Is It Normal To Be Tired After A Massage?
Have you ever had a deep tissue massage or used a massage gun to target those sore muscles, only to find yourself feeling like you could take a long nap afterward? Maybe you’re even feeling a bit nauseous and can’t figure out why.
It’s completely normal to have these concerns when you experience unexpected side effects after a massage. The big question is: Is it normal or ok for me to feel this way?
Fatigue can last anything from 12-24 hours after a deep tissue massage or intense work with a massage gun. In this article, we explore why you would feel this way, how long you can expect these feelings to last, and what you can do to help your body recover faster.
Reasons you could be tired after a massage
It is not unheard of to feel tired or unwell after a deep tissue body massage, sports massage, myofascial release, or trigger point therapy. Even after using a home massage gun to ease muscle aches, you might experience mild side effects.
The reasons for feeling this way can be physiological, emotional, and individual. Everyone’s experience is different. Let’s take a look at these reasons more closely to give you some peace of mind.
Physiological Factors
Release of toxins and metabolic waste
The idea that massage helps release toxins and metabolic waste has been debated for years. In medical science, theories are tested to explain physical symptoms observed in patients. When a significant number of patients exhibit the same symptoms after a common event, a cause-and-effect relationship might be suggested. However, this theory can also be disproven under different testing conditions.
Some therapists and clients believe that a full body massage promotes the release of toxins and metabolic waste, while others dismiss this as a placebo effect. Massage therapists often receive feedback from clients about feeling fatigued, lethargic, or generally ‘unwell,’ and some studies suggest that this could be due to a release of toxins during a massage.
Over time, metabolic waste products like lactic acid, cortisol, and histamines can accumulate in our bodies due to intensive exercise, chronic stress, and substances that trigger our immune systems [1]. The question is whether massage actually releases these substances from muscle tissue.
The answer isn’t clear cut - you’ll find studies supporting both sides of the argument. So, if it’s not toxins, what else could be causing you to feel tired or unwell after a massage? Let’s keep exploring.
Increased circulation and oxygen flow
This mainly has to do with getting blood to flow freely around the body, and scar tissue formed by muscle injuries can impede that. Imagine you take a tight tourniquet and tie it around your arm. Only a small amount of blood flow is allowed to pass the tourniquet, and the area changes colour. When you release the band, the area is flooded with warmth as the blood flows again.
Any of the deep massage techniques, including a massage gun that uses percussion therapy, break down scar tissue and this allows the blood and oxygen to flow freely in that area. Of course, the fact that you’re less stiff and have pain relief as a result of scar tissue being broken down naturally gets you moving better, increasing blood and oxygen to the area.
This temporary shift in body fluids may give you a feeling of lightheadedness and strange sensations, but it is unlikely to be the cause of any significant post-massage fatigue.
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Nervous system response
Massage therapy can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the contra-balance to the body’s fight and flight response and causes feelings of well-being and calm. For someone who has been under prolonged stress, placing them in a chronic "fight or flight" state, a massage can help release muscle soreness, knots, and spasms. The smooth movements and vibrations from percussion therapy also induce deep relaxation, contributing to feelings of fatigue. This brings us to our next section.
Psychological and Emotional Factors
A professional massage is a natural muscle relaxer often used to relieve stress and decrease muscle tension, which automatically causes the body to relax. This is completely normal, and let’s face it, after long periods of stress, relaxation can feel like tiredness.
Many people store emotional stress and tension in their bodies, often without realizing it. Massage can trigger the release of this stored tension, which might be emotionally draining and can lead to feelings of tiredness or emotional exhaustion. It’s not uncommon for individuals to experience a range of emotions during or after a massage, which can contribute to feelings of fatigue.
The connection between emotions and massage comes from soft muscle tissue having the ability to retain memory. Past memories related can resurface prompted by stimulating the peripheral nervous system during therapeutic massage. [2] It works on the same mechanisms that make you think of your childhood when you smell familiar smells, or experience fear when you think of a scary experience you’ve had.
In his groundbreaking work on stored body memories, The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel van der Kolk explains how the body keeps a record of events that the body responds to, and needs to complete the release of tension to heal. This helps explain why a good massage can make you feel emotional.
Dehydration and energy consumption
If you’ve been for a massage, you may have been given a glass of water to drink by the massage therapist before the session begins. The purpose of this is to hydrate you and provide your lymphatic system with a way of moving along toxins. Drinking water is a great way of preventing nausea, dizziness, and tiredness associated with dehydration.
If you’re dehydrated before you get a massage, you could experience an increase in the symptoms mentioned above, as your lymph system uses available moisture to do its work. This tiredness will be easily remedied by slowly drinking 4-8 glasses of water in the hours following your massage.
The body consumes energy to facilitate healing and relaxation during and after a massage. The energy used to repair muscle tissue, enhance lymphatic drainage, and process released toxins will make you feel tired for a short while.
Individual Variability
There are a range of responses to a massage and it is very individualized. One person will feel only deep relaxation and stress relief, while another experiences blood pressure changes, post massage soreness, and feel wiped out.
An individual’s health and fitness level plays a big role in how they experience deep tissue massages, or work with a massage gun, but everyone will find themselves slowly returning to normal (whatever that is for them) within 12-24 hours. There is nothing to be alarmed about if you feel tired or unwell. Drink lots of water, get some rest, and if you desire you can soak in epsom salts which can help with muscle soreness.
Recovering after a massage is often more of a personalized process than a strict science. While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, common-sense practices like drinking water, eating nutritious food, taking a warm bath, and getting a good night’s sleep can enhance the positive effects of your massage.
Will I feel tired after using a massage gun?
Massage guns were once primarily used by sports therapists and professional athletes, but they have now become widely accessible for home use. You can find them being used in gyms, skate parks, surfing communities, and running clubs. With their growing popularity, it's natural to wonder if they have the same impact on your body as a deep tissue massage.
A massage gun delivers rapid, concentrated pulses of pressure to muscle tissue, which helps to relieve soreness, reduce tension, and promote recovery. This is achieved by increasing blood flow and breaking down muscle adhesions.
Much like a traditional massage, using a massage gun can leave you feeling tired afterward. This is because the massage gun has a similar effect on your muscles and body systems as a deep tissue massage, promoting deep relaxation and muscle recovery.
Tired after a massage? It’s perfectly OK.
After a hard massage, your body can experience a range of symptoms, including fatigue. In this article, we’ve examined a number of reasons for this phenomenon. The fatigue you experience should be mild and pass within 12-24 hours.
Some individuals will experience more intense tiredness and nausea or dizziness, but these side effects should pass quickly. If you’ve had prolonged stress or suffer from a number of chronic illnesses, you will likely have a more pronounced effect from a deep tissue massage, including an emotional release.
Bear in mind that everyone is different, and recovery after a deep massage isn’t a hard and fast science. It’s more about common sense and listening to what your body needs until you feel better.
Practice some self care and think about making massages a daily routine by purchasing a massage gun for home use. The more your body releases stress, pain, and muscle fatigue the easier the experience will become.
Tired after a massage? Speed up your recovery and relieve muscle tension with the Bang Massage Gun! Perfect for home use, this powerful tool helps you feel energized and ready for anything. Order now and experience faster recovery and less fatigue!
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