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nausea after massage

blake

blake

Well known member
Hi all,

Just had a massage as a little treat for working hard recently. I wanted to try it.
When it was done, I stood up and was hit by a wave of nausea and dizziness.. Still feeling nausea 3 hours later. This is not a problem for me usually.

I'm thinking it's psychosomatic.

Any thoughts?

What a reward gone wrong!
 
I'm with you on the psychosomatic, Blake. Especially because I can remember what a massage therapist told me after one of the few massages I've ever had. "You might feel a little sick afterwards because of all the toxins released from the massage." And guess what…yep, I felt flu-ish for the next day.

For me, I think I fell into that easily because of the self-punishment I've put myself through with some of the treatment modalities I've pursued. (No pain, no gain, right? ha!)

Speaking of a bunny path. The detox foot craze was going around town. (Supposedly, one soaks their feet in this charged water and it pulls out all the impurities in your body and cures you of all that ails you.) Anyway. A friend of mine was pedaling this treatment ("It's only $40!").

I gently inquired, "Has anyone verified and quantified results via lab tests?" It got quiet in the room.

Anyhoo. Reminded me of the power of placebo and nocebo. I am toying with the idea of getting a massage but I'm holding off because I may be in the "massage as a treatment for pain" mode versus…it would just feel good.
 
Thanks for your response North Star. I don't believe in that whole toxin-in-the-body thing either.

I think I was conflicted about getting a massage. Since starting TMS work in June, I stopped all forms of therapy (PT and osteo), but I thought an all-over body massage might feel good and help me relax. By deep down I was worried about a set back in my progress. Either that or I just expected too much from this experience (it's a pattern with me) and was disappointed.

I'm feeling better today - no more nausea or dizziness - just my silly old TMS neck paing to deal with:)
 
hmmm... i am having several thoughts about this.
On the one hand, the 'waste products' from your muscles might get released in your blood stream fast from a good massage, so your body has to work hard to process it. The system might induce nausea/sick feeling, so the body can put all its energy in processing instead of having you jump around and use vital energy.... (??)
Another option might be that the relaxed state (or leaving the usual survival mode that you are in) opens the possibility for your system to finally work on 'mending the damage done in the survival mode'.
On the other hand, somatic as in that someone tells you that you might feel sick, so you start feeling sick seems a bit unlikely. Most often it is the other way around, you tell the therapist that you felt sick afterwards and then he/she confirms it.
Somatic as in that the brain doesn't like your relaxed state as it opens up the possibility that emotions become exposed makes more sense to me... (??)

good question :) I am not really sure what is happening....

... I forgot the possibility that your mind is really annoyed about you moving away from the relaxed situation. 'What the hell? I felt so cosy and comfortable and now you end it... Why?!'. The same mechanism that makes people become sick when they stop smoking or using other drugs. 'Where is my nicotine!!! I want alcohol right now!!!'. So in short, you are in the first stage of becoming a massage-addict ;)
 
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I wouldn't rule out massage after just one session that left you nauseous
You don't want to condition yourself to think that will happen every time.

When I was on the rewrite desk at the Chicago Tribune, a very stressful job,
the man in charge there spent every lunch hour getting a massage in a building
next door. He said he needed it to unwind after a stressful morning's work.
It worked for him.
 
Walt, a daily massage sounds wonderful! I'm not sure that would compensate for the stress of a job like that for this girl though. :)
 
Thank you for your input into this mystery. I'll probably never know exactly if it was a physical or psychological reaction. Just glad it's over.

And I don't think I'll become a massage addict any time soon :) I can't say it was all that relaxing for me (even before I started feeling sick). To be frank, just sitting quietly, petting my cat is much more relaxing for me than a massage...plus it's free:)

Thanks again guys!
 
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