Today I would like to talk a bit about the two most common reasons why people say they don't or can't get a massage, time and money. I will start with time. First of all, in a recent study, Russell, Ibuka, and Carr (2008) indicate that Americans spend 35 minutes traveling, 42 minutes waiting, and 74 minutes receiving services at the doctor. That is a whopping 151 minutes, or just over 2.5 hours. Can you imagine if you walked into your massage therapist's office and had to wait 42 minutes? I can't. Massage therapists have way more respect for their clients than that. But when you have a cold that won't go away, or a pain in your back, where do you go? The doctor. For over 2.5 hours, which people apparently have time for. I rarely hear people say they have never seen a doctor because they just don't have time. Now, I understand that some things you have to see a doctor for, because your local massage therapist can not diagnose things. However, there are situations where believe it or not, you could actually save yourself some time, and see a massage therapist. Most people have one locally, so travel time would be much less, maybe 15 minutes. (Trust me, we are everywhere) A massage therapist will never make you wait more than a few minutes in the waiting room, and if they do, find someone else. A typical appointment may take you 60 minutes, but doesn't have to. So maybe at the most, you could get some relief of that pain from when you "slept funny" in about 80 minutes. Which is about half the time you would spend getting muscle relaxers at the doctor. If you have a good massage therapist, the experience should be a lot more pleasant also.
Now let's talk money. I am aware that most insurances do not cover massage. A 60 minute massage would end up costing about $60.00 or so. That is a lot of money for some people. However, many massage therapists are looking for clients. Many of us struggle to get by, doing what we love, and are willing to meet your needs financially. Whether that means cutting down your appointment time and targeting areas of tension, or discounting our services to gain clientele. Many therapists will have discounts for returning customers or if you buy several massages at once. It is actually rare for me to charge full price for a massage. Would I like to? OF COURSE!!! However, most people don't think about seeking out massage therapists, so the competition is tough. Anyway, lets talk numbers... For most people I would say a massage ends up being about $45.00 an hour. Many people get massage once a week, for a total of $180.00 a month. Here is what the Mayo Clinic said about massage:
"Studies of the benefits of massage demonstrate that it is an effective treatment for reducing stress, pain and muscle tension.
While more research is needed to confirm the benefits of massage, some studies have found massage may also be helpful for:
Anxiety
Digestive disorders
Fibromyalgia
Headaches
Insomnia related to stress
Myofascial pain syndrome
Paresthesias and nerve pain
Soft tissue strains or injuries
Sports injuries
Temporomandibular joint pain".
Although, I am not suggesting massage be a replacement for your regular doctors check-ups, have you recently seen the doctor for any of these conditions? Could it be helpful, and less expensive to see a massage therapist? Yes. Many times, deductibles and co-pays can be just as expensive, and if you don't have insurance, the doctor's bill could be way more expensive!! Many of these injuries and illnesses can be treated with massage, and the best part? No medicine! No nasty side effects!
So now that you know, NO MORE EXCUSES!! This is the perfect time to give massage a try!
You can find the info from Mayo Clinic here:
Remember, keep smiling!! :)
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