How Often Should You Get a Massage?
About 25% of men and 21% of women in the US have scheduled a therapeutic massage within the past year. Over half of them were motivated by health or wellness reasons. In fact, frequent massages can help improve your mental and physical well-being.
How often should you get a massage? Keep reading to find out.
After reviewing this massage therapy guide, you can determine when to schedule your own therapeutic, soothing massage. Then, you can begin reaping the benefits of massage therapy firsthand. Read on to learn more!
The Benefits of Frequent Massages
When determining how often to schedule massages, you should first consider the area you want to treat and the type of massage you’re interested in. Then, you can determine how often to schedule massages to treat your underlying health issue.
The benefits of scheduling frequent massages include:
- Releasing muscle tension
- Reducing pain symptoms
- Lowering your blood pressure
- Reducing stress
About 43% of Americans schedule massages for pain management, injury rehabilitation, migraine control, and overall wellness. Meanwhile, 88% of consumers say massages are effective for reducing pain. Massages are also effective for:
- Fibromyalgia
- Decreasing pain in cancer patients
- Boosting the body’s immune system functionality
- Cancer-related fatigue
- Lower back pain
- Easing alcohol withdrawal symptoms
- Reducing headache frequency
- Reducing postoperative pain
- Osteoarthritis of the knee
- Decreasing carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms
For general tune-ups, consider scheduling a massage every four to six weeks.
If you have a chronic condition or specific areas of strain and tension, consider scheduling a message every one to three weeks.
If you’re still unsure how often to get a massage, consider scheduling a consultation appointment. You can review your distinct needs and concerns to develop a massage therapy schedule that’s right for you.
Based on the Massage
Remember, it’s best to determine how often to schedule massage sessions based on the type of massage or your underlying condition. Here are a few different types of massages you might want to consider. Choosing between the types of massages can help you determine how often you require treatment.
Deep Tissue Massage
A deep tissue massage involves forceful strokes designed to reach deep layers of your connective tissue and muscle. These massages can help treat any muscle damage you sustained from an injury.
How often should you get a deep tissue massage? Consider scheduling sessions either a few times a week or month. Talk to your massage therapist to determine a schedule that suits your underlying health condition.
With routine treatment, you could heal from your injuries sooner than expected.
Full-Body Massage
Consider scheduling a full-body (also called a Swedish) massage to promote relaxation.
You can schedule full-body massages every few weeks or a few times a month. These massages can help ease any stress you’re experiencing, which could also help ease tension. As a result, you should feel centered and grounded after your sessions.
Scalp Massage
Scalp massages can help lower your blood pressure and heart rate. These relaxing massages could help you feel calm, which could also help improve your outlook on life.
Consider scheduling a 15- to 25-minute scalp massage twice a week to experience the benefits.
Lymphatic Drainage Massage
Lymphatic drainage massages are ideal if you recently had surgery. This massage can help drain lymph nodes that were affected by either a medical condition or procedure. The massage helps by promoting blood flow in your lymph nodes to release fluid build-up.
Consider scheduling this type of massage at least once a day initially. As you begin to heal, you can schedule sessions either two or three times a week.
Before scheduling your first massage, make sure you’re choosing a licensed, experienced professional. Your massage therapist can also show you how to perform certain massage techniques at home to promote healing.
Based on the Condition
If you’re struggling with a specific condition, visit a massage therapist to discuss your needs. Massages can help relieve your symptoms, stress, and anxiety.
For pain relief, you might need more frequent massage sessions. As your pain subsides, you can schedule sessions less often. Here are a few conditions that might indicate it’s time for a massage.
Back Pain
Routine massages could help reduce your back pain and related symptoms. In one study, scheduling 30-minute massages for 10 days helped ease their back pain. Consider scheduling a deep tissue massage.
Massages are considered an ideal form of treatment for back pain that lasts up to 12 weeks.
If you’re athletic, consider scheduling bi-weekly sports massages. You might require 24 to 48 hours of muscle recovery between each session, though.
Neck Pain
Frequent massages could also help if you’re experiencing neck pain. You could develop neck pain due to a car crash (whiplash), sporting incident, or bad posture.
Consider scheduling a 60-minute massage about two or three times each week.
Stress and Anxiety
If you’re struggling with chronic anxiety, massages could help you relax, allowing you to better manage your stress. Otherwise, chronic stress can impact your mental and physical health. For example, stress can cause trouble sleeping, weight gain, and fatigue.
Try choosing a massage that’s tailored for relaxation. Massages can help reduce your cortisol levels (the stress hormone). It can also help boost your serotonin levels, which can promote relaxation and improve your mood.
Pregnancy
Light massages could also help reduce back and leg pain in pregnant women. If you’re pregnant, consider scheduling a weekly 20-minute session. Massages could help reduce other physical symptoms related to pregnancy.
Pregnant women can schedule massages every one to two weeks to ease muscle aches, joint pain, and anxiety. It can also help improve labor outcomes.
Short massages could also help during labor. A 15-minute massage each hour during labor might reduce the amount of medication needed. It might even shorten the overall time mom is spent in labor.
Consider looking for a massage therapist with experience treating pregnant women.
How Often Should You Get a Massage?
Don’t let chronic pain or a condition impact your quality of life. The next time you ask yourself, “how often should I get a massage,” speak with a professional. They can help you develop a treatment plan based on your needs and condition.
With routine massages, you can ease your pain and improve your overall well-being.
Want to get started? We can’t wait to see you.