Hi, I am aware that you should not get a massage after a dive because there is a possibility it could release N2 bubbles and DCS could develop. My question is how long AFTER a massage can you go diving? I am receiving massage therapy for an injury but was wondering how soon after it can I get back in the water? I will not be diving deeper than 30ft. My initial thought is I could go 12 hours after the massage as I would outgas BUT I wanted to get the opinion of more experienced divers. Thanks!!!
Getting a massage BEFORE a dive
- Thread starter Tigerpaw
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Hi @Tigerpaw ,
I don't know that there's any clinical evidence for or against pre-dive massage. A 2023 PADI article from their website quotes a 2013 article in Sport Diver by ScubaBoard emeritus MD Doc Vikingo that says that there is a theoretical risk for bubble formation with deep-tissue massage after a diving series that results in high nitrogen loading, but that is strictly theoretical. A 2016 article by former DAN chief and UHMS Past President Dr. Nick Bird suggests that vigorous pre-dive massage could, again theoretically, create micronuclei that could lead to bubble formation after a dive. It could also result in muscle pain that could be confused with DCS.
In either case, a dive to 30 feet is pretty benign. The risk of you diving to that depth shortly after a massage is minimal.
Best regards,
DDM
OP
THANK YOU so much for the information, I appreciate it. I want to dive as much as possible but I'm also learning that I need to be smart and safe first and foremost.
broncobowsher
Contributor
It isn't the massage that worries me.
What is the injury that requires the massage? Probably nothing, but worth the ask.
What is the injury that requires the massage? Probably nothing, but worth the ask.
kaylee_ann
crazy diver
I’d think since you don’t have an excess inert gas buildup before the dive, it would have no effect on decompression.
ETA- you haven’t yet been exposed to increased pressure, and your body has no “extra nitrogen” in the tissues to offgas beforehand
ETA- you haven’t yet been exposed to increased pressure, and your body has no “extra nitrogen” in the tissues to offgas beforehand
There's a theoretical concern for creating gas micronuclei with vigorous massage. I don't know of any peer-reviewed evidence that supports that though.
Best regards,
DDM
kaylee_ann
crazy diver
Huh, wow….well, you definitely learn something new every day.
Edit- even if it did, wouldn’t they dissipate fast enough to not mess with decompression much?
It depends (again theoretically) on the amount of time between the massage and the dive. If you're interested, Dr. Steve Thom at UPenn has done a lot of work on microparticles and diving. You can find his research on PubMed.Huh, wow….well, you definitely learn something new every day.
Edit- even if it did, wouldn’t they dissipate fast enough to not mess with decompression much?
Best regards,
DDM
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