Frequency of massages: how often should you go?

Our treatments are always tailored to your individual needs. Regardless of whether you want to relax and relieve stress, whether you have painful tension or chronic complaints – at the start of your treatment, your therapist will discuss your medical history with you to discuss your personal goals and adapt the treatment accordingly. So if you don’t know exactly which treatment method is right for you, we recommend that you book a classic massage first. However, we often receive the question: “What is the difference between a classic and a medical massage?”. To clarify this, we have summarized two clear definitions for you.

The classic massage

The focus here is on relaxation, stress reduction and your general well-being. It is particularly suitable if you suffer from tension in the neck, shoulder, leg or back area.

The use of various techniques can relieve muscle tension and help to improve circulation. Classic massage is either used as a stand-alone treatment or combined with other types of massage. It forms the basis of most treatments and, although the focus is on relaxation, it can also be used medically. However, it should not be confused with medical massage, which aims to treat specific health complaints.

Medical massage

Medical massage focuses on alleviating specific health problems and treating pain. It is often performed on the recommendation of a doctor. Medical massage is used in particular for chronic pain, after injuries or operations and to improve mobility and treat specific medical complaints.

As part of an initial anamnesis, various techniques are individually combined which are considered to be particularly effective for the problem in question. The methods used include classic massage, fascia therapy, deep tissue massage and trigger point massage.

It is not possible to generalize how often you should go for a massage. Ultimately, this depends on various factors. These include, for example, your lifestyle, your general state of health and the extent of your complaints, your idea of wellness in everyday life, your level of sporting activity or your stress level. Depending on the requirements, the massage interval can be adjusted accordingly and discussed with your masseur or masseuse. Here are a few examples that we think make sense:

For relaxation: If you primarily want to achieve relaxation, you will benefit from just one or two sessions per month.
Health condition: Depending on the severity of the symptoms, it is advisable to go for a massage once a week or fortnightly. If the symptoms or illness are acute, more frequent visits, such as once a week or every two weeks, may be advisable.
For athletes: Athletes may need more frequent treatments. If you are under particularly heavy physical strain, it is highly recommended to book treatments at regular intervals. More frequent massages in combination with an active sporting lifestyle can significantly improve performance and shorten recovery time.

A higher frequency of massages may be recommended for people who are exposed to a stressful everyday life or do intensive sport. In such cases, regular sessions not only support physical regeneration, but also provide a mental break that contributes to overall stress reduction. On the other hand, people who seek massages primarily for general relaxation or as a preventative measure may need less frequent appointments.

The decision of how often to go for a massage is also heavily influenced by individual needs and circumstances.

In relation to specific complaints such as chronic muscle pain, tension or recovery from injury, closer supervision by professional massage therapists may be appropriate. Individual consultation with specialists can help to create an optimal treatment plan.

Lifestyle: Especially if you have a stressful everyday life, this can affect your physical and mental condition. A regular massage helps to counteract this, relieves tension, promotes blood circulation and can also improve your quality of sleep. Here too, we recommend booking an appointment once a week or fortnightly, depending on your stress level.
Budget: Last but not least, funding also plays a role. But don’t worry: ‘our therapists are all recognized by supplementary insurance companies, which is why you can get part of the costs reimbursed after your treatment by means of a reimbursement voucher. Use our find-your-therapist tool to find out which therapist is recognized by your supplementary insurance!

Even though regular treatments are valuable for health and the mental psyche, you should not overdo it. Too much of a good thing can also be counterproductive, especially when intensive techniques such as trigger point or deep tissue treatment are used. Overstimulation of the muscle tissue can then lead to increased sensitivity or, in the worst case, injury. It is therefore important to find the right balance of treatment intervals to suit individual needs and, above all, to listen to your own body.

As this question cannot be generalized and depends on your own well-being, it is best to discuss with your therapist how often a treatment should take place in order to provide optimal relief. Massages are an excellent way to do something good for yourself. The right frequency can help to achieve their full effect. As a rule of thumb, you can have a massage once a week if you have severe tension. If you are simply looking for relaxation, every two weeks or one treatment per month is enough. It’s a bit like working out at the gym: the more often you go, the better results you can expect, but here too you should give your muscles a rest.

Even if regular massage does offer benefits, it is important not to overdo it and to give the body rest in order to take full advantage of the positive effects. We recommend leaving a break of at least 48 hours between treatments so that the muscles have time to recover after a treatment and are not strained too much.