It’s indisputable that massaging sore muscles can help to relieve pain, swelling and stiffness. But still, if you aren’t well versed in this practice, it can be difficult to know exactly where to start. The fact of the matter is, there’s far more to massage than you may think. With that said, learning the proper techniques, tips and tricks isn’t too hard if you have the right guidelines and advice. If you’re experiencing muscle soreness after or before your next workout, take a look at these few tips before engaging in personal massage.

Pair massage with stretching

Massage is intended to relieve muscle soreness while also improving flexibility and strength, but many people don’t realize that it often isn’t enough on its own. In order to promote a truly desirable state of overall muscle health, you’ll need to supplement massage with other tactics, such as stretching. According to Skinny Ms., the majority of people who incorporate stretching into their exercise and massage routine only use stretching prior to physical activity. In order to achieve best results, though, stretching should be practiced both before and after an exercise routine. In order to make this work alongside your massage routine, stretch out all of the muscle groups activated by your workout shortly after finishing. Following this, identify areas that need massage by those that still have a lingering soreness.

Utilize hot and cold treatments

One of the most commonly overlooked aspects of relieving muscle soreness is properly utilizing heat and cold treatments. Applying warm or cold compresses to muscle areas experiencing soreness can help to reduce swelling while also promoting muscle relaxation and numbing pain. If you find that massage isn’t quite enough to reduce the soreness that you’re feeling after a workout or mild injury, you may want to try pairing that activity with things like ice baths or heat​ wraps, when available. It’s worth noting that care should be taken when massaging muscles that have recently been soothed with ice. Cold treatments can cause numbness in the flesh surrounding muscles, which may make it so that you don’t feel the pain of massaging muscles too ardently, which can lead to further soreness or injury.

Consider the use of supplements

While massage is a great tool to ease soreness and stiffness or pain in overworked muscle groups, this practice can be made far more effective through it being paired with the appropriate supplements. Massage increases blood flow to muscle groups, which is one of the ways that muscle healing can be stimulated. In order to increase blood flow to muscles, Women’s Health recommends utilizing Omega-3 supplements periodically. In fact, taking one of these pills only once a day can help to ease soreness and inflammation in your muscle groups for up to 48 hours. Ensure that you talk to your doctor before starting any new supplement regimen to determine the best course of action for yourself.