The Correct Session Length

Massage therapy requires time to correctly interact with the muscle and connective tissues of the body in order to promote improved health. The tissues worked with during a massage session are living tissues. You cannot just add more and more pressure to work an area more quickly. At some point the increased pressure will cause the client pain that will cause them to tense up, putting up a guard against further work. It can also start damaging and bruising tissue, which negates any positive aspects of the therapy. The session needs to be of adequate length to allow the therapist to correctly treat the client's main issues. If you have limited time available, consider focusing the session on only your top priorites.

A 30-minute session is most useful for focusing on half of the body. A lot of clients use a 30-minute session to address general tension in upper body (from lower back up to the neck and head). If you have even moderate tension in these areas you may want to consider a 60-minute session to allow a deeper level of work. A full body massage can be achieved in 30 minutes, but it will be brief in each area and it will not allow for any deeper work.

A 60-minute massage is the most common session length. It allows the therapist to perform a full body massage with a focus of either general relaxation or of minimal deep tissue work. If you want a substantial amount of deeper work in a number of areas, try focusing the session to just half of your body or to your most important issues. If you want a full body session with a substantial amount of deep tissue work, you may want to consider a 90-minute session. A 90-minute session may also be the best option if you are dealing with an extraordinary amount of tension in even a few areas of your body.

A 90-minute session allows a therapist to more completely address intense muscular issues. It is the best option if you want a lot of deeper work and you also want a full body session. If you are only wanting a relaxation massage with no deep work, then the 60-minute session is probably the better choice.