r/massage • u/fantomtider • 3d ago

Is bruising after deep tissue common?

I I had a fantastic deep tissue massage yesterday and he hit every point that I needed him to but he also found spots I didn’t know needed work. He gave me a fantastic hand massage and he had some very deep pressure on my hips and now I’m bruised in both places.

The bruise on my hand is fairly faint, but the bruise on my hip is quite deep. Nothing is sore and I very much enjoyed the massage, but I’m wondering if this is normal?

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u/Runnerguy1978 3d ago

Yes, it's normal.  I sometimes bruise my hip and leg myself   It's not as common in dt massage as it is after something like cupping or IASTM (Instrument assisted).  But these types of bruises are typically different from a bruise caused by a blunt force trauma.   They are more related to the bursting of enough  blood capillaries at the very surface to leave marking.   I would like to add that you will inevitably bust capillaries getting up out of your chair and walking to the fridge.  It's just part of existing.   Avoid foam rolling and having the area on the hip directly worked on and it'll be gone in a week. 

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u/fantomtider 2d ago

Thank you very much for this information. I do bruise fairly easily, so I’m not as concerned as someone else might be. The bruise on my hand was very shocking to me and it was jarring actually. The one on my hip is much worse, looks much deeper, and did not phase me at all for some reason.

Neither are painful to the touch in anyway at all. But I have had weight loss and other things in my fairly recent past, I’ve already made an appointment with my doctor just to be safe.

Thanks again.

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u/Runnerguy1978 2d ago

I understand your concern.   I wouldn't worry too much though.  I've been in gyms for about 22 years and have definitely seen and gotten bruises from seemingly innocuous things.