Probably not. But hey, I’m not judging you, much. In complete transparency, I don’t get as much massage as I should either. One of the more common questions that I get after treatments is “How regularly should I get a massage?”. Even though I could be really selfish and suggest everyone comes in for a massage each week, that’s not necessarily useful or, let’s face it, financially possible for a lot of people. So when someone asks me this I generally say that there’s not one correct answer for everyone, and there are numerous factors to consider when it comes to how often you should go for a treatment.
Obviously need to consider the financial cost – the rest of the information below is going to make the assumption that cost is not really an issue. Now, of course this may not be the case for everyone and cost may indeed be a limiting factor (in which case I have a suggestion below). Without “lecturing you” about it too much though, it is definitely worth investing in your health – one client of mine in particular says it simply:
“I make sure I can get my monthly massage – I sometimes have to take other things out of my budget but I think it’s better to pay small regular amounts now than save it up and have to spend it all at once [or more] when I’m in pain”.
One of the best ways that we can use massage and really any touch therapy is as a tool for maintenance of optimal health. Yes, there are most definitely well researched and documented therapeutic benefits to massage that can help alleviate pain and contribute to resolution of ill health, however once we’ve undergone the “therapy” side of our treatment regimen, it’s well worth it to continue nurturing positive health so that you never have to return to that pain again! So what will it take to stay pain-free?
It’s quite an individual question that also relies on the type and the frequency of physical activity you do (as well as your occupation). If you are consistently active and utilizing a large variety of movement practices then the chances are you’ll need to come in less frequently to maintain optimal functioning of your body. If movement activities aren’t a huge priority for you or if your job involves repetitive strain, or a lot of sitting then it is likely more regular visits will be needed to keep everything well-oiled!
In an ideal world we’d all be getting massages every week – and if you can, that’s awesome! And personally, I would love that. Otherwise I know a lot of clients are able to continue feeling great with a treatment every 3-4 weeks. My personal aim is for a massage every 4 weeks for my own wellbeing. Some can even go a little longer, especially if you have certain tools to use in between sessions! One of my most loved tools is call a “Yoga Tune Up®” Ball, that is not only great for in between sessions – it is also perfect on a tight budget. Self-massage is obviously not as incredible as having someone else do it for you, but it definitely helps keep any tension build-ups from getting too big. 5-10 minutes daily is a great way to space out your treatments and continue feeling great.
The only question we need to ask now is “When was your last massage?” 😉
If you enjoyed this article, you might also find value in these posts: “Massage Deals On Groupon – Please Don’t Do It!” or “Thai Massage vs. Swedish Massage“.
[…] starts with explaining a treatment’s purpose, the versatility of the practice as a whole, how often you get a treatment, how many times per week you do your assigned exercises, the different styles of Thai massage that […]