How Often Should I Get a Massage?

For most people, three things factor into planning how often you get a massage: your life, your goals for massage, and your budget.

What’s My Life Schedule Like?

Your life schedule is a pretty big planning factor. How easy is it for you to take time out of your life to schedule an appointment? I try to provide a variety of times of day for appointment availability to help with that. This includes Sunday afternoons, and a bit later in the evening on Monday and Tuesday.

Many people find planning ahead helpful. If we know you want to try bi-weekly appointments, we can schedule several out ahead of time. This makes it easier to get the time slot you want. Then, you can put it into your planner and schedule the rest of your life around it!

Why Am I Getting a Massage?

On average, most people seem to find monthly sessions great for maintenance and stress relief. If you’re dealing with significant physical issues, it’s not a bad idea to try coming in more frequently. This helps get things settled into more of a maintenance level.

Weekly sessions are fantastic for really working at problem areas. With therapeutic massage, we’re trying get your body out of the holding pattern creating the muscle pain. Coming in weekly helps us catch that holding pattern before it starts to seize up again. Eventually, we remind your muscles of what it feels like to be neutral and relaxed.

Can’t decide how long of an appointment to schedule? See the post “How Long of a Massage Appointment Should I Schedule?” for some insight on the various appointment lengths.

Bi-weekly and monthly appointments for managing muscle pain and tension work fairly well, too. This is especially true if you’re willing to work on whatever is causing the problem at home between appointments. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Notice how you sit at your computer
• Pay attention to how you walk or stand
• Incorporate stretching or range of motion exercises into your day

What’s My Budget Like?

Budget is probably the biggest factor in the frequency of massage appointments. Weekly sounds great, but I totally understand if buying gas for your car or feeding your kids takes precedence. Here are some ideas for budgeting for massage:

• Schedule 30 minute weekly or bi-weekly appointments.
• Prepay for a series of massages when you have extra money.
• Put $5, $10, or $20 into your account at my office every payday.

Feel free to contact me to discuss your massage needs, or talk to me at your next appointment. We can work out a plan that fits your life and your budget.