Ask a Massage Therapist
Welcome to the Ask a Massage Therapist section of SolaceClinicalMassage.com. Before you continue to the questions, I'd like to remind you of a few important items in this legal disclaimer:
- The answers to the questions that follow, as well as all of the information on this website, are my opinions. They are based on my experience and research, but still opinion. I am a massage therapist, and cannot diagnose, prevent, or cure any illnesses you may have.
- The information provided on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease.
- The information has not been evaluated by the FDA.
- You should always consult with your doctor before using this advice or undertaking any changes to your diet or exercise program.
- This disclaimer may be updated anytime and is presumed to be a part of any past or future postings.
Please feel free to email me any questions you have about massage, and I'll be happy to try to answer them.
Why does my massage therapist say I should drink water after a session?
There are three main reasons for this, as follows:
- Many massages include a "circulatory" component. This includes "Swedish" or relaxation massage. Circulatory massage increases the amount of fluid that enters your lymphatic system, needs to be processed at the lymphatic ducts, and then removed from your body as a waste product. Water will ensure that that process goes as smoothly as possible.
- The fluids entering your lymphatic system will have a higher than normal concentration of cellular waste. Watering these down as they get processed keeps you from feeling the toxic effects of these waste products, including headaches or fatigue.
- This flushing of fluids process means you may have less fluids than normal after a massage, drinking water will help replace those fluids. An electrolyte-balancing sports drink is also a good choice.
You may feel like your massage therapist is "pushing" you water at the end of your session, it's really to address the issues mentioned above. Specific requirements about daily water intake are outside of a massage therapist's scope of practice. Take a stroll through the internet and you'll see quite a variety of water intake advice, ranging from 9-13 glasses of water a day to 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight if you're not active, to 4 glasses of fluid a day (mostly coming from food sources). You'll need to do your own research to see what makes sense to you and your doctor for your personal daily water intake. However, to complement your massage session it's a good idea to replace those fluids!