Posted on November 24th, 2023. Updated August 2026.

You will hear it in a lot of treatment rooms: “drink plenty of water afterwards, to flush out the toxins.” It is one of the most repeated claims in the massage industry, and it is worth being honest about it.

Massage does not release toxins. There is no good evidence that it does, and the idea does not really survive contact with how the body works.

Where the idea came from

The theory usually goes something like this: massage squeezes waste products out of the muscles, they enter the bloodstream, and water helps you flush them away.

The trouble is the word “toxins”, which is never defined. Your liver and kidneys process metabolic waste continuously, whether or not anyone has touched your hamstrings. Massage does not add to that process in any way that has been demonstrated.

The related claim about lactic acid does not hold up either. Lactic acid clears from muscle within an hour or so of exercise on its own. By the time you are on the table it has long gone, and it was never the cause of the soreness people attribute to it anyway.

So why do you feel tender the next day?

Because deep soft tissue work is a physical load. Firm pressure on a muscle produces a mild inflammatory response, much like a workout does. That is why you can feel a little sore for 24 to 48 hours after a deep treatment, particularly your first one.

It is normal, it passes, and it is not toxins leaving your body.

Should you still drink water afterwards?

Yes — but for ordinary reasons. Being reasonably hydrated is good for you generally, you may have been lying warm for an hour, and it is sensible advice on any day of the week.

Drink water because it is a good idea, not because you have been told your body is full of poison.

What massage actually does

Enough of what it does not do. Here is what is reasonable to say:

• It reduces the sensation of muscle tension and soreness.
• It gives you a period of time in which your nervous system is not being asked to do anything, which most people find calming.
• Regular treatment puts trained hands on you often enough to notice changes early — the tight calf, the shoulder that has started guarding.
• For people managing everyday aches from desk work, training or pregnancy, it is a practical way to feel more comfortable in your own body.

None of that needs embellishing. It is a good enough case on its own.

Why we are saying this

Because we would rather be the clinic that tells you the truth about its own industry. If a therapist explains their treatment using something that is not true, it is fair to wonder what else they are guessing at.

If you have questions about what a treatment will and will not do, ask us. We will give you a straight answer, including when the answer is “massage is not what you need here, see your GP”.

Read more massage myths and facts · See our treatments · FAQs

Motion Remedy is a massage and sports therapy clinic at 27a Station Lane, Hornchurch. This article was originally published in November 2023 and was rewritten in August 2026 to correct claims about detoxification that we no longer consider accurate. Nothing here is medical advice.