Massage for tradies and physical work

Desk work gets most of the attention when people talk about tension, but a body that lifts, kneels, climbs and carries for forty hours a week keeps its own record. It is usually a more specific one, and it turns up in the same handful of places.

Why physical work settles in the same few places

Manual work is rarely symmetrical. You favour one side to lift, you kneel on the same knee, you hold a tool at the same angle for hours, and you do it again tomorrow. Over a season that shows up as a lower back that will not settle after a long day, forearms and grip that stay switched on, one shoulder that sits higher than the other, and calves that have had enough of standing on concrete.

None of that is unusual and none of it means something is wrong. It is the ordinary result of asking the same muscles to do the same thing repeatedly, and it responds well to being worked on.

What a massage for physical work involves

There is no separate treatment called a tradie massage. What actually happens is that a remedial massage is shaped around your job. Your therapist asks what you do, which side you favour and where it has been nagging, then spends the session on those areas rather than working evenly over everything.

For most people that means firm, slow work through the areas that carry the load, which is the ground covered in our guide to deep tissue and trigger point massage. If you also train or play sport on top of the job, sports massage is the framing that fits better. Pressure is adjusted to your comfort in all of them: firm does not have to mean unpleasant, and telling your therapist to ease off is a normal part of the hour, not a failure.

Massage for physical work when you are back on the job tomorrow

This is the practical worry, and it is a fair one. A firm session can leave you a little tender for a day or so, in the way a solid gym session does. If you have a heavy day ahead, say so at the start and the pressure and the areas get chosen accordingly. Booking later in the week, or before a rostered day off, is the simplest way around it. A shorter, more targeted session is another: 30 or 45 minutes on the lower back alone is often more useful than an hour spread thinly.

How often to book when your work is physical

The load does not stop, so the maintenance rhythm matters more than it does for most people. Every three to four weeks is a common pattern for people working physically, tightening up during a heavy stretch and easing off in the quiet months. Our notes on how often to get a massage go through how to work that out, and if you have extras cover you may be able to claim on your health fund at the counter, which changes the maths for a lot of people.

Frequently asked questions

Which massage is best for someone doing physical work?

Usually a remedial or deep tissue session, shaped around the areas your job loads most. Your therapist decides that with you at the start rather than working to a fixed routine.

Will I be sore the next day?

You may be a little tender for a day or two after firm work, similar to the day after a hard training session. Mention it if you have a heavy day coming and the pressure is adjusted to suit.

How long should the session be?

Sixty minutes suits most people. If the problem is confined to one area, a 30 or 45 minute session focused entirely on it is often the better value.

Can I claim it on my health fund?

Remedial massage may be claimable if you hold extras cover. We have HICAPS on site, so you can claim on the spot and pay the gap, though what you get back depends on your fund and level of cover.

The same soreness turns up after a big weekend in the garden, not just on the job. Our notes on recovering from a weekend of spring gardening cover the jobs that cause the most trouble and what actually helps.

You can see every treatment and length on our massage treatment menu, or check availability online whenever it suits.