Thursday, July 1, 2010

"How Often Should I Come for Massage?"

This is a question that nearly every client has asked. And the answer is different for each of you. First and foremost, you must begin by being realistic about what you can afford in terms of time and money. Over-committing to an appointment schedule that adds stress to your life will impede your healing process. Your enthusiasm and genuine dedication to the sessions is fundamental. That said, here are some guidelines…

For the client who seeks massage therapy for stress reduction, immune system support, and/or relief of anxiety and depression, I would advise beginning with weekly sessions. Initially, you may find that massage makes you feel better for a few hours. Over time, you’ll find that massage has you feeling better for a few days. And eventually, you may even find that by the end of the week, as your next appointment is upon you, you aren’t even feeling the “need” for massage. This may be the time to try bi-weekly appointments. Again, you’ll observe yourself over the two week span between treatments and begin to gauge how long lasting the effects of massage seem to last. Perhaps you’ll desire more frequency. Perhaps you find that monthly is adequate. Most likely you’ll find that your needs vary according to the seasons, your health, and your life circumstances at any given time. Ultimately, this is the greatest gift of bodywork. You passively begin to cultivate heightened mind-body awareness so that you may, with increasing clarity, discern your ever- fluctuating needs.


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For the client who seeks therapeutic massage therapy for the treatment of surgery/injury recovery, persistent pain, or chronic soft tissue dysfunction, I would advise the following treatment schedule:

Begin with 2 visits per week for 2-4 weeks. Then, reduce visits to once per week for at least 4-6 weeks (until symptoms are either dramatically reduced in their intensity or not reappearing at all between appointments). Finally, try bi-weekly and ultimately monthly visits.



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If such frequency seems excessive and beyond your capacity to commit, do not worry. The most important aspect of my job as your massage therapist is to teach you self-care techniques which can supplement our sessions together and expedite your healing process. The point is not to make you dependent on massage but to enhance your self-awareness so that you can embrace and support your body’s ability to heal itself.


Whatever your reasons for seeking massage, what we hope to achieve is a feeling of consistent wellness between appointments so that you are maintaining your health rather than feeling constantly engaged in a battle with discomfort.

Please remember that I always seek to customize every one of your treatments. This means seeking to meet your needs, however changing they may be from week to week. We can always find a way to schedule the frequency and duration of your sessions within a framework that serves you. Feel free to contact me individually if you ever have concerns or questions on this or any other matter.