What Not to Do Before a Sports Massage

Preparing for a sports massage does not require a special diet, excessive hydration or an elaborate pre-treatment routine. The most useful preparation is simply arriving comfortable and giving your Registered Massage Therapist the information needed to adapt the appointment safely.

That includes recent injuries, relevant medications, changes in your health and anything physically demanding you need to do afterward.

Here is what to avoid—and what to do instead.

You do not need to fast before massage therapy. Eating normally is fine, and some people feel better when they have had a light meal or snack.

However, lying face down after a particularly large or heavy meal may feel uncomfortable. Depending on the areas being treated, pressure around the abdomen, hips or lower back may also be less comfortable when you feel very full.

If possible, leave enough time after a large meal for your stomach to settle. Choose whatever timing works with your normal eating habits and medical needs.

If you have diabetes, blood-sugar concerns or another condition that affects when you eat, follow the guidance provided by your healthcare professional. Massage preparation is not a reason to skip food you medically require.

Avoid arriving under the influence of alcohol, cannabis or another substance that affects alertness, sensation, judgment or your ability to communicate.

During massage, your RMT needs you to provide reliable feedback about pressure, discomfort, positioning and unexpected symptoms. You must also be able to understand the proposed treatment and provide informed consent.

If impairment makes informed consent or safe communication uncertain, the RMT may need to modify or postpone the appointment.

This is different from taking prescribed medication as directed. Do not stop or change a prescribed medication because you have a massage appointment. Instead, tell the RMT about medications or substances that may be relevant to bruising, alertness, pain perception, skin sensitivity or your response to treatment.

If you are uncertain whether the appointment can proceed, contact the clinic before travelling to it.

Strong perfume, cologne and heavily fragranced body products can linger in a treatment room and may affect therapists or other clients with fragrance sensitivities.

You do not need to arrive without any skincare products. However, tell your RMT if you have applied something that could affect the skin or alter sensation, including:

Topical pain-relief creams, warming or cooling gels, medicated creams, numbing products, pain patches or products containing ingredients such as menthol or capsaicin.

Do not remove a prescribed patch or discontinue a medicated product unless the prescribing healthcare professional has told you to do so. The therapist can work around the area or modify the treatment when necessary.

Also mention any new rash, sunburn, skin irritation, recent tattoo or reaction to a skincare product. Treatment may need to be avoided or adapted over affected skin.

Arriving a few minutes early gives you time to remove outdoor clothing, use the washroom and discuss any changes since your previous appointment.

New clients may need additional time to complete intake information and discuss their treatment goals. Returning clients should still mention changes in symptoms, health or medications before treatment begins.

If you arrive late, the appointment will generally still need to finish at its scheduled time. This protects the next client’s appointment and means there may be less time available for assessment and treatment.

You do not need to arrive extremely early. Approximately five to ten minutes is usually sufficient unless the clinic has given you different instructions.

If you know you will be late, contact the clinic when it is safe to do so.

Your RMT does not need every detail of your personal life. They do need information that could affect the safety, positioning or focus of your treatment.

Before the appointment, mention relevant changes such as:

A recent injury, new pain, significant swelling, unexplained bruising, altered sensation, dizziness, fever, skin irritation, recent surgery or an important change in your ability to move or bear weight.

Also disclose relevant allergies and medications—particularly when they could affect bruising, sensation, alertness or skin response. You do not need to diagnose the problem yourself. Explain what happened, what you are feeling and what activities are affected.

If you are returning after an injury, tell the RMT what assessment or rehabilitation you have received and whether another healthcare professional has given you restrictions.

Do not assume that information provided months ago still reflects your current health. Update your RMT when something changes.

The College of Massage Therapists of Ontario requires RMTs to collect information reasonably needed to provide safe, individualized care while avoiding unrelated or unnecessary questions.

External reference:

https://www.cmto.com/rules/collecting-personal-health-information-from-clients-standard/

Tell the RMT if an area is unusually painful, sensitive, swollen or different from your ordinary post-training soreness.

Sports massage does not become more effective simply because you tolerate greater pressure. Concealing symptoms or remaining silent during uncomfortable treatment makes it more difficult for the RMT to adjust the session appropriately.

You may ask questions, request a change in pressure or positioning, decline a proposed technique or stop treatment at any time. Consent continues throughout the appointment; it is not something you provide only when the session begins.

External reference:

https://www.cmto.com/rules/consent/

Tell your RMT what you need to do after the appointment—not only what you did beforehand.

Useful information includes the exact date and time of your next competition, long run, heavy lifting session, tournament, performance or demanding practice.

Saying that an event is “sometime next week” is less useful than explaining that you compete in four days. The amount of recovery time available afterward can influence how focused or intense the treatment should be.

At Excelsior Integrative, we generally avoid unfamiliar or very intense treatment during the three days leading up to an important competition. The concern is not that focused massage is inherently harmful. It is that an unfamiliar or demanding treatment may leave some people sore, sensitive or distracted when they need to perform.

When there is adequate recovery time before the next event—and the client is familiar with the treatment—more focused work may still be appropriate between competitions.

For a complete discussion of treatment timing, read How to Use Sports Massage During a Training Cycle.

A light or ordinary workout before massage may be fine. A demanding session immediately beforehand can leave some areas fatigued or sensitive, which may change what feels appropriate during treatment.

Tell the RMT what you did, how hard the session was and whether anything felt unusual. The appointment can then be adjusted to how your body presents that day.

For detailed guidance on which should come first, read Should You Get a Massage Before or After a Workout?

Wear whatever allows you to arrive comfortably.

During a standard massage therapy appointment, you may undress only to your level of comfort. Your body is draped, and only the area being treated is uncovered in accordance with your consent and professional draping requirements.

If your appointment may include movement assessment, assisted stretching or active techniques, flexible clothing can be helpful. Depending on the area being assessed, you may choose to bring athletic shorts, a sleeveless shirt or another garment that allows comfortable movement and appropriate access to the area.

You can ask in advance if you are uncertain about what will be useful. You should never feel pressured to remove more clothing than you are comfortable removing.

Most clients do not need to bring anything special.

If relevant, you may find it helpful to have:

Bring any restrictions or recommendations provided by a physician, physiotherapist, athletic therapist or another healthcare professional when they affect massage treatment.

You generally do not need to bring an entire medical file. A recent report may be useful when it contains information relevant to the concern being treated.

You do not need to bring a formal periodized plan. Knowing the dates of your next demanding workout and competition is often sufficient.

Athletic shorts or flexible clothing may be helpful when movement, stretching or treatment through clothing is planned.

Bring glasses, hearing aids, mobility supports or other items you need to communicate and move safely. A hair tie may also be useful when longer hair covers the neck or shoulders, although it is not required.

• Eat normally, but avoid arriving immediately after a very large meal.
• Avoid alcohol or other substances that leave you impaired.
• Limit strong fragrances and mention medicated or sensation-altering topical products.
• Arrive a few minutes early when possible.
• Update your RMT about relevant injuries, symptoms, medications, allergies and health changes.
• Provide the exact date of an upcoming competition or demanding workout.
• Bring comfortable clothing or relevant healthcare instructions when needed.
• Most importantly, ask questions and communicate throughout the appointment.

Good preparation is not about following a rigid wellness ritual. It means arriving able to participate, sharing relevant information and telling your RMT what your body needs to do afterward.

Excelsior Integrative is an RMT-owned clinic near Yonge & Eglinton in Midtown Toronto. Our Registered Massage Therapists adapt sports massage to your symptoms, activities, comfort and treatment goals.

Learn more about sports massage therapy at Excelsior Integrative.