Massage Therapy Q & A

July 31, 2009 12:20 PM

What's that weird feeling when you get a relaxing massage? No really? Medically?

Yesterday I got a brief chair massage and it really released a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders. After, I felt like a tingling running down my muscles as they relaxed, which I thought of as "blood running faster" when I was a lot younger, but that's not true.

What is the reason behind this sensation medically? What is actually happening to your muscles as they do this tingling thing after a massage?

I read another question about tingling but that seemed to be more of the "chills" variety.

I've always wondered about this!

posted by sweetkid to health & fitness (8 comments total)

Quick googling has failed to turn up an answer, but maybe this is from changes in oxygen flow to the muscles as a result of the rubbing of the massage? (Sort of like the pins-and-needles feeling when a muscle "falls asleep"?)
posted by PunkSoTawny at 1:25 PM on July 31

I got a trigger-point massage and each time she leaned in hard to release a deep knot, she said she was "draining" the knot and talked about toxins built up in the knots that would be draining to my kidneys. I felt a similar tingling feeling as this happened. I'm not sure what the medical explanation is, but the idea of toxins built up in muscles makes sense scientifically (muscle action has a chemical component).
posted by Dilemma at 1:42 PM on July 31

I have a couple of pinched nerves. I get a certain kind of tingle when I have stupidly done things that my back does not like, and a very similar tingle when I have a massage. No idea what the name is or what is happening, but my WAG is that it has somethin to do with nerves being engaged (either in shrieking in pain or cheering with joy at being freed from pain.)

Sciatica can be a similar type of feeling. It's like the evil twin of that tingling you speak of.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 1:44 PM on July 31

I've definitely experienced what you're talking about, I've been told by masseuses more strongly than most. I always thought it was caused by nerves pinched by the knots that were returning to a normal level of stimulation. Nerves radiate from the spine outward and releasing knots in my back or neck causes the tingling to go "downstream" to my arms or legs.
posted by TungstenChef at 1:50 PM on July 31

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_point

See "Mechanism", in particular. Apparently there are a few different theories.
posted by trevyn at 1:56 PM on July 31

I've had more than one massage therapist mention taking steps after a long deep massage to clear the 'released toxins' or 'acids' out of the system. However I've always been to relaxed to follow the explanation closely. Seems like it went like this: Tense muscles have crappy blood flow so all the byproducts of being alive build up. Releasing the tensions allows the blood to flow freely and flush the muscle, but it puts all that crap in your blood until you can metabolize/filter it. Drinking lots of water and doing a steam always seemed to make it go away faster.

My massage therapists have always been very 'traditional medicine' so I always thought there was something to it, but never really asked about it too much.
posted by Ookseer at 2:05 PM on July 31

Tense muscles impede both nerve function and blood flow. Since you had you neck worked on, it's likely that the brachial plexus
was triggered, sending nerve signals down your arm. This would cause you to feel a tingling sensation. This can happen during the massage or when you get up and stretch the muscles, which are now more relaxed.

An increase in blood flow can also be felt with a good release, but feels more like tepid water flowing into the area.

See also: nerve entrapment syndrome

Four things you can do to help your neck that cost nothing:

Good posture. Try not to lean into the monitor. Keep your shoulders back and your chest open.

Take breaks, breathe deeply.

There are a number of YouTube videos that show how to do simple neck stretches.

Drink 8 glasses of water a day. (No, beer does not count!)
posted by SLOHands at 7:58 PM on July 31

Drinking lots of water and doing a steam always seemed to make it go away faster.

I always wondered WHY they told me to drink lots of water after a massage. Another mystery solved!
posted by dzaz at 3:57 AM on August 1