Healing Crisis / Detox Symptoms

[KellyC]

Besides drinking plenty of water, is there a way to avoid/minimize the feelings of being ill after a massage? I have a client who experiences nausea and flu-like symptoms the day after his massage. He is okay with it, he sees it as a result of his being on lots of pain meds and detoxing after a massage, but I don't like it. He says he drinks plenty of water. Is there anything else I can suggest for him after a massage? I read something in some old post about drinking ginger ale or ginger tea to settle his stomach, and using either epsom salts or baking soda in a hot bath before bed. What do you think of those ideas?

I ask for him because I don't like the idea that I'm doing something that causes discomfort, but also for me. A couple weeks ago, I felt sick the day after my massage and was mad at myself for maybe not drinking enough water, despite telling people every day how important it is.

 

[sevenmoreminutes7]

Often a hot epsom salt bath can help.

I tell my clients to be generous in the epsom salts, I have said 1-2 cups, but I have heard people say up to 2lbs of salt.

You do have to be careful though, young and elderly people have to be careful, anyone with high blood pressure, heart disease should only do this with caution, and probablyl not at all.

 

[BEAUTYTHANG7]

I second the salt bath idea. I usually use 1 cup of sea salt + 1 cup of epsom per path.

 

[wwenba4life]

Many people do a good job hydrating after the massage, but coming to the massage well hydrated is very important too.

 

[Tinesha</3]

i have been curious about this too--epsom salt baths work for me and many people I know, though one woman had a bad experience in which she felt great after the massage, took an epsom salt bath before sleep, and woke up in the a.m. with a localized inflammation--in which case obviously the heat would have made any latent inflammation worse. i can only hope we aren't routinely causing latent inflammations, but have been wondering ever since about recommending hot baths!

 

[stephannie1202]

I could have sworn that a hot bath is actually a little DEhydrating, that drinking water during a hot bath is important. Does that ring a bell with anyone? I don't know though, I don't talk to clients about post-massasge baths.

 

[bonlove Coleman]

I've read that the true way to do a hot espom salt bath for detox, is to pour a bath as hot as you can. Put a bowl/bucket of cool water and a cloth beside you, and a glass of water. The bath is for 10-20 minutes. If you feel light headed or during the bath, then pour cold water into the bath, and use the cloth from the cool bucked on your chest and face. If no dizziness is felt, then 1-2 minutes before you get out of the bath use the cool cloth on your chest to bring your temp down a bit. Drink water during and after the bath. It is a fairly insensive hydrotherapy treatment.

If I have done deep work on my clients, I then tell them that they are to put ice on the area that may be sore tomorrow. And if they are sore, to continue icing. The heat will increase the inflammation, the ice will bring it back down, more like a contrast therapy, ending with cold.

 

[Tasha]

definitely a hot bath is dehydrating, and can be very much so if you soak long and the water's quite hot, so you do have to drink lots of H20, on top of what you have to drink to wash out toxins from the massage. but the epsom salt seems to draw out toxins or do SOMEthing (a search on the web for how epsom salt works yielded nothing for me!) to reduce soreness post deep massage.

jyoti recommended on another thread calculating how much to drink (if you HAVEN'T had a massage and/or hot bath) this way: "I would also suggest giving her the following formula for water intake: have her divide her body weight in pounds in half, and the resulting number is the number of ounces she should drink as a DAILY MINIMUM." Add to that the massage and hot bath and you've got...wow...a LOT of water.

 

[Chas B]

I definitely agree that the heat in a hot bath is dehydrating...

The epsom salts...are they mainly helpful for the muscular soreness? Or is there something about the bath that somehow draws out the sick-feeling/fatigue-ish toxins, too?

 

[Dnt TriPP]

okay digging digging digging

From http://tinyurl.com/hy26h

the magnesium and sulphate from the epsom salts are absorbed into the body, and are required for the body.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium

"Inadequate magnesium intake frequently causes muscle spasms, and has been associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety disorders, migraines and osteoporosis."

See Epsom salts for a list of conditions which have been treated with supplemental magnesium ion. Magnesium is absorbed with reasonable efficiently (30% to 40%) by the body from any soluble magnesium salt, such as the chloride or citrate. Magnesium is similarly absorbed from Epsom salts, although the sulfate in these salts adds to their laxative effect at higher doses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epsom_salts

I'm not a huge fan of wikipedia for research, but it seems to be the only site that has much info on epsom salts. I'm just not sure if the epsom salts are used exclusively externally, or if some of the discussion is about internal use as well.

Food for thought

 

[chipper35_1999]

Wow, thanks, Myrrha! Great digging!!

To answer my own question about helping muscular soreness or the other post-massage hang-over feeling:

Early signs of magnesium deficiency include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp#h4)

 

[stoolbert]

Do you make sure that your client grounded before they get off the table? I was taught that re-focusing the engery after the massage is important and that without doing so the client can go through more a intense detox or have other issues, ie headaches, nasuea, ect post massage.

 

[lil_c200516101]

Melisala, It is deffinately an interesting theory. I was never taught that in school, but then again, I studied my energy work after I graduated, my program had very little training in terms of energy work.

I tend to do cervical distraction at the end of my massages. I do tend use a little reiki when I do it. I however have still had people say they feel a little dizzy or nauseaus, or a little headachy or sore. (not too often)

When I start getting into the more medical/therapeutic work like active release, PNF, stretching stuff, I tend not to do it. Maybe I'm not giving a complete treatment, maybe I am.

I tend to think (my opinion only) that with my working having a very small amount of energy work involved, and not for every treatment, that it is probably more a physiological response, rather than an energetic response. Now is that because I am not dealing with the energy? Or is it because of my intent of focusing on the body.

I know many therapists who do absolutely no energy work, they aren't trained, and no interest in it. I would be curious to find out what their perceneforum.xxxe of people who leave feeling icky are as opposed to those who feel much better leaving.

 

[ermy]

I'm just not sure if the epsom salts are used exclusively externally, or if some of the discussion is about internal use as well.

It's very unusual for Epsom salts to be taken internally. I know they are sometimes used intravenously to stop premature labor, and it's pretty unpleasant. Effective, but you feel pretty sick while it's happening.

 

[Iron Rabbi]

It's very unusual for Epsom salts to be taken internally. I know they are sometimes used intravenously to stop premature labor, and it's pretty unpleasant. Effective, but you feel pretty sick while it's happening.

As I was typing my response, I was thinking what espom salts much taste like, and my only response was ewwwwwwww. I have no doubt you are absolutely right! I may have been tired reading the articles, or missed it or something, but I don't recall any mention as to whether it was internal, or external, thus my disclaimer.

Thank you for the clarification. I'm glad to know there is an internal use for the salts, also glad to know I probably don't want to try it. Ick t087

 

[Sister]

I found the website some of you are looking for. It's http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org I don't know why the council but it has some really good and useful information. Even though epsom salt is a salt it is not dehydrating it actually hydrates the body and softens the skin too.

Apple Cider Vinegar is another good home remedie to put in the bath, alot of chiropractors swear by this.

Hope this helps!

 

[Medic]

I found the website some of you are looking for. It's http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org I don't know why the council but....

t043

 

[Pompal 09.]

To prevent that dehydrating effect of a hot bath, make sure the water temperture is no hotter then 101 degrees.

 

[vlost1]

Another way I have used to help that kind of symptoms you describe after a treatment is not scientific at all, but seems to work. Before I begin a treatment I generally set the intention that what will happen in the treatment is for the highest good of all concerned. Nothing will happen that is not in the best interest of the client. It helps me to remember that I have not DONE that to them it is in their best interest. So I guess this technique is changing myself, my intention, my focus.

Also enter and leave the body softly, very softly. Lots of effleurage if you are doing massage. Cranial distraction...in MFR land Dural Tube releases are excellent. Someone mentioned coming into a session hydrated is very important.

I have a client on many meds for 15 years. She is withdrawing now...painfully, with difficulty, but her pain levels are nowhere what she expected them to be. Interesting.

 

[student]

I have a client who experiences nausea and flu-like symptoms the day after his massage.

When I was going through school (receiving) and internship (giving), I found that I was coming home every night with flu-like symptoms - very much like the what was described. When the internship part progressed, the worse it got. I had begun taking another course that included a section on Aromatherapy which taught what the effects of specific essential oils could do. I had found that in my unscented BIOTone cream that I was using (giving / receiving) had rosemary in it. I'm contraindicated to rosemary since I have high blood pressure. Once I switched the nausea and flu-like symptoms went away.

My suggestion would be to double-check what products are being used by reading the labels and making sure you know exactly what was in them...