How Often Should You Get Massage?

In part 1 of this article we began talking about how often you should be getting massage based on the different problems you may be struggling with or what may be causing those problems. If you are struggling with pain caused by any of these things come by and see us, if you are looking for massage in American Fork or any of the surround area we Body Balance Massage and Float is the place you’ve been looking for. In part 1 I mentioned three different reasons you may be having pain 1) Pain from an injury, 2) Chronic or work related pain, and 3) Massage for Maintenance of your health. Last time we covered pain you may be having due to an injury and talked about how often you should be getting massage if you have had an injury. Today we are going to be finishing what we started by talking about chronic or work related pain and then massage for maintenance.

1. Chronic or work related pain. Many people struggle with chronic type pain that may be caused by several different things. Chronic pain is a complex, difficult, and multifaceted issue that is usually best addressed using many different approaches from different directions and usually involves diet, lifestyle and emotional work changes. Massage is great for supporting you in making these changes, helping the body to cleanse and heal, and easing your pain along the way. Chronic pain can also be caused or exacerbated by intense or repetitive work related movements. When we work in a job that requires the same movement patterns for hours on end or requires us to sit or stand in the same position for long hours we can begin developing tension, tightness, and pain in specific muscles used in those movements or positions. Unlike with an injury where the cause was a single specific incident, in chronic pain we are usually continually stressing the muscles due to our lifestyle. Because of this we typically need more frequent massage in order to manage our pain until the lifestyle factors causing our pain are resolved. This could mean finding a solution to a chronic illness or in the case of repetitive work related pain it could mean switching jobs or increasing the amount of movement we are getting at a desk job by alternating between sitting and standing or adopting various postures throughout the day that will spread out the tension to different muscles throughout the body. Generally once you begin getting massage you will see a dramatic difference in your pain levels. This is great but doesn’t mean that you are cured. Instead it means your body has found some relief and with continued massage will improve the health of your muscles and decrease pain more consistently. Starting out with a once a week massage would be great, then after a couple sessions spread it out to a massage every 2 weeks until your pain levels are where you would like them to be. If your pain continues to decrease try every three weeks or monthly. Because each condition is different you may find you may need massage more or less frequently. Typically people find that after healing their muscles to a certain degree a monthly or twice monthly massage works the best to manage their pain.

Pain and mobility are not so much a question of age as a question of maintenance.

2. Massage for maintenance. People in this category are typically health conscious people who understand that a well taken care of body will function extremely well even into old age. Pain and mobility are not so much a question of age as a question of maintenance. Just like a vintage car that is well taken care of will run nearly as well as it did when it was new a body that is well taken care of will also function much better when it is cared for the way it needs to be. Regular massage is one of the best ways to do this. Massage works on many different levels and promotes health in many of the systems of the body including the circulatory system, the lymphatic system, the musculoskeletal system, the fascial system, and the nervous system. I have gotten the question over the years if you can get too much massage, and, generally speaking, the answer is no. In an ideal world you could get a light to medium massage every day which would be extremely beneficial. Although this is unrealistic for most people a massage once or twice a month would be a great goal to aim for to keep your body functioning optimally.

I hope you have found these two articles helpful in understanding how often you should get massage depending on your situation. As you can tell massage is a great option for everyone in order to keep themselves in good condition. Again, if you are looking for massage in American fork or the surround area give us a call and set up an appointment today!