Seven common myths about massage
07.06.2026
Massage is an old practice, and stories always accumulate around old practices. Some are harmless, but a few misconceptions lead people to choose the wrong kind of session, or to endure something they never needed to endure. Here are the ones that come up most often.
Myth one: massage flushes out toxins. You will hear this in almost any treatment room, but it is a simplification with no convincing basis. Clearing substances from the body is the job of the liver and kidneys, not of hands pressing on a muscle. What actually happens during a session - relaxation, changes in circulation, a response from the nervous system - is valuable enough on its own and does not need an invented explanation.
Myth two: if it does not hurt, it is not working. This is probably the most harmful of them all. Pressure can certainly be firm, and muscles may be tender after deeper work, but pain that makes you hold your breath and brace is not the goal. When a muscle defends itself it becomes tighter, not freer. Effective work usually happens at the edge where sensation is strong but tolerable and where you can still breathe easily.
Myth three: massage breaks up knots and puts vertebrae back in place. What people call a knot is usually a tender, tense area of muscle rather than something mechanically tied. A massage therapist does not reposition bones, and a responsible one will not claim to. If someone promises to put your vertebrae back, that is a reason to ask more questions.
Myth four: massage is a luxury and an indulgence. That belief is cultural rather than factual. If massage helps you sleep better, react more calmly to stress and get through long working days more easily, it looks more like an investment than an extravagance. And frequency is always adjustable - once every two months is still a rhythm. Myth five: massage is about the back and shoulders. In practice people are often surprised by how much tension accumulates in the calves, feet, forearms and even the jaw. If you walk a lot, drive, hold a phone all day or clench your teeth at night, those areas can be at least as loaded as the back.
Myth six: massage is forbidden during pregnancy. It is more accurate to say that it requires an experienced practitioner, suitable positioning and caution, and that it is worth discussing with a doctor or midwife first. The same applies to a number of other conditions: massage is rarely simply forbidden or allowed - it needs to be adapted.
Myth seven: one massage will fix chronic pain. Unfortunately not. Massage may reduce tension and improve how you feel, but long-standing pain usually has several contributing causes: load, posture, sleep, stress, sometimes a medical condition. If pain is persistent, worsening, or accompanied by numbness and weakness, start with a doctor. Massage can be a useful part of a broader plan, but not a substitute for proper assessment.
The common thread is simple. Massage is useful for exactly what it is, and it needs no exaggerated promises. An honest practitioner knows this and will tell you plainly.
Myth one: massage flushes out toxins. You will hear this in almost any treatment room, but it is a simplification with no convincing basis. Clearing substances from the body is the job of the liver and kidneys, not of hands pressing on a muscle. What actually happens during a session - relaxation, changes in circulation, a response from the nervous system - is valuable enough on its own and does not need an invented explanation.
Myth two: if it does not hurt, it is not working. This is probably the most harmful of them all. Pressure can certainly be firm, and muscles may be tender after deeper work, but pain that makes you hold your breath and brace is not the goal. When a muscle defends itself it becomes tighter, not freer. Effective work usually happens at the edge where sensation is strong but tolerable and where you can still breathe easily.
Myth three: massage breaks up knots and puts vertebrae back in place. What people call a knot is usually a tender, tense area of muscle rather than something mechanically tied. A massage therapist does not reposition bones, and a responsible one will not claim to. If someone promises to put your vertebrae back, that is a reason to ask more questions.
Myth four: massage is a luxury and an indulgence. That belief is cultural rather than factual. If massage helps you sleep better, react more calmly to stress and get through long working days more easily, it looks more like an investment than an extravagance. And frequency is always adjustable - once every two months is still a rhythm. Myth five: massage is about the back and shoulders. In practice people are often surprised by how much tension accumulates in the calves, feet, forearms and even the jaw. If you walk a lot, drive, hold a phone all day or clench your teeth at night, those areas can be at least as loaded as the back.
Myth six: massage is forbidden during pregnancy. It is more accurate to say that it requires an experienced practitioner, suitable positioning and caution, and that it is worth discussing with a doctor or midwife first. The same applies to a number of other conditions: massage is rarely simply forbidden or allowed - it needs to be adapted.
Myth seven: one massage will fix chronic pain. Unfortunately not. Massage may reduce tension and improve how you feel, but long-standing pain usually has several contributing causes: load, posture, sleep, stress, sometimes a medical condition. If pain is persistent, worsening, or accompanied by numbness and weakness, start with a doctor. Massage can be a useful part of a broader plan, but not a substitute for proper assessment.
The common thread is simple. Massage is useful for exactly what it is, and it needs no exaggerated promises. An honest practitioner knows this and will tell you plainly.