How Often Should You Get a Massage? Honest Advice From Our Therapists

"How often should I come back?" is the question we hear most. The honest answer depends on what your body does during the week. Here is the breakdown our therapists use.

If you have a desk job: monthly

Sitting all day creates predictable tension in the upper back, shoulders, and neck. A 60-minute session once a month is enough to keep that from accumulating into chronic pain. If you also work out hard, bump it to every 3 weeks.

If you do trades or physical work: every 2–3 weeks

Construction, warehouse work, healthcare on your feet — these jobs put real stress on the body. The wear is faster, so the recovery interval should be shorter. Most of our trades regulars come in every 2 to 3 weeks for 60-minute deep tissue.

If you are dealing with active pain: weekly for 3–4 weeks, then taper

If something is actively hurting (chronic neck pain, lower-back flare-up, recurring tension headaches), short-term frequency helps. Once a week for 3 to 4 weeks, then drop down to bi-weekly, then monthly. The first cluster of sessions does the heavy lifting; after that, maintenance keeps it from coming back.

If you mostly want to relax: as often as your schedule allows

If you are coming for stress relief rather than fixing something specific, there is no "correct" frequency. Some guests come weekly because it is part of how they manage anxiety. Others come every 2–3 months and that is enough.

What does not work

Coming in once, expecting a permanent fix. Coming in only when you are in pain. Coming in but not changing the underlying habit (the desk setup, the heavy bag on one shoulder, the sleeping position). Massage helps — but it works best alongside small daily adjustments.

Our regulars who come monthly tell us they almost never get "the bad week" anymore. The math works out to about an hour a month for noticeably better weeks. That is the honest pitch.