Can Massage Make You Tired? The Benefits and Side Effects of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is a popular form of treatment for many physical and mental ailments. Learn about the benefits and side effects of massage therapy, including fatigue.

Can Massage Make You Tired? The Benefits and Side Effects of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is a popular form of treatment for many physical and mental ailments. It can help to reduce stress, improve circulation, and even reduce inflammation. But can massage make you tired? The answer is yes, but it's usually a good thing. When you receive a massage, your body relaxes and releases tension.

This can lead to a feeling of fatigue, as if you want to lie down and take a nap. This is completely normal and is your body's way of recharging and rebalancing itself. Massage can also lower stress hormones and increase dopamine and endorphin levels, which can help improve your mood and reduce pain. After a massage, you may feel a bit disoriented or spaced out, so it's important to take some time to slowly return to the real world.

In addition, massage can lower blood pressure and heart rate, helping to improve cardiovascular recovery. And if you wake up the next morning feeling a bit sore, it's probably because you had a really good massage! However, it's important to be aware that too much massage therapy can actually worsen inflammation. So if fatigue is due to inflammation, it's best to be careful when using massage therapy as a treatment modality. It's also important to avoid excess alcohol, tea, coffee and other toxins for 24 hours after a massage so as not to further overload the lymphatic system while trying to effectively remove waste products. At the end of the day, massage provides a significant amount of information to the central nervous system and the body responds to that increased information.

So if you're feeling tired after a massage, it's likely because your body is literally resting and revitalizing itself.

Meagan Furgerson
Meagan Furgerson

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