How many remedial massage sessions do I need to feel better?

There is no single number of remedial massage sessions that works for everyone. Many people notice a change after their first one or two visits, but how many sessions you need depends on how long you have had the problem, what is driving it and what you want to get back to doing. At Active Performance Clinic, your plan of care is set after a thorough assessment at your initial appointment, and we adjust it as your body responds.

Why there is no one-size answer

Two people can walk in with the same sore lower back and need very different plans. The things that most influence how many sessions you need include:

• How long it has been there. A niggle from last week’s gym session usually settles faster than pain that has built up over years of desk work.
• What is causing it. Tight muscles respond quickly to hands-on work. Pain driven by posture, weakness or movement habits needs time and training to change.
• Your daily load. Long hours at a Sydney CBD desk, a physical job, young children or a heavy training schedule all affect recovery.
• Your goals. Getting through the week comfortably is a different target from returning to competitive sport.
• What you do between sessions. People who do their exercises and make small changes to their routine generally need fewer visits.

How we plan your care

Active Performance Therapy is built around three principles, and your number of sessions follows them.

Direct Symptom Relief comes first. In the early sessions we focus on easing pain and restoring movement using remedial massage, myofascial stripping, cupping, dry needling and red light therapy as appropriate. This is where most people feel the quickest change.

Supervised Training comes next. Once pain has settled, we introduce targeted exercises and mobility work in the clinic to build strength and stability, so the improvement holds.

Self-care Solutions are the goal. By the end of your plan you should have a short routine of stretches, exercises and habits that keep you well without relying on us.

At your initial appointment, our Master Practitioner carries out a comprehensive assessment and then sets out a personalised plan with a recommended frequency and duration. We also consider which of three stages your body is in: injured or recovering, suboptimal, or optimal.

A common pattern

As a general guide only, and not a promise, this is how plans often unfold:

• Recent, straightforward problems such as a tight neck after a long week or a sore calf after a run often respond to two to four sessions spaced about a week apart.
• Longer-standing or recurring problems such as chronic low back pain, tension headaches or a shoulder that has been grumbling for months usually need a longer run of weekly or fortnightly sessions, then gradually longer gaps as you improve.
• Maintenance once you are feeling good is typically a session every four to six weeks, or timed around your training and competition calendar if you are an athlete.

If you are not noticing any change after three or four sessions, we will say so and revisit the plan. That might mean changing the approach, adjusting the exercises or referring you to your GP or another professional.

Session lengths and pricing

Your initial appointment is 60 minutes and costs $160. Follow-up sessions are available as a 45-minute short session ($140), a 60-minute standard session ($160) or a 90-minute extended session ($250). Red light therapy can be added to any session for 20 minutes at $30, and a $40 surcharge applies if you request your full treatment with our Master Practitioner. Prices are current as of October 2024.

If you expect to need several visits, ask in clinic about our packages, which bundle sessions at a saving. Payment is due at the time of booking or on completion of your appointment. If you have extras cover, we recommend checking with your health fund about what is claimable.

How to get more from each session

• Do the exercises and stretches your therapist gives you, even for a few minutes a day.
• Drink water and keep moving gently after your session rather than sitting for hours.
• Tell us honestly how you felt in the days after treatment, including anything that flared.
• Keep your sessions consistent in the early stages rather than leaving long gaps.
• Mention any changes to your health, medication or activity before each appointment.

When massage is not the right first step

Remedial massage is well tolerated by most people with musculoskeletal pain, but it is not the answer to everything. If your pain is accompanied by numbness or weakness in an arm or leg, followed a fall or accident, comes with fever or unexplained weight loss, or is severe and getting worse, please see your GP or seek urgent care before booking massage.

When to book

Book an initial appointment and we will map out a plan together. You can book online through Cliniko at /booking, learn more about our approach to remedial massage, or read about how we treat back pain, one of the most common reasons people visit our Sydney CBD clinic.