Massages do not have to hurt for a good benefit to be achieved. It is a misconception to say that a massage is only good if it hurts. Most of the time if there is pain involved during a massage the muscle will tighten up which will hinder the therapist from meeting the goal of loosening and relaxing that muscle. The client should feel free to communicate any discomfort during the massage and the therapist should be open to this communication and adjust the session accordingly.