Tips for addressing muscle spasms, tightness, or soreness between massage:
1) Drink lots of water to flush your system and hydrate your tissues. Our bodies can begin healing when there is plenty of oxygen rich blood flowing to our tissues & cells. Muscles tighten when they are deprived. Half of your weight in ounces should be your daily water intake.
2) Ice the area with an ice pack for 10-12 min every hour or as needed. You may use heat, however, it is best when heat is followed by ice in an acute situation.
3) Epsom salt bath- 1-2 cups of Epsom salts added to a very hot bath for 20 min will draw lactic acid out of muscle tissues and will be eliminated through pores & urination. Follow with tepid/cool rinse in the shower.
4) Natural ways to eliminate inflammation are: Prepare fresh shaved ginger root in Chamomile tea with fresh squeezed lemon drink twice a day or as needed, MSM is an effective anti-inflammatory supplement that will not tax your liver & kidneys the way over-the-counter & prescription anti-inflammatories will. I myself take 2 capsules 3x daily until muscle ache or joint pain is relieved, You and your physician may determine what is best for you. You may also drink lemon water, take epsom salt baths, and ice the area. Cooling essential oils such as lavender, peppermint, copaiba, wintergreen, cypress, and basil can be added to a carrier oil such as grapeseed, olive, or almond oil and massaged into the area.
5) Do gentle stretches that feel good, back off if you experience pain. Taking yoga, or developing a good morning/evening stretching routine is very helpful to stretching out the tendons & mobilizing the joints.
6) Use a foam roller. You can purchase a foam roller at a sporting good store or online. Some will come with instructions or a DVD. You can also look up videos on how to foam roll specific muscle groups on YouTube.
This is how you can help your massage therapist to help you. Working together with your massage therapist will give you the best results :)
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