The Truth About Drinking Water After a Massage

Like many massage therapists, I was taught that massage releases toxins from the body, including medication byproducts, recreational drugs, alcohol, and other substances. I was also taught that massage stimulates lymphatic flow and can potentially stir up cancer cells. However, many of these claims are not supported by scientific evidence, and it is important for massage therapists to distinguish established physiology from outdated teachings.

A massage educator recently shared a video challenging the long-standing recommendation that clients must drink extra water after a massage to flush out released toxins. Massage Today and other massage educators and medical professionals have also discussed the need to reconsider these traditional claims. The idea that massage releases toxins that must be flushed out by drinking additional water is not supported by good scientific evidence.

That does not mean hydration is unimportant. Water is essential for normal bodily functions, and massage therapists can educate clients about its genuine benefits without relying on misinformation.

Here are some important functions of water to share with clients:

• Maintains moisture: Helps keep the tissues of the mouth, eyes, and nose moist.
• Regulates body temperature: Supports the body's natural temperature-control mechanisms.
• Lubricates and cushions joints: Helps maintain the fluid balance necessary for healthy joint function.
• Transports nutrients and oxygen: Blood, which is largely water, carries essential substances throughout the body.
• Supports respiratory health: Helps maintain the body's normal moisture balance, including in the airways.
• Aids metabolism: Supports the chemical processes necessary for normal bodily function.
• Protects vital organs: Helps maintain the fluid balance needed for normal organ function.
• Supports nutrient absorption: Water helps dissolve and transport nutrients so the body can use them.
• Promotes regular bowel movements: Adequate hydration helps prevent and relieve constipation.
• Supports kidney function: Water helps the kidneys remove waste products through urine.
• Maintains healthy skin: Adequate hydration supports normal skin function, particularly when the body is dehydrated.
• Supports circulation and energy: Dehydration can contribute to fatigue and reduced physical performance.
• Helps maintain cognitive performance: Adequate hydration supports normal concentration and mental functioning.

As massage therapists, we have a responsibility to educate ourselves, question outdated teachings, and provide clients with information grounded in evidence. Encouraging hydration is reasonable, but we should explain its actual benefits rather than claim that clients must drink extra water to flush toxins released by massage.

The goal is not to abandon good advice. It is to make sure the advice we give is accurate, evidence-based, and consistent with what we know about the human body.