A lymph node massage is great for decreasing tissue swelling and speeding up the work of all the various lymph nodes in your body. But since some of your lymph nodes are located near sensitive areas like your neck, soreness in the hours and days after a lymph node massage is fairly common. Immediately after you get a lymph node massage, follow these three tips to minimize both immediate and future soreness.

Stretch for a Few Minutes When You Get Home

The first time you're alone in your home and you have space to yourself, take at least a minute or two to stretch out your arms, legs, and especially your neck. While you can stretch your legs and arms by touching your toes (while keeping your back straight) and reaching for the ceiling respectively, neck rolling is the most effective way to relieve soreness caused by your lymph node massage.

When you roll your neck, always make sure that your shoulders are completely relaxed and that your eyes never move from a neutral position relative to the rest of your head. If your shoulders are tense or you're trying to look at something in the corner while you're rolling your neck, it'll be very difficult to relax the specific tissue sections that need attention.

Avoid Vigorous Exercise

While a little bit of stretching is okay, very strenuous exercise methods like sprinting or biking up a hill can negate the effects of a massage if you do them immediately afterward. So instead of staying as active as possible, put vigorous exercise off for another day and set aside at least a few hours after the massage for relative relaxation.

Even fairly mild strain like the effort involved in going grocery shopping will tighten the tissues around your lymph nodes again and significantly decrease the benefits of a massage. It's ideal, therefore, to plan on relaxing in front of a TV or computer as soon as you can drive home after a massage. If you can't manage that, work performed while you're sitting on a desk won't be as bad as purely physical work.

Stay as Warm as You Can

Staying in a very cold environment for longer than a moment will cause a lot of muscles around your body to begin shaking, hurting your circulation and causing some of your lymph node swelling to return again. To prevent both this problem and the tissue soothed by the massage from tensing up again, stay indoors as much as you can immediately after a wintertime massage. If you're going home after a massage, it's also a good idea to keep your heat on while you're gone so that your living room never gets even a little chilly.

For further information about this type of massage therapy, speak with your masseuse or doctor.