How frequently should I be getting a massage is a question that massage therapists very often get from clients. The glib answer to this question is as often as you can afford the time and the money. However, a more useful approach is to consider the specific requirements of the person asking the question. What are they looking for from the sessions? What physical (and/or psychological) benefits are they looking to obtain? What challenges they face in daily life through work environment or sporting challenges?
For the majority of people who do not have an injuries and are just looking for massage to be 'routine maintenance' then booking a massage around once a month is a good starting point. This fits in with most peoples timetables/budgets and is easy to maintain the required commitment e.g. 'I Have my massage on the first Monday of the month'. If you do commence a monthly schedule then, if there are no changes in physical and psychological stresses during the month, your body will start to tell you it's getting time for your massage.
For those who work is physically demanding or is just plain stressful then having massages more regularly may be the way to go. A useful guideline if starting with a new therapist is to start with weekly massages for 3 or 4 sessions and then start to try and stretch it out further to say two weeks between massages. At this stage some people decide that this interval is too large and go back to weekly appointments. Others try to stretch it out further towards monthly appointments. Others rely on their awareness of how their body feels to time when they book a massage. This is particularly relevant if they suffer from changing physical and mental stress levels. This all pre-supposes that they have found a therapist that they are happy with. If after the first few massages they do not feel that they are making the progress they would like then it may be worth considering trying a different therapist.
People who are highly physically active, for example, performing sport at an elite level require different guidelines. How often they should be benefitting from massage will depend on the amount they are training, if they are injured, if a competition is close, etc. Many elite sports teams book weekly massages from suitably skilled sports massage therapists. Those suffering from injuries will have more frequent appointments. Some sportspeople believe that they require massage very regularly (even daily) so that they can train and compete at the highest level they can. This does not have to necessarily be an hour long massage and can be tailored to very specific muscle groups/requirements. In fact, even self massage may be an option for those who are unable to get to see a suitable therapist.
To conclude, getting regular massages from a therapist who you believe is providing the benefits you demand is great for physiological and psychological wellbeing. If you are after routine maintenance then begin by having very frequent massages and then after a few sessions start to stretch it out until your body tells you it's time for your massage.
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