How Often Should You Get a Massage?

Getting a massage can be a way to treat yourself, de-stress, or address a medical issue. Have you ever wondered how often you should get massages if you want to get them regularly or sparingly? While it’s going to vary for each person’s individual needs, there is a general guideline to determine how often you should get them.

What’s ideal?

Massage frequency and duration will depend on the type of massage you want and the area you want to target. Many research studies recommend a certain massage frequency and duration to address underlying health problems like pain or injury.

Types of massage

Lymphatic Drainage Massage

This type of massage is useful for draining lymph nodes that have been affected by a recent surgery or medical condition. It’ll prompt the flow of fluid in your lymph nodes and release fluid build-up.

You may need this massage daily at the beginning, but over time, you can try two or three times a week.

Deep Tissue Massage

A deep tissue massage uses slow, forceful strokes to reach deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. This type of massage targets muscle damage from injuries.

You may seek deep tissue massages daily, a few times a week, or a few times a month for pain. Your massage therapist can recommend a frequency and duration to address the underlying health condition prompting this type of massage.

Scalp Massage

A scalp massage can be very relaxing, and it may even lower your blood pressure and heart rate.

One study in Korea showed that women working in an office experienced these health benefits from 15- to 25-minute scalp massages twice a week for 10 weeks.

You may find a regular scalp massage helps you feel calm and improves your overall outlook.

Full-Body Massage

A full-body massage is often called a Swedish massage. This type of massage promotes relaxation. You may seek this type of massage only occasionally, every few weeks, or monthly to help you feel more centered and less stressed.

Massage Chair

You may find a massage chair provides relief from aching muscles or helps you relax.

A pilot study found that healthy adults experienced positive benefits from sitting in a massage chair for 20 minutes at a time.

For conditions

Massage may help relieve specific painful symptoms or reduce stress and anxiety. It may also be helpful during pregnancy. You may need more frequent massages for pain relief, or you may find that less frequent but regularly scheduled massages for your emotional well-being are useful.

Back pain

A regular massage may ease your back pain. One study showed that deep tissue massage performed daily for 30 minutes for 10 days reduced pain in patients.

The American College of Physicians now lists massage as a treatment for low back pain that lasts up to 12 weeks.