Danger of Overstimulation

Case Presentation for the General Public and Professionals

From the Author
Anyone who has attended my classes or follows my writings knows that I proudly declare: massage procedures, when applied appropriately, cannot do harm. Today’s presentation is about exactly that—do no harm.

I often say that massage therapy is not rocket science. It is easy to learn hands-on techniques, and if applied correctly, massage procedures are 100% free of side effects. At the same time, massage is an extremely powerful therapeutic methodology:

• Highly effective for painful musculoskeletal disorders, including spinal conditions.
• Perhaps the most powerful available method for treating post-concussion disorders and preventing brain dysfunctions or degenerative brain diseases.
• Exceptionally effective for stress-related conditions such as tension headaches, TMJ dysfunctions, cognitive decline, vertigo, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and more.

Sometimes, after reading such statements, healthcare professionals skeptically ask: “Are you proclaiming medical and sports massage as a remedy for all diseases?”

My answer is no. But I can defend every word in my statements with science, clinical reasoning, and decades of daily practice that demonstrate the healing power of massage. In live presentations, I explain in detail what I am doing, why I am doing it, and how it achieves results. As one chiropractor once told me: “You’ve just proven that medical and sports massage isn’t rocket science—it’s simple and clear when performed correctly.” That’s because massage is based on a science designed entirely to serve clinical purposes.

Those who have taken my classes or studied my video instructional programs know that I explain every touch, technique, and clinical purpose—because every medical massage protocol is developed through research, with each step grounded in scientific reasoning.

Safety: Side-Effect-Free Massage

We all know the general contraindications for massage, and these are non-negotiable rules. Unfortunately, standard contraindication lists rarely mention the risks of vigorous pressure.

Too often, deep massage is confused with forceful, painful pressure. But when vigorous pressure is applied, it triggers a protective muscle spasm. This reflex prevents us from reaching deeper layers and, if ignored, only traumatizes tissue—causing injury rather than healing.

That is why I emphasize:

• Pressure can be significant, but it must not activate the pain-analyzing system.
• If protective spasm occurs, stop immediately and gradually increase pressure only as tolerated.
• If the patient reports excessive pressure—even without visible spasm—reduce the pressure.

This is the safe way to apply deep tissue work. Important to remember, every clinical work, must include deep tissue mobilizations. There is no deep tissue specific massage protocol.

Case Presentation: Overstimulation

Recently, a primary care physician who refers patients to me called with a question: “Can massage aggravate essential tremor?” My immediate answer was, “No way.” He then described his patient, a 72-year-old man diagnosed with essential tremor for the past eight years. After receiving a massage while on vacation, the patient’s tremor worsened dramatically—to the point that eating soup or drinking water became nearly impossible.

This sounded unusual, so I offered to see the patient.

When I examined him, he presented more like a Parkinson’s patient than one with essential tremor. He explained that the massage therapist—well-intentioned—focused on his arms for an hour and a half, believing it would help reduce the shaking. The treatment was pleasant and not painful, but afterward, he experienced heavy arms, fatigue, and worsened tremors—far worse than usual.

From experience, I know that patients with essential tremor often have spasmodic muscles, similar to those with Parkinson’s disease. Indeed, his arms were in a state of I would say extremely abnormal spasm. What had occurred was overstimulation.

I treated each arm for 15 minutes, reducing spasms and immediately improving his tremor. After five treatments, he could once again eat soup and drink water. The tremor persisted but was no longer as disabling as after the long session.

Understanding Overstimulation

Normal resting muscle tone is about 50% muscles constrictions. Under general anesthesia, muscle length doubles, but when the patient awakens, muscles shorten back by 50%.

Overstimulation occurs when a therapist eliminates pathological tension but continues working, challenging the body’s normal 50% muscle tone. The result is unpredictable: in this case, painful spasms and worsened tremors.

This is why medical massage protocols limit treatment time—about 30 minutes for original protocols, including connective tissue massage, circulatory massage, and trigger-point compressions, five minutes of precise ice massage. This is sufficient to achieve effective results without overstimulation.

Beyond Muscles

Overstimulation does not only affect muscles. Some patients, after prolonged relaxation massages, have experienced severe bronchial asthma attacks and disturbed autonomic nervous system activities, causing headaches, insomnia, anxiety, clinical depression etc.

That is why full-body relaxation massage, though it feels good for many, must still be applied with knowledge, structure, and clinical reasoning. Otherwise, even something intended as “innocent” relaxation can harm.

Final Thoughts

I am a strong proponent of full-body stress management massage and have developed educational materials to ensure it is performed safely and effectively. My instructional programs explain why sessions should last about 45 minutes, how to sequence techniques, and why kneading/petrissage must form about 50% of the session. These protocols were not invented randomly—scientists spent decades developing more than 50 research-based protocols, including stress management massage.

Massage therapy can and should be both safe and effective. But let us never confuse this with the idea that “massage is always harmless.” Done incorrectly, even relaxation massage can cause harm—sometimes serious harm.

As Hippocrates reminded us: “Do no harm.” Medical professionals are bound by the Hippocratic Oath; as massage professionals, we must hold ourselves to the same moral standard, even if not legally required.

I look forward to your opinions—agreements, disagreements, likes, and dislikes.

Best wishes,
Boris