How Often Should You Go See a Massage Therapist? 

Massage therapy comes with a host of benefits. Here’s how often you should go see a massage therapist to get a professional massage. 

Massage therapy is an art that is around 5,000 years old. As you can imagine, this method must really have something to it if it has lasted all these years. Indeed, massage therapy can influence the body in different ways and help it relax.  

If you are thinking about seeing a massage therapist, you might be wondering how often you should see one. The answer is not a simple one as there are many factors that may affect this answer. It mainly depends on whether or not you suffer from any issues with pain, flexibility, anxiety, and so on or whether you just want a massage to unwind every once in a while.  

Keep reading to learn how often you should go see a massage therapist depending on your lifestyle and needs. 

Occasional Relaxation 

Most people who lead regular lives don’t really need frequent massage sessions. While massage sessions are always beneficial, they are not usually something that a person can’t live without. For example, if you have a job that requires you to sit in one place for most of the day, you won’t be straining your body very much.  

However, the main problem with this lifestyle is that it will not test your flexibility. More than that, you will be more likely to have back problems if you are sitting around all day. For that reason, you may occasionally develop some neck or back pain or at least a bit of stiffness.  

Your job may also stress you out every once in a while. If this sounds like you, then you should probably opt for an occasional massage. Ideally, getting a massage every three weeks or so would be perfect for a person living this kind of lifestyle. 

The Details  

But how can a massage every three weeks really benefit you? A good massage will loosen your muscles and improve the blood flow in the body for a short time. The sensation and warmth of a massage will also promote relaxation and will allow you to forget about the stresses of your life, even if it is only for a little while.  

The benefits of massages tend to last quite a while. So, even if you only get a massage once every 3 weeks (or longer, in some cases), this should still be enough for those who aren’t straining their bodies in any way.  

For Athletes

Being an athlete will naturally put a lot of stress and strain on your body. The very nature of being an athlete involves damaging your muscles on a regular basis. Exercise, such as lifting weights or running, can actually create microscopic tears in your muscles.  

These tears will then repair themselves and cause your muscles to become bigger and stronger than before. As you can imagine, this can leave the body in a lot of pain. This is especially true for professional athletes like soccer players, swimmers, marathon runners, and so on.  

Besides the typical soreness that occurs after exercising a bit too much, many athletes also injure themselves quite often. They may be subjected to the occasional muscle spasm, they may strain a tendon or tear a muscle, and so on. All of these problems can leave the body very sore and beaten down.  

What You Need to Know 

Massage therapy can help quite a lot. Ideally, an athlete should get a massage at least once a week. Of course, the exact frequency will depend on what kind of exercise you are doing, if you happened to get injured, what kind of massage you get, and so on.  

Massages are great for athletes because, as mentioned before, massages help promote the flow of blood throughout the body. Blood is full of oxygen and nutrients that can help the muscles heal and rebuild themselves faster. Also, massages, in general, can help relax the muscles and also help people with pain and soreness.  

After a massage, many people feel more limber and loose, which is exactly what an athlete can benefit from. While once a week is ideal, some athletes may need massages twice a week or only once every other week.  

Managing Chronic Pain

Some people only experience pain when they exercise or injure themselves. Others, on the other hand, may experience pain all the time. Chronic pain is a type of pain that is usually the result of a physical accident or a medical condition. Whatever the case, chronic pain does not go away on its own, and a person who suffers from this condition needs to manage it in different ways such as with medication, physical therapy, and of course, massages.  

Chronic pain can come in many different forms. For example, a person who was in a car accident may have constant back pain. A person with a medical condition may have constant pain throughout the body.  

For that reason, different people with chronic pain may need different frequencies of massages. In general, people with chronic pain would benefit from more massages than the average population. Massages can help calm the pained muscles even if the massage doesn’t get rid of the pain completely.  

It can also help the person relax and think of other things besides their pain. Once a week or more is often ideal for this purpose.  

Going to a Massage Therapist 

Going to a massage therapist can help with a variety of issues, but how often should you go? Some may only need to go once every month, once a week, or several times a week, depending on a variety of factors.  

Book an appointment online or give us a call at (402) 384-8400 to book your deep tissue massage today!