As I work with first-time clients on injuries or chronic pain, and they experience relief, this question almost invariably follows: How soon do I need to come back?
Here is what usually happens: A client comes in, gets a therapeutic massage, feels much better, and then they wait until they start feeling symptoms again before they come back. This way, they keep making the first step toward improvement over and over again, and never get to the second step.
This is a problem. Therapeutic massage is extremely effective, but it is rarely a one-time fix. And, it is cumulative in nature. So, when to come back depends on what your therapeutic goals are. If you are just trying to maintain status quo, then it is fine to book when symptoms creep in. If, however, you are like most of our clients and you are trying to improve your current pain scenario, then frequency is very important. If a client returns to the massage table before any ground is lost, and before the tissue slips back into old, learned holding patterns, then the next step can be taken, rather than the first step repeated multiple times.
Simply put, if you want to bring about improvement, then hit it with some frequency (ideally weekly to every two weeks) until you get where you want to be. When your therapeutic goals have been met, then the frequency can be greatly reduced to more of a maintenance schedule (something more like monthly or less depending on your stretching habits). By “biting the bullet” and aggressively treating for a shorter period of time, you can move past the first phase of relief, enjoy cumulative improvement, reach your goals, and get the most for your massage dollar.
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