help! My massages are making me feel ill

Im a retired mt,massage stimulates all our systems,physical,emotional,lymphatic etc sounds like an overload in some way,either a lighter massage ,a shorter one ,
or none at all?

I have only had one massage in my life and it made me feel dreadful, dizzy, sick and I had an awful headache. The lady was fully qualified, but honestly I'll never book another one again.

I’m going to osteopath weekly at the moment and was lightheaded after the last treatment on my back. It be only lasted a couple of minutes though . She said it was normal

I practised remedial massage for 20 years and used to teach massage, anatomy and physiology.
Your therapist's qualifications are good and well-known in the field.
I wondered if you have neck and shoulder massage as part of the treatment?

I too had a shocking experience immediately following a sports massage session. By the evening I had the shakes that led to an anxiety attack. Awful!

Stop immediately and see/contact your doctor.

This is interesting to read and others comments, I’ve only had one massage in my life, all down back of body, it was lovely & relaxing BUT found the oils overpowering, thought it may have been just me, but thanks to GN, I now know I’m not the only one that suffered & didn’t much better for it. Only had it as it was half price..

Leonora2 - Bad back/pain - See a Chiropractor - quite expensive per session and obviously number of sessions required dependent upon assessment of your needs.Several years ago,I had a period of severe back pain over a number of months,to the point where it became so excruciating that it was becoming unbearable to walk.I worked in care for many years,and believe I strained/damaged my back in the days prior to hoists.Used creams,both cooling and heat types,and was prescribed pain-relief tablets/medication.Saw a Chiropractor as a last result,had 6-8 sessions with no side-effects.Fantastic treatment - would highly recommend - still have pain intermittently but it's manageable,and I'm able to walk/move.

I had this happen last week to me also. I had been going occasionally to a school where the students give massages at a discounted rate. Normally I had no issues afterwards but the student I got this time had a heavier technique and although it felt good at the time I was having really bad muscle spasms afterwards, a headache and the nerve pain I went for was much worse! Now she did tell me all the precautions such as get up slowly and drink lots of water etc. but the thing is it started after I got home. It was a nightmare because I care for my granddaughter everyday and still had to do that. I have not booked another one.

Leonora2 - I would suggest that you take the dizziness to your GP. The massage is likely increasing your blood flow and that may be contributing towards the dizziness. You need to get that checked out before you allow someone with the qualifications you note to be let loose on your body, and although I agree that coconut oil is wonderful for all sorts of things, you yourself may have an allergy to it.

I was about to.say something along the lines of what copper3 said. A lot of mental.and physical problems resolving themselves. The same kind of thing can.happen.with deep meditation. With that the body and mind relax so that the body can.get on with the job of maintenance and repair, throwing out rubbish. You might cry and ache.

If you haven't already done so, discuss this with your masseuse. I had similar after-effects once and my masseur changed to a different massage, which solved the problem.

Has your masseuse had the opportunity to see the X-rays of your back?

I am asking because my husband was referred to a physiotherapist by the hospital after having a broken clavicle set and they did not bother to make the X-rays available to her. Fortunately, as DH's clavicle is pinned, I had the X-rays, being foresighted enough to realise the surgical steel pins will probably set alarms going at air-port check-ins.

You should drink plenty of water after a massage to rehydrate yourself and you should not stand up too quickly after the session allowing your body time to settle. If these symptoms persist then arrange to see your GP. They will be able to refer you to another clinician.

Maybe it’s laying down with your head in the dip. I often feel weird afterwards but then I have severe cervical stenosis. Is the massage lady going anywhere near your neck?
If it’s making you feel that rough with a bad headache then I’d be wary of doing it X

My physio, who's also an osteo, always insists on much water - and nothing stronger, not even coffee - for 12 hours afterwards.
I'm not sensitive to the massage that way, but everyone is different; someone I know once came out of an osteo session with him and slept for a straight 24 hours!

Sometimes certain oils and additives can affect you via absorption during treatment, also pressures on various parts of the bod can affect both nerve activity and circulation or even function of joint specially vertebrae pressure, it can be very dangerous for a non qualified person to be having a go as they need to be aware of the dangers and consequences for say diabetics or those of us suffering arthritis. I'd say stop all massages and consultant to for referral to qualified practitioner, pay if you like it very wary of those who simply 'give a massage' for a fee!!

Sit for a bit then Stand up slowly and have a drink of water before you stand.

I'd stop immediately and consult your doctor about whether it's possible the massages could be triggering an unsuspected problem in your back. The original diagnosis may not have been the correct one, therefore making massage not the correct treatment. Or you may have something else wrong - for example if you lay on your front for the massage and the masseur is putting pressure down onto your back, you could be compressing an aneurysm that has not yet been discovered. Just some wild and extreme example, but I can't think of any "good" reason you'd feel so unwell after a healthy massage.

Northernlass

I practised remedial massage for 20 years and used to teach massage, anatomy and physiology.
Your therapist's qualifications are good and well-known in the field.
I wondered if you have neck and shoulder massage as part of the treatment?

hi Northernlass,
yes very deep shoulder and neck massage at the same time although the problem is in my lower back. The MT says the back pain has affected my shoulders. In fact the neck was very deliberately massaged an awful lot and was extremely painful as she did apply extra pressure there also. I almost cried out in pain at one point.

Can anyone in the Petersfield area, Hampshire help please? I am looking for a recommendation for a therapist. Thank you.

Some great advise on here. I think it's called something like a 'healing crisis'. Meaning that all the reasons why you go for a message, eg, stress, not sleeping, anxiety, etc. show up like some kind of a 'hangover' as your body releases the tensions. Either that or the essential oils used are not suited to you. Does the masseure use the same mix of oils each time? Ask her to do two or three different mixes. You could try a small vial of each (not all at the same time) on somewhere like the inside of the elbow, like you do with some possible allergens.

Hi Leonora2

Thanks for your reply. Here are some thoughts and suggestions, based on what you've said, and bearing in mind that I've not taken your history:

- only have massage if you're feeling well eg not sickening for a cold. Personal experience has taught me that massage isn't good if I'm feeling even a little 'off colour'

- ask the MT to avoid your neck & shoulders, or only use light effleurage strokes

- I often used heat treatment to soften connective tissue before massage. This may be helpful for your neck & shoulders. The MT should be able to detect your level of tension by palpating the area and/or by observing your posture.

- low back pain may have a knock-on effect through the body if you're tense from the pain. We tend to 'hold' ourselves in a protective position to guard against making pain worse.

It may be helpful to do a 'body scan' through the day to see if you can detect your pattern of tension; if you find any tension eg your shoulders are elevated towards your ears, then consciously relax the area

- if your MT massages your neck & shoulders when you're supine (face up), it's likely you'll be asked to turn your head to the left and the right. This enables the MT to massage and stretch muscles that support your head and neck. Turning should be done with caution, especially if you have an arthritic condition, and slowly. I was always extremely careful with older clients - it'd be unusual not to have some degeneration of the spine over 50

- after massage, turn on your side and slowly sit up. Have a drink of water as soon as possible. Try to have a relaxing time after massage, although keeping moving is a good idea eg a gentle walk. Your lymhatic system doesn't have a pump, as with the circulatory system, and muscle contraction assists the movement of lymph around your body. It is likely that massage breaks down lactic acid which may be trapped between muscle fibres.

- tense muscles generally feel sore when massaged - some people describe it as a 'good hurt' meaning that you feel it's benefitting you. From what you say about the massage on your neck & shoulders it wasn't a good hurt. I'd urge anyone to ask the MT to stop if this is your experience. It's your body and your feedback is important to the MT and for your well-being

- you say the MT uses coconut oil, which is the base or carrier oil, but not if essential oils are added. Ask that just a carrier oil is used and no essential oils in case you're having a reaction to them

If you're able to get on the floor, and up again, you may find the following link helpful. Start with 5 minutes and work up to 15 or 20 minutes. I think it's most helpful to practise during the evening as gravity has been depressing your spine though the day:

alexandertechnique.co.uk/learning-it/semi-supine

I hope these ideas help!

Massage also can release toxins via the lymphatic system and we are trained to make clients aware that there may be such side effects and recommend plenty if water and non spiced foods afterwards . Also assuming that full consultation was given prior to the treatment to highlight any contra indications to massage therapy.

Hello all, I remember about five years ago trying a hot stone massage which left me feeling very faint and light headed for ages. I felt sick walking back to the car and went straight to bed when I got home. Never experienced anything like that before. I did have water straight after. Never had a hot stone massage again!

Maybe about twenty years ago, my twin daughters booked me to go for a massage somewhere in Covent Garden for my birthday, one of them accompanied me.

Did not enjoy the whole experience, did pretend to do so for my daughter. Definitely did not relax me, I was tense the whole time. Then. for the next 48 hours I had a blinding headache. I never get headaches except the very occasional tiredness one. Could not go to work for those days.

Never go to one of these again.