Here are a couple of tips for those who've booked their first remedial massage therapy appointment.
They should expect the area that's treated to feel sore for a short period after the massage
When people go for non-remedial, whole-body massages, they typically feel wonderful immediately afterwards, with little to no soreness; this is because the goal of this type of massage is usually to relax the person being treated. However, a person who has a remedial massage therapy session at a spa or salon should be aware that they might feel a bit achy for a little while after their session. This is because when a person has this form of massage, they usually do so because a particular part of their body is causing them pain (for example, they may have pain in their leg from a running injury or they might have a sore shoulder from a weightlifting injury) and the massage therapist will spend most, if not all, of the session working on this area.
If the body part is already sore, then this prolonged period of massaging its muscles and applying pressure to its tendons and ligaments is bound to leave it feeling a bit achy. However, most people find that this discomfort is not only short-lived but also mild and that they then experience a noticeable improvement in the functionality of that body part, as well as in how much pain it is causing them. As such, anyone who has a remedial massage session should expect to feel a bit uncomfortable for perhaps a few hours or a day afterwards, before they begin to observe an improvement in their affected body part.
They should not expect the issue being treated to be resolved after one massage appointment
People who have decided to have remedial massage therapy for a chronic condition that's causing them bodily pain (such as arthritis) will probably already know that they will need ongoing massage appointments to manage their pain. However, a person who is going to a spa's remedial massage therapist because they have a temporary condition, such as a calf injury caused by cycling, may assume that they will only need one massage to resolve this issue.
While it's possible that this could happen (and many people do experience a reduction in their pain after just one session), those with injuries that are severe enough to require remedial massage will typically need multiple massage therapy sessions before they notice a dramatic improvement in their injury. If a person keeps this in mind when they have their first massage, then they won't be worried or confused if they don't experience the full resolution of their pain after this initial appointment.