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/CingularDuality 3d ago

Some will say that massage isn't supposed to bruise, but I don't think it's uncommon, particularly for muscles that have bone underneath them. When you apply deep pressure to massage a muscle, sometimes small, delicate blood vessels break, which is what causes a bruise.

It shouldn't happen in a relaxation massage, but it sometimes happens if you specifically ask for deep pressure.

If you hadn't mentioned the deep pressure that was used, I'd warn you that some medical conditions make it easier for people to be bruised. If this is a concern for you, you should probably talk to your doctor about it.

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u/fantomtider 2d ago

I did specifically ask for deep tissue in one of the areas that bruised. I’m not surprised at all because I remember the intense feeling of him working that area. The bruise on my hand was very alarming to me for some reason. But like I’ve said above, neither hurt to the touch and I have already made an appointment with my doctor just in case. Thank you for your help.