How often???

A question I regularly get asked is "How often should I come for an appointment?" Unfortunately there is no straight forward answer to this. There are so many factors that come into play here it is not an easy answer.

Here are a few things that need to be considered by you to decide how often you should get a treatment.

1. What do you do for a living?

2. Are you physically active?

3. Do you sit/ stand a lot?

4. How is your general health?

5. Are you accident prone?

6. Is it a long term injury?

7. Are you in pain?

8. Are you stressed/ anxious?

9. How do your finances look?

10. Do you have others who rely on you?

I could go on with more questions but I'm sure you get the gist. Let's go through the questions with a few ideas.

1. What do you do for a living? This is a big one as we spend so much of our time working it takes a toll on us. The type of job we do impacts our bodies in different ways meaning some people may need shorted or longer between treatments and even having little mini sessions of a different treatment to keep the body going.

2. Are you physically active? Physical activity impacts the body especially when the physical activity is not being carried out correctly. We are regularly in such a rush that we do not lift items properly or move in the correct way meaning we cause injury. In that instance then you may need to come a little more regular.

3. Do you sit/ stand a lot? This impacts where we get tight and sore. For example if we sit a lot then we may develop lower back pain or tight shoulders. So regular 30 minute back massages could really help ease away the tension.

4. How is your general health? Now this can be a biggie. If you have poorer general health then your body will be constantly fighting to make you healthier. In this case little and often could be a good rule of thumb as touch helps the body produce feel good hormones, which in turn help make you feel better.

5. Are you accident prone? I see so many people only after they have had an accident and are in a great deal of pain. If you had a 3 monthly maintenance session then the injuries may not be so bad when they do occur.

6. Is it a long term injury? Lots of people come for KCR after trying numerous other treatments for an injury that happened over 6 months prior. Although KCR can and will reduce the pain in one session it is not a magic wand and a few follow up sessions are essential.

7. Are you in pain? Pain is the bodies way of asking for help. It needs a little TLC. My go to treatment for pain has always been KCR and I don't see that changing. If you see a pattern in your pain cycles note them down and be proactive. Get a treatment before you expect the pain to start as it could stop it in its tracks or at least minimise it.

8. Are you stressed/ anxious? Stress and anxiety can cause tightness and tension in the body leading to pain which causes more stress and anxiety. The cycle goes around and around. If you have regular (every 4-8 weeks) coaching or aromatherapy massage your stresses can be considerably reduced.

9. How do your finances look? This can be crucial for many people especially just now. Finances play a big part in how often you should get a treatment. Some people don't need to consider the price but for others it's a huge pressure. If you know that your finances are tight then putting away a pound or two when you can to your "me fund" can help. Sometimes when we put a little amount aside each week/ month we don't realise just how quickly it builds up. Another suggestion is tell your friends/ family that you would appreciate either cold hard cash or a voucher for gifts as this will help take away some of your financial stresses.

10. Do you have others who rely on you? Now this one is huge. If other people rely on you for their care then your own care needs to be one of your top priorities. If you are sick, stressed or in pain then you can't be your best for others. Be your best for you first as a full cup will help more people. That being said little and often is the way to go for you. A wee 30 minute appointment monthly could do you wonders and keep you feeling able to carry on without burning out.

As you see there isn't a one size fits all in terms of how often you should be getting a treatment but I do firmly believe that most people do not maintain their health when it is in a good place. Some fight to get it good then think the fight is over, it's not. We need to keep maintaining it and topping up the good work you have done. Others don't know where to start as their health had been so poor in one way or another they feel lost and don't know where to start. A good starting point is answering the questions above about yourself and deciding where to begin. I am always open to suggesting treatments and will be happy to confidentiality discuss the above with anyone who is looking for a little clarity on their own circumstances.

Julie ❤️