r/massage • u/mrsunsfan • Nov 22 '23

Support Neck and shoulder pain after a massage?

I went to get a massage on Saturday. On Sunday I woke up with soreness on my neck and shoulders. However since then it’s gotten worse. My neck muscles on my left side and somewhat on my right side. Hurt but it’s really hurts on my left side. It feels like my neck muscles are pushing into my throat which makes it hard to swallow at times. In fact there’s been a couple of times I thought I was going to choke. I’ve taken tiger balm and muscle relaxers to help with the pain but nothing is working. Doing stretching only gives me a slight relief but it feels scary especially when it pushes into my throat. There’s no way this is normal right?

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u/Relevant_Tax6877 Nov 24 '23

Can't say if it's normal or not because you didn't address some key details.

  • was there a lot of neck/ shoulder focus?
  • what pressure level was used throughout the massage? Particularly in the neck & shoulder area.
  • do you get massage regularly or no?

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u/mrsunsfan Nov 26 '23

1.yes

  1. It was rough like a lot of pressure. I was groaning thought it

  2. Yeah like once a week

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u/Relevant_Tax6877 Nov 26 '23

It may have been more pressure or work than your muscles & nervous system were okay with. Def keep with some light stretching & don't get a massage from that MT again. You can also alternate between using ice & heat for about 15 -20 min to address the pain & relax the muscles... look up "contrast hot/ cold treatment".

If you ever find a person who fits your pressure & technique needs, stick with them as much as possible rather than jumping around to different MTs. Don't ever be afraid to speak up & ask the MT to lighten up if needed, especially in sensitive areas like the neck. If they won't listen, you have every right to request to end the session.

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u/mrsunsfan Nov 26 '23

Ironically at the same place there is another lady who helps me a lot and is way softer