Does a sports massage have to hurt?

It is the question that stops more people booking than any other, usually asked slightly apologetically. Someone had a sports massage once, gripped the edge of the table throughout and ached for two days afterwards, and decided it was not for them. So: no, it does not have to hurt, and the idea that it should is worth taking apart.

Where the myth comes from

Sports massage carries a reputation borrowed from elite sport, where a deadline sometimes justifies an uncomfortable treatment. Most people booking are not three days from a final. They have a shoulder that has been nagging since spring, and there is no reason for that to be a test of endurance.

Discomfort and pain are not the same thing

Work into a tight area and you may feel something sharp and specific that makes you want to breathe out. That is normal, and it should ease as the tissue lets go. What is not useful is pain that makes you hold your breath, brace, or grip the table. A body that is defending itself is not a body that is releasing anything, so pushing through is usually counterproductive rather than brave.

The practical version: you should be able to talk in full sentences throughout. If you cannot, say so. Nobody is marking you.

Pressure is a dial, not a setting

Depth is adjusted through a session, and sometimes within a single area. A session here is designed around the person on the table rather than run as a fixed routine, which is the whole point of starting with an hour to talk through what you actually need.

Why tolerance varies so much

Two people can have the same area worked on and describe it completely differently, and neither is being dramatic. Sensitivity changes with sleep, stress, how recently you trained and how long the area has been guarded. A shoulder that has been bracing since March will protest more than one that tightened last week, and the same shoulder will feel different on a Friday after a hard week than it does on a quiet Saturday.

This is also why a treatment that felt fine last month might feel sharper this month. It is not that the pressure changed. It is that you arrived in a different body.

And afterwards?

Feeling worked on the next day is common, rather like the day after a good session in the studio. Feeling bruised is not the goal and is worth mentioning so the next treatment can be adjusted. Drink water, move gently, and do not book a personal best for the following morning.

Sports massage works alongside medical care, not instead of it. If you have a diagnosed injury, persistent pain or you are under a GP or physiotherapist, tell us before your session and keep them in the loop.

Should I say something during the session? Yes, and the sooner the better. Adjusting pressure is easy. Undoing a session someone endured in silence is not.

Is a gentler massage less effective? No. Effectiveness comes from working the right thing, not from how much it hurt.

Browse our movements, or read more about sports massage at the studio.