Body in Balance Center

(This month, we decided to focus on the word heat to help inspire our practitioner’s blog topic.)

In massage, heat can be several things, a fever from illness, or something else called muscle fever, which is experienced after intense exercise.  If a client is suffering from a fever caused by infection, then best not to have a massage.  Sometimes a massage can spike the fever and make you feel worse. Plus if you have an infection, it may expose your practitioner to whatever is causing your fever.

Muscle fever is different.  Muscle fever happens after completing a hard workout and you’ve showered and works clothes are on , you suddenly find your continuing to sweat. Instead of dashing out the door to work, you are peeling layers of clothes off and looking for ice in an effort to temper the heat.  Theories abound, some say it is an increased metabolic rate, burning off more calories even though you stop exercising.  Some have said it was lactic acid build up, when the body can't remove the lactic acid and it builds up in the muscles. But according to NYTimes article published last year, those theories no longer hold up.

What we know is that muscle fever is not caused by lactic acid build up, nor is it caused increased metabolic rate.  In fact, researchers don't seem to understand all that much about it!

In 1977, an article was published about the discovery by East German researchers that through a blood test, lactic acid levels could determine an athlete's perfect training level.   By figuring out the lactic acid threshold, it allowed athletes to train at a level to build the strength they need for the best performance, without risking injury. It also appears that the heart muscle LOVES lactate for fuel.  And lactic acid threshold training will make your muscles stiff and sore, but it is unclear whether it causes muscle fear.

I have experienced muscle fever both professionally and personally.  My advice, and experience, is massage can't help muscle fever, it simply has to take it's course.  But if you feel like you want a massage, the good news is that a lighter massage won't inflame the situation! 😉