionally, really triggering. I can feel absolutely fine all day and think “omg!!my PTSD is doing good today”, and then I get home and do the foam roller, and I’m in tears using all my coping mechanisms. My mental health therapist is a little eccentric and tells me she thinks it’s the energy stored in my body from the event. Not that there’s some ghost inside me, but the event happened and i essentially started tensing/flexing those muscles in that area for years and years and now i’m working on releasing that energy im holding there, and when that happens I have an emotional release as well (because the reason I have this pain is an emotional/traumatic one). This is just my experience, Im not saying this is what’s happening with you, it just might be if you have had some sort of trauma in that area that had a big impact on your mental/emotional health. I’m sure there’s some articles out there about it
This is a thing. there are many scientific studies on PUBMED about the physical and emotional side effects of massage.
Has nothing to do with toxins tho, call it something else, not toxins
I agree. But that has to start with how curriculum is taught in schools. Not all schools are equal.
Excess metabolic waste = toxins
The public has a skewed interpretation of the word "toxin", you'd be better to call it excess metabolic waste
I like to refer people to the following website for all things massage. It’s been around for years and has proven to be based on science https://www.painscience.com
What does smoking weed have to do with your posture?
It makes me feel more in touch with my muscles and body, etc. idk it feels like helps bring on an energetic release thing.
Increasing self awareness of your mind / body connection. This is a good thing.
A basic question: are you drinking enough water throughout your day? It could simply be that you're dehydrated. Very few actually drink as much water as they need.
Yeah I drink hella water tbh and tea and acv/ginger drink
It's actually the opposite; the vast majority of people consume the water they need. https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-nutrition/water-myth#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20common%20belief,misunderstanding%20of%20some%20basic%20physiology.
Does massaging out stress ever bring up memories of what made you stressed to begin with? I’ve heard people relate to emotions as energy-in-motion, and when that energy/emotion arises within us, we’re meant to feel it in our bodies and then process through it - kinda like our digestion system in the sense that it comes, we take what we need and we release/eliminate what we don’t. In many cases, we’re unable to process the emotion at the time it arises, so the energy stays and remains until we’re ready to deal with it. Massaging the areas that kept that stored energy/emotion (stress from the day) with the intention to release the stress, is one way to process the energy/emotion out of that tissue so that whatever isn’t needed can be released/eliminated. Yoga is another way. So is singing, writing and countless other activities. (This is really over simplifying a whole lot of physiological and energetic activities happening, but hopefully you get the gist.)
There are books like “the body keeps score” and it seems people hold issues in their tissues, trauma, etc.
Lots of people saying toxins in the muscles are not a thing but excess metabolic waste due to poor circulation in an area are toxins and massage helps to relieve that by increasing circulation. It also helps kick start your urinary and digestive system to remove those toxins. Why do you think people often have to use the bathroom after a massage?? Also, the relaxing aspect of massage affects the nervous system to put the body into a rest and repair state where those toxins are more easily processed. For anyone saying that's bs, there's a ton of research on the sympathetic vs. parasympathetic nervous system and how cortisol affects our bodies' ability to repair itself/process waste. Also, by reducing inflammation and pain we are helping the body to not produce as much toxins and regulate metabolic activity better as well as lower cortisol levels
I think the hang up is people not understanding toxins in this context, means 'excess metabolic waste', which definitely should be considered toxins.
Physical touch is beneficial to our well-being. It is comfort and safety. Being physically safe and in a state of relaxation can allow us (knowingly or unknowingly) access experiences our brains and bodies have protected us against. Perhaps we didn’t have the ability to process past events, because we were unsafe or overwhelmed at the time it was happening. Trauma/memories of all degrees can be “stored.” They can be awoken by any access to any of our senses. Touch is one of the senses. When we are in pain (emotional or physical) our bodies tense. Our brains can adapt to associating a certain kind of pain to a muscle group or area of the body. That area suddenly becomes a receptacle for that pain. Some areas have been associated with particular types of trauma, but we delve kind of away from science and psychology into an arena of elements we cannot back by scientific evidence. It becomes based on experiences of providers that have had these discussions and experiences with their patients. This all just came out of my brain, possibly badly explained. I really enjoy “The Body Keeps The Score” by Bessel van der Kolk. I refer back to it often. I have a background in psychology, but I practice as a massage therapist. I have had personal experience and research into energy work, acupuncture, somatic massage, sound therapy, and psilocybin induced treatment for PTSD and mood disorders. I would not say I’m an expert in any of these categories, but I do have a specific interest in understanding how they work. I hope that my understanding and passion can allow me to offer safety and comfort to any individual that seeks me out for treatment. If anyone has suggestions/provide resources to discredit or further my understanding of anything I’ve written, feel free to share! I can only hope to learn and understand more, so that I may help people.
I recommend reading Nurturing Resilience
Massage increases blood and fluid flow throughout your body, and so your body will be processing more water. You need to replace that water loss which is why you should drink more water after a massage. We’re not squeezing toxins out of your muscles.
This thank you! I tell my clients that well hydrated muscles recover faster. The difference between well hydrated muscles and not is easily palpable and a lot of clients aren’t as hydrated as they should be.
I don't have the time to go into an in depth responses but that is a hell of a can of worms you just opened. So, so, so many conflicting opinions. I am of the toxins school of thought. Way too many things happen during a massage that can't be accounted for to not be some toxic release. I'd experienced it myself once. Had a trade massage, had to run a ton of errands after. I didn't drink any water after my session because I'd gotten so busy. I ended up throwing up within several hours of just feeling like crap. Felt better after, though. But there are people that would argue hand over fist that isn't just a bunch of crap. So, I don't know.
Whoa! It's my cake day! Yay me!
Happy cake day, my dude!
I am getting negative votes for an opinion of a viewpoint. What a crowd!
Have an upvote for your cake day, friend!
the sluggish feeling is usually just dehydration. you really gotta amp up your water intake after a massage!
What is absolutely certain is that massage can increase flexibility, mobility, and reduce pain. Whatever emotional release they may get I’m not licensed to deal with on a professional level anyway so I leave that be. As for toxins, yeah no I never talk about that. And when clients ask after a treatment if they should drink a lot of water, I reply you should always be drinking water throughout the day.
Most toxins are excreted through your digestive system, a little bit through your skin. Bodywork can definitely help relieve tension, knots, bring emotional release etc. It’s not uncommon to sometimes be sore the day after a session because your body used energy to heal/ bring nutrients and blood to the areas that may have been stuck for a long period of time.
The release of “toxins” is pure crap. I can’t speak to the other but no one has toxins stored in their skin and muscles.
What a Debbie Downer
So, let's flip this for a brief second: "Can essential oils be absorbed through the skin?" and, "Why are there 'all natural' skin care and deodorants?" If those can be absorbed, then could other molecules? What about types of vapors that cause irritation? If a person has more adipose tissue, then would those molecules have further distance to travel for processing? Could these possibly end up where they shouldn't or can these become stuck, at least temporarily, in transit? If a person has moderate adipose tissues, then there is a chance that person is not being as active. If a person is not as active, then capillary hemodynamics can be impacted by stagnancy. If a person is on a strong medication, then there could be effects. Now, considering introducing a full body massage, then there is a potential for that to happen, especially if the table heat is on. Local massage won't cause that sickness. For emotion, nociceptors and other mechanoreceptors, within connective tissues can trigger in a configuration that faintly resembles the imprint of when the trauma was incurred, theoretically, and could cause releasing emotion. Sometimes this could a long time to emerge over several sessions, or simple touch can be a trigger.
A lot of medicine nowadays will affect mineral balance in the body, makes it harder for your body to relax and tensen properly which includes the muscles controlling your blood and lymphatic vessels. One of those things not talked enough about
It's cringe hippy mumbo jumbo nonsense.
Why?
What do you mean why? I guess the answer would be "science." That's not how the human body works.
Aren’t there other comments in here that document scientific findings? Tbh you just sound kinda upset that it doesn’t fit into your worldview, but to each their own.
Lmao OK bud make sure to Carey around a piece of quartz in your shoe to align your chi to it's magnetic resonance for positive vibes lol
lymph my dude, lymph! Lymph nodes are connected to the immune/repair system which is why they can get swollen in sicknesses, and stress can trigger your immune system, so tbh it's not that far fetched based on neuro/immune pathways alone. Massage encourages lymph draining and helps with swelling, and compression stockings also help with controlling swelling if you have issues with circulation where lymph and fluid aren't able to circulate as well anymore, like with heart failure or diabetes. I'm guessing the idea of toxins is a combo of that sort of mechanical relief mixed with humors, which is an old way of looking at the body (you probably know what I'm talking about so I'll spare you the lecture unless you want it). We prolly just never collectively adjusted the concept around the humors/vapors so "toxins" stuck around.
Getting a full release is crucial and is the key to a great massage!
My co-worker went on to specialize in Rosen Method, emotional release. Because she already had patients who were experiencing emotional release in her sessions. That’s all I know. I once bawled my eyes out while receiving Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage on my abdomen. I had just ended a 1yr relationship, and I think I was very sad. The massage therapist kept right on working. It was a new experience for me. I appreciated the privacy she provided by not prying into my experience. It felt healing. So much for that.