In our “no pain, no gain” society, we don’t often plan for injuries. We plan our schedules, plan for trips, and plan for retirement, but very few of us plan to get hurt. Unfortunately, no matter who you are, you can’t escape injury. Even the strongest, most healthy people around can suffer from degenerative conditions like osteoporosis, disc degeneration and arthritis. The medical world is getting better about talking about preventative medicine, we’re just not doing so hot about listening to them. We’ve been conditioned to push past the pain until we can’t. Then we might go in for a massage or an adjustment, if it hurts enough. Many times it either takes much longer to address the injury, or it’s gotten past the point of no return and now prevention is no longer an option.
One of the most common objections I’ve heard about preventative maintenance, also known as self care, is that it’s too expensive. Admittedly, I’ve made this same claim. Unless there’s a dysfunction, we don’t tend to prioritize it. $80 a month is a lot to some folks, and $960 for a year of monthly massages* may seem impossible to some. However, there are some long term costs it would make sense to consider:
- How much does surgery cost? – According to www.kneereplacementcost.com, the average cost of knee surgery in the United States is $29,300. That doesn’t include if the surgery has complications and may cost more for people who don’t have insurance. The average insurance deductible ranges from $1,500 for individual and $3000 for family coverage.
- How much is your time worth? – There are two considerations with this question; the time it takes to recover from an injury and the time it takes to recover from surgery. Most workplaces have sick days, but what about catching up on things you weren’t able to do while you were hurt? For those of us who don’t have sick days, pushing through the pain to get to work tends to ruin your days off and put you back even further; chances are you hurt yourself worse when you don’t take the time to heal.
- How do you want to spend your days? – This one isn’t a financial consideration, but it’s important all the same. Our bodies wear down from use no matter what we do. Do you want the aches and pains of today to develop into chronic conditions that keep you from doing the things you want to do, like hiking, playing with your kids or grandkids, or even getting from point A to B without an assistive device like a cane or walker? The more you take care of yourself now, the better quality of life you’ll have in the long run.
One question I asked myself while writing this was “what means more to me, my money or my health?” My actions make it pretty clear that my health is not a priority and that’s something I want to change. I encourage you to think through this not just as it relates to massage, but how it relates to lifestyle. Are you working too many hours? Are you taking on too many responsibilities? Are you pushing yourself so hard you fall asleep the second you sit down? If that’s your goal, I applaud you. For a long time it was my goal. It was only until recently that I started asking whether it was my goal or what I thought I was supposed to do. That sent me on an existential journey I’ll be plodding down for a while. It has also made me think about myself, my physical and mental health and has resulted in me making better choices that are going to serve me well in the long run. I invite you to join me. We’re here to help you find out what self care looks like for you.
*Prices are based on the Loyalty Plan; $10 discount on a 60 or 90 minute massage if you schedule an appointment at least once per month.
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