Answer: You Should Get A Massage As Often As You Can!
The End! There is no need to read anymore!
In some ways I am very sincere in saying this, “you should be getting a massage as often as you can!”
But what does that mean exactly?
Individuals seek out massage therapy for many different reasons (i.e. stress relief, relaxation, pregnancy muscle pain and cramps, injury prevention, scar tissue removal or chronic pain symptoms).
Being able to identify what you want to accomplish is a good start. Each treatment goal will vary in length for instances; a 16-year-old professional ballroom dancer who puts in 30 hours of dancing in a week and has muscle imbalances will have many different needs than a stay-at-home mom looking for stress-relief and relaxation.
Why Are You Seeking Massage Therapy?
Health and relaxation –
Willow’s maintenance program is recommended for someone who is suffering no real pain problems or has any major concerns. This is what we call regular maintenance work. Just as your car needs regular oil changes and tune-ups, your body needs improved circulation and manual manipulation of the soft tissues, so that your joints can have proper movement and fluids in the joint capsule. This prevents pain, tension, and inflammation from building up.
- For this, we recommend that a person get a treatment once a month/ every few weeks.
Stress management – This is perfect for the average office worker or executive. Computer pain syndrome causes major stress and pain problems throughout your body. Prolonged static postures cause your muscles to become weak and inhibited while others are becoming tight, strong, and short, this is a muscle imbalance. These tight muscles cause a restriction in blood circulation and increase stress and tension throughout your entire body. We recommend two 60 or 75-minute sessions per month, this is less than your average phone or tv bill! This program interval is for the high-stress lifestyle individual who still wants to perform their best and set their body up to meet head-on the stresses of living in a high-pressure world.
Chronic pain –
This treatment plan is considered aggressive and its meant to be this way on purpose. Whenever you are dealing with chronic pain symptoms, you have already been driving the car with its flashing “check engine” light on for days, weeks or maybe even months.
Now your car or your body, in this case, is signaling you to stop and get it checked now! You may have severe back, knee, neck, or shoulder pain that is debilitating. You are taking pain killer medications daily. And the pain is making you grumpy, frustrated, irritated and unable to function and its costing you time off from work.
Massage therapy is designed to jump on the brakes and slow this pain process down. We recommend that you purchase a package of 5 or 10 and use the sessions according to what your therapist outlines.
After the first 30 days, we will put you on a “diminishing frequency” wherein the beginning you will come in like once or twice a week and eventually easing you off to 1 to 3 times a month.
Athletes – injury prevention/increase performance/recovery –
This treatment plan is based on the needs of the player. We have worked with many professional (and less professional) athletes.
We recommend once a week depending on the sport and whether you have any injuries to deal with. During the season it’s whenever they can schedule it, of course, it’s never enough because of the rigors of playing at 110% and the physical wear and tear on their body is tremendous. If you are a weekend warrior 1 – 3 times per month is recommended.
How To Measure Massage As A Successful Treatment Plan
It is our experience that no matter what condition, you are seeking relief from, you should see some improvement in that condition after 3 massage sessions. If not, speak to us about other options that are useful
Don’t allow too much time to go in-between sessions, the goal of any therapy session is consistency. If you feel better after your first session, don’t stop going now because these results are not permanent, your body’s tissues have memory and will slowly recoil to their previous form.
At the beginning of your massage treatment program scheduling sessions that are closer together is more beneficial. This way your therapist will be able to “build upon the previous session’s work” which will create a better experience for you. Waiting too long in-between sessions is like starting all over again.
