If you go to the doctor they will tell you to take these antibiotics 2 times a day for the next 10 days.  If you go to the physical therapist they will tell you to come back and see them 3 times a week for the next 4 weeks, twice a week for the following 2 weeks, and once a week for the month after that.

If you go to the massage they say, “See how you are feeling and give us a call when you need us.”

The problem is, we forget to think about how we are feeling until our bodies are screaming at us.  We need some general recommendations for how often it is appropriate to get massage.

I can tell you that if you are preparing for a marathon, it’s a good idea to step up your massage sessions to weekly, with serious emphasis on leg massage.  You might want to do it in conjunction with your long runs.  You will notice a change in your performance and your legs will feel amazing.  It’s okay to do twice a week sessions as well if you are having a lot of tension or pain.

If you are suffering with muscle spasms you can do massage several times a week until you reach a happy place.  You can even shorten the massages to 20 to 30 minutes if you are only focusing on one area.

If you are recovering from an injury it is common to coordinate massage therapy with your physical therapy schedule.

If you are only getting massage once or twice a year then you definitely need to step it up to quarterly.  Put that appointment on the calendar before you leave the spa or it will not happen and the next thing you know, another year has gone by and you have not had a massage in all that time.

Don’t let that be you!

If you are healthy and only dealing with every day stress of life on the planet then once a month, or once every two weeks is optimum and I’ll tell you why this works for me:

1. It keeps me out of pain
2. It’s something I give intentionally to myself. If I have gotten my massage then not even poison bullets can’t take me down.  I can handle whatever the world throws at me (I keep a picture of Wonder Woman on my refrigerator with her bullet deflecting wrist cuffs).
3. As a mom it gives me something that is quiet, special, and belongs only to me (I’m not sharing!).
4. It puts me in a meditative state (Alpha Level) similar to what you experience in Shavasana and it is completely rejuvenating.
5. It keeps me aware of my body.  Very often I will ask people about their pain or their body and they have to stop and question themselves because they haven’t actually visited their bodies for a while.  When I get massage I often discover areas that need my attention that I didn’t know existed. You can’t maintain your body if you don’t know where you need maintenance.  The massage therapist is like a tour guide for your body.
6. It feels amazing.  One of my goals in life is to be as healthy as possible, have as much energy as possible (with my food), and feel as good as possible.  If I don’t make time to feel amazing it is harder to know that it is a possibility.
7. Relaxation takes practice.  Meditation takes practice.  Anything you want to do well takes practice.  I have watched many clients start receiving massage therapy and not know how to let go and receive.  They want to hold their arm up to help with the massage.  I still find myself tensing up sometimes when the therapist lifts my head to massage my neck.  Learning how to relax on the massage table teaches me how to relax in my real life situations when I’m frustrated.
8. It’s good for my heart and circulation, calms my nervous system and digestion, and obviously good for my muscles.  Supple muscles do better work that hypertrophied taut muscles.  Moving through life with supple muscles is a much better approach.
9. Keeps me from getting injured easily.
10. Mental health.  It’s good for me and it’s good for my family.  Everybody benefits from me feeling better.

If you can only make it to the spa quarterly go quarterly.  If you can step it up to once a month you will definitely notice a difference.  But if you can manage every two weeks it makes life worth living!

Schedule your appointment at I.M. Spa :  479-251-7422

Wendy Finn is the mother of 4 boys, owner of I.M. Spa, a Raw Food Enthusiast and educator, a world traveler in pursuit of superior massage education, a Master Massage Therapist of 20 plus years, a gardener, and a nursing student.  She’s passionate about touching people and sharing health.  Schedule an appointment for a massage  479-251-7422