We all know that massage therapy feels good and is a healthy reward for our overworked bodies. But, how do you know when you need a massage? I have provided a little cheat sheet for you below.

1. You haven’t had one for months (or even years): Massage works best when it is received on a regular basis. Most massage therapists would recommend receiving a massage 1x/month for regular maintenance and even more often if you have an injury you are trying to rehabilitate.
2. You are in training: We seem to always be training for something races, biking, hiking, kayaking, water skiing, and of course just healthy running, jogging, walking for fitness, CrossFit, and workouts. When you challenge your body physically, you should be treating your muscles to massage therapy. A good clinical massage therapist can help keep you active and injury free.
3. You have a pain in the neck (or back, or shoulder, or hip…..): Pain is your body’s way of communicating to you that something is wrong. The busier we get, the more we tend to ignore our body’s signals. You don’t want to ignore your pain or your injury could get worse. Make an appointment with a clinical massage therapist and they can help relieve your pain.
4. You’ve been getting headaches: When the muscles around your shoulders, back and head get tight, tension headaches can begin. Regular maintenance massage can relieve these tension headaches and help promote healthy posture. Massage therapy has been shown to provide some relief for migraine sufferers as well.
5. You don’t have full range of motion: Maybe you can’t turn your head/neck as far as you once could. Maybe you can’t lift your arm all the way up. Maybe you haven’t been able to touch your toes for a while. Whatever your case may be, if you have muscular restrictions, massage therapy may be able to help.
6. You don’t get enough sleep: It is amazing how many of my massage clients answer that they sleep ‘poorly’ on their massage intake forms. Sleep is incredibly important! We recover and heal when we sleep. Massage therapy helps promote healthy sleep habits through by promoting relaxation.
7. You are stressed out: Let’s face it, most of us have a little more stress in our lives than what is probably healthy. One of the best ways to decrease levels of stress hormones and increase levels of endorphins is to get a massage. Massage therapy starts working immediately to help you relax.

To summarize: Massage therapy = less pain, more function, better sleep, and less stress. It’s a no-brainer.

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