How Often Should You Get a Massage for Knots?

People getting massage therapy for knots often come up with these questions.

How many sessions should I need to get the knots dissolved? How often should I get a massage for knots?

There is no clear answer to this because knot massage cannot be cut into specific parameters as the recovery depends on many factors like the type of knots, the lifestyle of a person, the daily life activities, the general health status of the person, and the region where the knots are present.

Here are the few deciding parameters through which you will know the answer to this frequently asked question.

How Often Should You Get a Knot Massage If You Work a Desk Job?

Most people who work all day using a laptop, or a keyboard while sitting in front of a desk have a forward head posture and knots in the neck and shoulder region.

These knots often remain painless and start hurting when the muscles are overloaded because these muscles are weak.

Knots formed due to being in bad posture require more time to heal.

Office workers with knots in the shoulder and neck can get significant relief from the pain due to knots after 4 weeks of treatment with ischemic compression. Evidence also shows that after 4 weeks of treatment with ischemic compression, the office workers’ muscle strength and neck mobility also increased.

How Many Massages Do You Need If You Have Knots in The Back?

Knots in the back require frequent care because there is a chance of recurrence of the knots due to the usual shortening tendency of the lower back muscles.

Research suggests that compressing the knots 3 times per week for 2 weeks which means a total of 6 sessions can reduce the lower back pain.

However, some people might require a revisit to the massage clinic if they don’t take good care of their back afterward.

How Often Should You Get a Massage If You Have Knots in the Neck and Shoulder Area?

Evidence suggests 4 sessions of ischemic compression for sternocleidomastoid knots improve cervicogenic headache, area of the knot, or size of the knot.

Research also shows that 12 sessions of massage provided in 6 weeks with two sessions per week can reduce the pain due to knots in the back of the neck.

How Frequently Should You Get a Massage If You Have Knots in the Thighs, Legs, and Foot?

Knots at the back of the thighs and legs are very stubborn. You need different techniques and a long time to get rid of these knots.

According to a case study, a person having knots in the buttock, legs, thighs, and foot recovered over 5 weeks of treatment with a combination of heat, Swedish massages, knot massage, and stretching.

The person was given 1 session of 50 minutes each week for 5 weeks straight which resolved the pain, and muscle shortness, and improved the function.

Do You Have Superficial Or Deeper Knots?

The number of sessions required also depends on the depth of your knots and the tension present in your knots. If you have superficial knots in any region of your body, you obviously need fewer sessions of knot massage as compared to someone having deeper knots.

This is because for massaging deeper knots, the therapist first needs to relax the superficial muscle and remove any knots in the superficial muscle before treating the deeper tissues. So the first few sessions serve only as a warmup for preparing your tissue for the deep massage techniques.

In general knots in superficial tissues require 3 to 4 sessions of knot massage on alternate days and deeper knots might require 7 to 10 sessions provided over a few weeks.

General Health Status to Determine the Frequency to Get a Knot Massage

The general health status and compliance of a person greatly impact the efficacy of knot massage.

A person who has good compliance with home exercises and performs regular stretches at home after the knot massage needs fewer sessions because the stretching also softens and lengthens the knots, making them easy to break.

A person who has asthma or other chronic respiratory condition is prone to having multiple recurring knots in the chest and neck due to the overuse of these muscles.

In such cases, an individual requires regular massage therapy to break the adhesions and an extensive home exercise plan to prevent its reoccurrence.

I recommend consulting and getting assessed by an expert professional once a month to avoid any worsening of your knots. And getting a knot massage twice a week if you are prone to recurring knot formation.

Conclusion:

Keeping all these aspects in mind, we conclude that knot massage is very specific and personalized for each individual and the number of sessions required for each person differs greatly.