How Often Should I Get a Massage?
Once a week?
Every two weeks?
Once a month?
Or only when your back starts sending angry messages?
The truth is, there isn’t one perfect massage schedule for everyone.
And there probably shouldn’t be.
Start With Why You’re Having Massage
How often you get a massage depends largely on why you’re having it in the first place.
If you’re having a relaxation massage because you enjoy it and it helps you unwind, your schedule may simply depend on your preference, time and budget.
But if you’re having remedial massage for a particular problem, the question becomes different.
Instead of asking:
“How often should I get a massage?”
It may be more useful to ask:
“What are we trying to change?”
Pain? Movement? Muscle tension? Recovery after training?
Give Your Body Time to Respond
AT OLO THerapy
At our clinic, remedial treatment may involve more than working on the spot that hurts. We may work with several areas that appear relevant to the way you move or how the muscles are functioning, including deeper tissues when appropriate.
After a more involved treatment, we don’t necessarily want to rush straight into another session.
Your body needs time to respond. Some people notice changes immediately. Others may experience temporary soreness or notice their movement and symptoms changing over the following days.
For this reason, in some cases we may choose to leave around two weeks before the next session so we can see what settles, what improves and what remains.
The two weeks isn’t a magic number and it isn’t a rule for everyone. It’s simply a useful observation period when appropriate. Because if we treat again too quickly, we may never really know what the previous treatment achieved.
If you’ve been receiving the same treatment every week for months but nothing is really changing, simply booking more massage may not be the answer.
We should be asking why.
Is treatment helping? Are the improvements lasting? Does something else need attention?
Sometimes sessions may initially be closer together. Sometimes they may need to be further apart.
And eventually, you may not need regular treatment at all.
That’s okay.
The goal of good therapy shouldn’t be to make you dependent on therapy.
“When should I book my next massage?”
It’s:
“Has my body had enough time to show us what changed?”
Sometimes waiting and observing is part of the treatment too.
Your Body Talks. Learn to Listen.
How long does your body normally take to settle after a massage — one day, several days, or does it occasionally surprise you?
Tell us below.
Ask it. Even if you think it’s a ridiculous question.
Someone else has probably wondered exactly the same thing.
