Is It Safe to Have A Massage Shortly After an Injury?

Posted: January 27th, 2017

Some of the worst parts of an injury are muscle pain and stiffness. It might feel like some massage therapy might be just the ticket, but having an injury can complicate what should be a relaxing, healing experience. Before you call your massage therapist, keep the following pros and cons in mind:

Pro: Getting a massage soon after an injury can speed healing.

Animal studies by Ohio State University concluded that massaging an area immediately after aninjury helped increase the odds of a speedy recovery by 20 to 40%. The longer the span of time between injury and massage, the less likely subjects were to experience these benefits.

Pro: It can be an important part of pain management.

Pharmaceutical pain management is often undesirable with minor injuries, but that doesn't mean that there isn't pain involved. A massage therapist can help reduce pain and muscle stiffness and encourage relaxation, all things which help clients experience a smooth, uneventful recovery.

Con: It depends on the kind of injury.

It's generally not a good idea to seek out massage therapy if an injury involves broken skin or internal bleeding, like muscle ruptures -- manipulating the muscles boosts circulation, which may increase bleeding. Injuries should always be evaluated by a doctor to make sure there aren't any contraindications before booking a session.

Con: Sometimes an immediate massage does more harm than good.

Partially torn tendons or muscles may be worsened by massage. It's best to wait a couple of days between injury and massage to allow healing to begin. Rest, relaxationand gentle massage therapy can be a great help following an injury. It's vitally important to go to a qualified massage therapist with experience with injuriesand to ensure that a doctor has evaluated and cleared the injury beforehand.