Harder is better — a myth in sports massage

Where the pain myth comes from

The belief that sports massage has to hurt has its roots in the training culture of the 1980s and 90s — an era when pain was treated as proof of effort. "No pain, no gain" moved from the gym to the massage table almost unchanged. Two other factors added to it. First, deep tissue massage can genuinely cause discomfort in short bursts, which some people interpret as "it's working". Second, post-massage soreness (more precisely, delayed onset muscle soreness, DOMS, long familiar to massage therapists) is sometimes mistaken for proof of depth of effect — though it's simply an inflammatory response to micro-damage in the tissue.

Six myths — one by one

Myth 1: "It has to hurt, or it won't work." This is the most common belief — and the most dangerous, because it can lead to real injury. Sports physiotherapy research shows that strong pain during massage triggers defensive muscle reflexes. Tissues tense up instead of relaxing — exactly the opposite of the intended effect. Discomfort at the level of "I can feel it working" is normal, brief and subtle. Sharp pain that makes you hold your breath is a sign that the pressure is too strong or the technique wrong for the tissue's condition. A good sports massage therapist asks questions, watches your breathing and adjusts pressure in real time, rather than applying the same force to every muscle.

Myth 2: "Deeper massage is always better." "Deep tissue massage" is a technique, not a synonym for quality. Working at depth means reaching deeper muscle layers — but this happens gradually, after the surface tissue has warmed up, not through direct heavy pressure. Going in deep while the tissue is still cold often causes micro-injuries instead of releasing tension. What's more, many overuse problems — strains, tendon overload, micro-tears — need gentle, precise work, not intensity. The power of a massage lies in choosing the right technique, not the strength of the hands.

Myth 3: "Straight after a hard workout — massage, and the sooner the better." Intuition says: your muscles hurt, go for a massage. Physiology says something else. Immediately after very intense exertion, tissue can be in a state of acute overload or early inflammation — and intensive mechanical work can make this worse, not stop it. Depending on the type of exertion, individual tissue condition and the next planned session, the optimal moment for sports massage varies. Sometimes the best move right after exertion is cooling, light stretching, or simply rest — with the massage the next day.

Myth 4: "Soreness after a massage proves it worked deeply." Post-massage soreness (DOMS — delayed onset muscle soreness) is a well-documented phenomenon. It can appear if the massage used techniques that mechanically stress the tissue — but it's not a marker of quality. Quite the opposite: a well-performed recovery massage often leaves no soreness at all, because the tissue was prepared, the work was progressive, and pressure was matched to the muscles' condition. Soreness after a massage is a sign that something was off — too much pressure, not enough warm-up time, or the wrong point in the cycle.

Myth 5: "Sports massage is only for after training, for recovery." Sports massage has three quite different functions, depending on timing: pre-training (a day or two before competition) — short, activating, stimulating, without deep work; mid-training / between sessions — recovery-focused, aimed at releasing overloaded areas and improving circulation; after competition or an intensive block — restorative, often with drainage techniques and connective tissue work. Using one technique regardless of context is one of the more common mistakes — which is why talking to your massage therapist before the session matters just as much as the session itself.

Myth 6: "Daily sessions speed up results." More is not better — and with sports massage, that's true in the most literal sense. Tissue needs time to adapt and recover after manual work. Daily intensive massages don't give the tissue that space, which can lead to increased sensitivity, inflammation and a paradoxical rise in muscle tension. The optimal frequency is set individually, depending on training intensity, recovery and goals — and it looks quite different for a recreational athlete than for a competitor at peak preparation.

What really sets an effective sports massage apart

If the myths come down to matching technique to the situation, it's worth knowing what a massage that genuinely supports recovery looks like. Three things say more than any online review. First — the conversation before the session. A good sports massage therapist asks not just "where does it hurt" but when your last training session was, what you're planning tomorrow, and what your goal for this session is. This information completely changes the choice of technique, pressure and how long each area is worked on. The absence of this conversation is a warning sign. Second — dynamic pressure adjustment. During the session, tissue changes — it warms up, loosens, responds. A sports massage therapist watches this process and adjusts the work to the body's response, rather than applying a fixed plan decided in advance. Your breathing changes, tension changes, pressure changes. Third — the conversation after the session. A good session ends with feedback: what the therapist found, which areas need attention, what's worth doing before your next training session. This is part of educating the body, and in the long run it can matter more than the session itself.

Sports massage and recreational activity — is it only for professionals

Sports massage is mainly associated with the world of professional athletes and sports teams. In fact, it's increasingly used by anyone who's regularly active — whether they compete or simply train for themselves. Overloaded quadriceps after a run, tension in the chest area after the gym, chronic neck pain in people who spend a lot of time at a computer (even if they exercise in the evenings) — these are all situations where sports massage techniques work well, even though "sport" here is used loosely.

In active women, a particularly common area of focus is the glutes, the iliotibial band and the lower spine — overloaded by running, cycling and fitness classes. In men, it's the shoulder girdle, thoracic spine and thighs — typical of strength and contact training. In both cases, sports massage can support not only recovery after exertion but also injury prevention, by regularly releasing areas of chronic tension before they become a real problem.

How to prepare for a sports massage — a few practical tips

1. 01

   Stay hydrated

   Proper hydration before your session supports lymph flow and blood supply to the tissue — a massage on a dehydrated body can be less effective and more painful.

2. 02

   Tell us about your training plan

   Before the session, tell your therapist what you've done in recent days and what you're planning next. This matters — it determines the choice of technique and how intense the work will be.

3. 03

   Don't eat right before the treatment

   A large meal right before a massage can cause discomfort during work on the abdomen and surrounding areas. A lighter stomach makes manual work easier.

4. 04

   Speak up about how it feels during the session

   If the pressure is too strong or working on a particular spot causes sharp pain — say so. This isn't a hindrance — it's information your therapist needs.

5. 05

   Give yourself time after the session

   A few hours of calmer activity after the massage helps the effects settle in properly — intense training right after the session can disrupt this.

Combining sports massage with other treatments

Sports massage works well on its own — but as part of comprehensive body work, in a cosmetology or physiotherapy setting, it's often combined with other methods that reinforce each other. This isn't about doing "everything at once" — it's about deliberately choosing a few tools for one goal.