Hmmmm..... Not a chance!
There are over 75 different types of massage therapy styles available for you to choose from! I know it sure sounds overwhelming, but it all depends on what YOU need and what you are trying to accomplish. All pain is not the same so it shouldn't be treated the same.
We like to focus on making relieving our clients of chronic pain, so these treatments are more anatomy focused and specific modalities are utilized. The best techniques that we've found have been the most effective have been deep tissue, trigger point therapy, neuromuscular, acupressure, kneading and myofascial release.
Your skilled massage therapist has the ability to learn about your pain during consultation and can tailor your treatments to what you need.
Great question! The short answer is... it depends.
The long answer is, where are you in your pain cycle? If you have just started receiving massage treatments for something specific we recommend you do what is called "Treatment Chunking." This is where you invest 3-6 hours of massage treatment in the span of 4 - 6 weeks.
This gives your practitioner the chance to really focus and reset the areas that have been affected by the long time injury. When you are to a point of your pain level being 3 and below (on a scale of 1-10) then you enter in the maintenance phase.
What is the maintenance phase?
Only the most awesome phase that massage can bring you! This is when most (if not all) of the pain you were experiencing prior to getting treatments is gone. And this is a wonderful place to be. Maintenance treatments vary from client to client and practitioner. For the most part your maintenance treatments are 4 - 8 weeks apart.
Lets get you to your maintenance phase as soon as possible.
In so many ways.
Look, we have over 500 muscles in our body and they are constantly moving everyday. You use muscles to get out of bed, brush your teeth, put your clothes on, drive to work, turn on the TV, use your phone, email a client, play with your kids.. (I think you get the picture)
The problems start happening when
A) You are firing off the same muscles over and over again without engaging others.
B) You overuse your muscles
C) You injure your muscles
D) Your injuries don't get the proper attention it needs to recover
E) You aren't using your muscles at ALL!
Massage therapy is about circulation and movement. Which your muscles absolutely LOVE! You have a goal to feel better, move smoother, feel lighter and most importantly be pain free. Massage therapy is definitely an option for you and should very well be a part of your health regime.
Feeling stressed? Overwhelmed? Anxious? Depressed?
There is nothing like a relaxing massage treatment to help you. We know it sounds far fetched, but hear us out.
What the world doesn't know is there are things going on in your body on a chemical level during massage treatments. For example, there are 4 (yes FOUR) hormones that are being released during your treatment.
1) Endorphins: Natural Painkillers
2) Serotonin: Regulates mood, emotions and sleep-wake cycles
3) Dopamine: The pleasure and reward neurotransmitter
4) Oxytocin: The "love" hormone
The best thing you can do for yourself when you are experiencing any of these feeling above, is to get a massage. The nurturing touch of a caring human alone can change everything for you. Is there a chance you will become addicted to massage?
Maybe.
But we think you might agree with us when we say, it might be a less harmful thing to be addicted to.