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There are many different modalities of massage therapy.  There are no two massage therapists that will administer a massage in exactly the same way.  Each massage therapist develops his or her own technique within a modality.These techniques become the massage therapists signature so to speak. 

The therapeutic massage therapy that I provide incorporates a form of hot stone deep tissue healing.  I have combined La Stone Therapy technique with Hot Stone Deep Tissue Healing technique.  The stones are used for massaging.  They loosen fascia while helping the tired, stressed, tight muscles to relax so that I can get deep into the soft tissue and massage where it is hurting.  This is a more pleasant method of doing deep tissue work.  It provides less pain to the client's body and affords less stress on the therapist's body.  I actually get to spend more time massaging the client instead of coaxing the client's muscles to relax should I not be using my hot stone technique. It is impossible to administer a massage while the fascia is still not pliable.  Fascia has to loosen up before the muscles can benefit from massage and begin the healing process.

With all all that "preamble", I would like to address the body's response to massage therapy.  If you are getting a therapeutic massage you can expect that this is going to involve some serious body work.  Be it myofascial release, active isolated stretching, deep tissue, or origin and insertion release.  A massage therapist can feel the difference between a tight muscle, a sore muscle, a bruised muscle, healthy soft tissue and unhealthy soft tissue.  My method of therapeutic massage is very mindful and considerate of an individual's level of pain and tolerance to deep tissue work. 

Please take note here that healthy tissue does not hurt!  (i.e. the nerves in your muscles will not send pain signals to your brain from your therapeutic massage)  A therapeutic massage encourages the body to heal itself.

During the body's process to mend itself, there sometimes occurs a condition called "healing crisis".  This can happen almost instantly or take up to 24 hours.  It is when the muscles and soft tissues temporarily feel like it is more sore, achy and painful than before the massage.  It is as if nothing had been done at all to alleviate the discomfort from the overuse activity or injury that produced the initial discomfort and pain prior to the massage. This is a normal and correct response to therapeutic massage. Your body is functioning properly!

Please note here that your therapist reminds you of your self care to do at home.  It can be anything along the lines of drink water, take a full body 20 minute hot epsom salt bath soak, ice where it hurts, use a heating pad for 5 minutes and ice some more, do some slow easy stretches to the area that hurts, use a topical analgesic on the sore area.  All these are designed to help you not hurt the day after your massage.  If you fail to help your body to process the healing cycle after a therapeutic massage, yes...you will be in pain.  Your massage therapist can not come home with you to make sure you follow the self care instructions.

Massage for relaxation is entirely different from therapeutic massage.  Thought relaxation massage can be highly therapeutic too!  But that sounds like it might be a good topic for another time.