I had one done a few months ago at a physio - not a remedial massage place because of knots all through my back. After sinking the elbow in to them a few times and making me arch my back in pain he gets out the acupuncture needles and hooked them up to some sort of device that ran a light electric current through the needles. He then said "Its gonna hurt more for the next day or two, then it will start to get better." He was right. The two days of extra pain were worth it as it had been aching for weeks, but the pain went soon after.
A remedial massage feels nice and does not cost as much as seeing a physio (unless your in a private health fund that will cover some of the cost) and yes they can help especially with DOMS, but to get rid of knots and loosen up tight sore muscles expect it to be a little more taxing for the wallet and your body.