How Often Do I Need a Massage?
This is one of the questions I am asked quite frequently as a massage therapist, and I am here today to help you break down that answer. But, before I do that, I am going to invite you to take a moment to pause, take a deep breath, and check in with your body. I’m serious. Really check in with yourself. Do you feel pain or discomfort? Did the question make you emotional? Maybe you have a sense of disconnect? The awareness that you just experienced will serve as part one of answering the question, how often do I need a massage.
When I was going to school for massage therapy, I was 19 years old and believed that I could heal the world through therapeutic touch. The knowledge and experience that I feverishly soaked in was proof that massage therapy could do amazing things for our health and, it still is. What I encountered when my young-self completed school and went out in my white lab coat (yes, that was a thing) to “heal the world”, was that people were not always as excited about the benefits of massage therapy as I was. In fact, many folks made fun of my career, and even though I was able to convince them, through professional touch, that it was everything I spoke about, most of them were a one and done. They did not see the value in investing in the health of their bodies on a consistent basis. They did seek me out when there was an injury or they just “slept wrong” but did not realize that consistent massage would help to prevent most of these occurrences. Not to mention, being able to move without a lot of moaning and groaning in their later years (which now seems to average in at age 40…. that’s not old, guys).
Through the years, I came to realize a few things. Number one, it is not my job to “heal the world” and there is ego behind that statement (I credit that to being 19, you know, when I knew everything). I facilitate healing and it is up to that individual to be in a space where they are ready to receive healing. Secondly, and I am just going to say it, most people do not want to invest in their health. If it’s not covered by insurance, we don’t want to pay for it. Now, we don’t have a problem buying designer clothing, or a $200 ticket to Disneyland, or even going out to a $200 dinner because it’s “self-care”. But paying for a consistent service that will provide overall better quality of life is not a priority. We rush through the daily grind, ignoring our bodies, not making time to listen to the small warnings and are shocked when our body says, “no more”, and want someone (someone else, mind you) to “fix us” in one hour. That’s not how this works, people! That’s not how any of this works!
Now, before we begin with the “how often”, let’s first begin with the “whys”. You will need to answer the following questions and be honest with yourself in doing so.
Do you want to move comfortably, without pain?
Do you want to feel happier and more connected?
Do you want to feel valued and cared for?
Do you think that you are worth feeling valued and cared for?
Do you want to enjoy your life and be able to do the things that you want to do?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, congratulations, you need consistent, professional massage therapy in your life.
Note that I added the word “professional” into that last statement. There are many massage businesses out there and, like anything else in life, there is good and bad. Good doctors, not so good doctors. Good quality of food, not-so-good quality of food. Professional massage therapists and unprofessional massage therapists. Also, like most things, you get what you pay for. And in my industry, cheaper can mean things like untrained, possible human trafficking, and maybe a lack of professionalism. I am passionate about appropriate, therapeutic, professional touch and I want to prevent everyone from being injured or having any type of traumatic experience in regard to therapeutic touch.
So, let’s get back to answering our question, how often do I need a massage? If you have suffered chronic pain or illness (physical, mental, or emotional) for any period of time, I would suggest a massage once a week for 4 weeks to allow your body to get out of that pain-spasm-pain cycle. That is when you are in a constant state of fight or flight, and we need to be able to work with you to hit that “reset” button. After the initial 4 weeks, I recommend scheduling every 2 weeks for one month. At that point, we will work together to reassess your body and decide if we need to continue with every 2 weeks or reconnect every 4 weeks. In working together, we have shown your body that you are listening to the alarms and that nurturing help is consistent and your system can relax.
If that last paragraph did not apply to you or it seemed like too much of a time/financial strain, keep reading. The average person should receive a professional massage for a minimum of 60 minutes about once a month. Now, you can stretch this to every 6 weeks or even every 2 months if you’d like. The key here is consistency. You can’t eat clean for 5 days, never eat clean again, and expect to not have health problems as the years go on. It’s the same thing with massage therapy. And if you are still in doubt, go back to the previous page and answer those “why” questions again. Unfortunately, the “whys” for most of us will only come into play when we are at the breaking point and caught in an unhealthy cycle. It’s my hope, through education and perseverance, that we will see a healthier America; mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually.
Nothing brings me more joy than seeing people happy, healthy, and living their best lives. There are obviously many factors that come into play in creating this scenario. Massage is not a “cure all”. However, it is a gateway that can begin to connect the dots. By loving ourselves enough to listen to that small voice within that tells us what we need to be whole every single day, we can blossom into the best version of ourselves. If no one has told you today, you are loved and you are worth being taken care of.
Love and Light,
Monica
