Massage and Blood Clots (DVT): Warning Signs and Why Clots Matter

Urgent Signs First

If a leg is swollen and painful and you also have chest pain or trouble breathing, treat it as an emergency. In the US, call 911. The NHS (UK) gives the same advice in its own terms: call 999 or go to A&E if DVT symptoms come with shortness of breath or chest pain, because the clot can travel to the lungs. [1]

Other emergency signs of a clot in the lungs, according to the NHS, are sudden difficulty breathing, pain in the chest or upper back, a very fast heartbeat, or someone passing out. [2] The NHS also says not to drive yourself to hospital. [1]

If you have symptoms of a leg clot without those emergency signs, the NHS still says to get medical help as soon as possible. [1] Do not book or keep a massage appointment, and do not have the leg massaged, until a clinician has checked it.

What a DVT Is and What It Looks Like

A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in a vein, usually in the leg. [1] The NHS lists these leg symptoms:

• throbbing pain in one leg (rarely both), usually in the calf or thigh
• swelling in one leg
• red, blue or darkened skin around the painful area, which may be harder to see on brown or black skin
• swollen veins

[1] The US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute describes swollen, tender legs that are painful to the touch, and says symptoms are not the same for everyone and sometimes do not appear until serious complications develop. [3] Because a clot can be silent, "I feel fine" is not proof that there is no clot.

Who Is More Likely to Get One

The NHS says DVT is more likely if you are over 60, have had DVT before, have cancer or heart failure, have varicose veins, smoke, or take hormone replacement therapy or an estrogen-containing contraceptive. It also lists times of higher chance: recent hospital stay, surgery, bed rest of 3 days or more, journeys of more than 4 hours, pregnancy and the 6 weeks after a birth, and dehydration. [1]

Nothing in that NHS list mentions massage. We include it because a person in any of these groups is the person to ask a clinician before having the legs massaged. That is our reading of the case reports below, not a rule from a regulator or guideline.

What Reports Say About Massage and Clots

The evidence here is case reports, the weakest kind. They show that something happened to one person after massage. They cannot show how often it happens or prove that the massage caused it.

• NCCIH lists a blood clot among the rare serious effects reported after massage, and says some reported cases involved vigorous massage such as deep tissue massage. [4]
• A 2010 case report described venous thromboembolism (a clot in a vein) in a previously healthy 67-year-old man after vigorous deep tissue massage. The authors said under-reporting seems likely and that more research is needed. [5]
• A 2025 case report described a clot in the internal jugular vein of the neck, with arm pain, after deep tissue massage focused on the neck. [6] A 2017 report described a clot in a neck vein in an 85-year-old man who had deep tissue neck massages over a year. [7]
• A 2020 case report described a woman at 25 weeks of pregnancy who collapsed with a massive lung clot (pulmonary embolism) shortly after leg and foot massage. The authors concluded that leg massage in a person with DVT can dislodge clots, and argued that massage in pregnant women should be contraindicated unless a clot risk is ruled out. [8]
• UCLA Health, writing about lymphatic drainage massage, says it can increase circulation, dislodge a clot or spread infection, which can be dangerous for people with certain conditions, and lists blood clots and deep vein thrombosis among them. [9]

Proper evidence not found for how often massage causes or moves a clot. In the PubMed results we read for massage with thrombosis or embolism, we found case reports and reviews, not studies that count clots against a comparison group. We also did not find a guideline from a regulator or medical society that sets a rule for leg massage after a clot.

Practical Steps

• Swollen, painful, warm or discolored leg: do not massage it or the calf, and seek medical help. We found no source describing safe massage of a leg that may have a clot.
• Past DVT or clot: the NHS says DVT is usually treated with blood-thinning medicines for at least 3 months. [1] Ask the clinician who manages your treatment whether and when massage is appropriate. See massage with blood thinners. Never stop a blood thinner because of a massage.
• Pregnancy or the weeks after a birth: tell the therapist and your midwife or doctor, and read massage during pregnancy.
• Long journeys, bed rest or recent surgery: the NHS lists these as times of higher DVT chance, so mention them when you book. See massage after surgery or injury.
• Varicose veins: see massage with varicose veins and circulation problems.

For the claim that massage "moves clots" or "spreads" disease, see the claim check page. For the full safety overview, see massage safety and contraindications.