How Often Should I Come Back?

The first-time client gets off the table, gets dressed, notices that something dramatic has changed within themselves and asks, “How often should I come back?” 

This is both the most frequent question I receive and the most difficult to answer. Plus, post treatment, clients are in a state of mind and body that I amusingly yet accurately refer to as stoned, and that is not the time to give a complex answer to someone you have just met.

The answers

The easiest answer for business is, “every two weeks,” but this is dishonest, and besides, I would be forced into a very small client base if they all came in that frequently. 

The simplest and most truthful answer is, “Just pay attention to how you feel and then you will know.” Unfortunately, most people today are so detached from the inner workings of their bodies, that this self-aware answer has no meaning for them. No blame here; this is just where we have gotten to as a society. 

The two extremes

In the 1980s when I received my first massage, ever, and was in the worst state of being, ever, I responded so well from that two-hour, neuromuscular wizardry that I not only was whisked out of pain but also felt genuinely fantastic for a whole year before I felt the need to return. Admittedly, this response is unusual, but not as rare as you might think because of the type of bodywork he did then and I do now.

There are some clients who are both slow to respond and living with multiple, chronic issues. This is genuinely rare and these people usually come in weekly for years. At any given time, I usually have from one to three who prefer weekly attention as it keeps them functioning at their best. 

Figuring it out

Somewhere between weekly and annually is where most people fit in. The most important aspect in figuring out exactly where, is not taking my word for anything: I do not live in your body; I likely do not have the same priorities as you; and I do not know your financials. I can, however, help you figure out your own return rate.

The first visit

The first visit is not necessarily the one to judge by. Most first-timers coming in for my brand of therapeutic bodywork have years of “catch up” to do. In other words, there is generalized “congestion” buildup that can act either as a smoke screen for underlying problems or as the trigger for them. Once the congestion is cleared out, what is left can now be identified as a core issue and addressed. 

The 72 hours following the first visit

How well you, the client, do over the next 72 hours is what matters most in the beginning. Connective tissue, which is what bodywork is really affecting, takes about 72 hours to fully unwind and reset. Some people feel very tired during that timeframe and then bounce back and feel beautiful for a long time. Therefore, waiting for that magic number to pass before judging how you feel is vital to accurately predicting the return visit.

The first few visits 

Some require one to three visits before determining what symptoms have permanently left versus those that come back, so keep track of how long it takes before symptoms return. If a discomfort returns within hours, then you have an acute issue that needs attention sooner rather than later. If it returns in a week, month, or six months, you now have an idea of your likely, initial maintenance schedule.

Regarding symptoms 

The things that bother “you” are the symptoms you want to watch out for. What bothers one person may have no impact on another, so first be able to identify what your symptoms are so that you can track them. We therapists often speak of pain, but many clients are completely pain free and are only concerned about their tension or range of motion or weakness or stress or whatever. Just define it so that you can know it and track it. 

The ever changing schedule

Therapeutic bodywork is usually cumulative, so over time, even the initial maintenance schedule may change: What might begin as a weekly schedule may in a month morph into a bimonthly one and within a year settle into a six-week cycle. By this time, don’t be surprised if you belatedly realize you don’t get sick much any more and find it easier to make important life and health decisions. Serious.

The financials and schedules 

Part of the reason for setting up a maintenance schedule is simply because the body appears to prefer consistency, and responds accordingly. After doing the work to determine your maintenance requirement, you may discover that your body needs monthly sessions, but your pocketbook says otherwise. Fine. Decide what you can afford to put into your budget for therapeutic bodywork each year and then divide it evenly. Can only afford to go once a year? Then go every twelve months. Only twice a year? Then book every six months. Whatever works, but consistency is best. 

Regardless of the importance of consistency, there are people, and I am often one of them, who are not going to make an appointment until there is something that needs fixing. That’s fine too. We all have our own priorities in life. This therapist is not going to judge you.

Booking it 

Once you have calculated your maintenance schedule based on your health priorities, booking is easy with my new online appointment scheduling system from Full Slate. Try it, you’ll be happily surprised by how fast and easy it is! 

Deciding your own bodywork maintenance schedule feels good, because it puts the control of your body and your health back where it belongs, with you.