More pain does not mean a better massage
Pain is not proof that a massage is working. You can ask for less pressure or stop. A statute's purpose is not a reason to endure it.
Updated 2026-10-29
Deep pressure is a style some people want. It is not a test you have to pass, and pain during the session is not proof that the massage is working. Say so if it hurts. Ask the person to lighten up or to stop. You can end a session. If something feels wrong, say so and get up.
Section 3 of the Massage Therapy Act, 1991 describes the practice of massage therapy as the assessment of soft tissue and joints, and the treatment and prevention of physical dysfunction and pain, to develop, maintain, rehabilitate, or augment physical function, or to relieve pain. "Relieve pain" is a purpose of regulated treatment. It is not an instruction to stay quiet while a visit hurts. The Act does not score pressure, and this site will not invent one.
What you can say
| What is happening | What you can say | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| The pressure is more than you want | "Less pressure" or "stop" | That you have failed a test |
| You are sore in a way you did not expect | Name the spot and ask them to move off it | That soreness proves the massage was better |
| You want the session to end | Say so, and get up | That you must finish the clock you paid for |
| You have an injury, are pregnant, or take medicine | Ask your own clinician before you book | That the shop's "yes" cleared you |
Soreness can follow firm work. Pain during the session is a signal to change what is happening. For an injury or a health condition, the person to ask first is your own clinician, not the person taking the booking. That is Pregnancy, an injury, or medication is a question for your own clinician.
Agree to the session you can describe
Pressure is part of the service. If you cannot explain the limit in a language you and the shop share, do not start. Naming the service before you lie down is Do not start until you understand the service.
The time you booked does not override this. A 60-minute visit that hurts at minute ten is not a visit you have to finish because the clock is running. Ask when that clock starts before you book, in Ask when the clock starts on a 60-minute visit.
This site does not grade pressure
Cards do not score how hard a shop presses, and we do not treat a style word on a website as clinical advice. Read the shop's own description, then use the table above when you are in the room. If you wanted a registered massage therapist, the register check is separate from how the pressure feels. Pain is still a reason to speak.