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Massage Research Reveals:

Use and Acceptance Increasing
The massage therapy profession and the public's use of massage continue to grow in quantity as well as quality. The most significant growth is in medical practitioners' and consumers' interest in and appreciation for massage therapy as an effective integrative and complementary modality. Mainstream acceptance of massage therapy continues its strong trend. Since 1997, the number of adult Americans who say they had a massage from a massage therapist in the previous 12 months jumped from 8% to 18%.

 

Acceptance Continues to Grow

A total of 18% of the adult U.S. population had a massage in the past 12 months. The percentage of American adults receiving one or more massages from a massage therapist in the previous year (18%) more than doubled since 1997 (8%). Among people who had experienced severe back, neck or shoulder pain, the rate of use of massage therapy increased from 14.6% in 1996 to 19.4% in 1999. The massage explosion can be attributed partly to the growing population of tired, aging, not-quite-as-limber-as-they-oncewere baby boomers, partly to an increased awareness of the effects of stress and of the physiological benefits of “pressing the flesh. Doctors and consumers are turning more and more to massage as an adjunct to regular health practices. More working-class professionals are using massage therapy to relieve stress and treat sore muscles. Massage therapists that once served only elite professionals or athletes see a wider range of clientele.

 

The Number of Massage Therapists Continues to grow

The number of massage therapists in the United States, including students, is between 260,000 and 290,000. This compares to approximately 120,000 – 160,000 in 1996. American Massage Therapy Association's membership increased more than fourfold since 1990, to over 46,000 members today.  

 

Massage Is Mainstream

Massage is popular among consumers of all ages, with people ages 25 to 34 reporting the highest usage at 24% in the past 12 months. Rates of usage for other groups are: ages 18-24 (21%);
ages 35-44 (18%); ages 45-54 (18%); ages 55-64 (13 %); age 65+ (14%). Adults in the 65+ age group who had a massage in the previous 12 months increased from 11% in 2001 to 14% in
2002. Those who seek massage therapy from a trained professional average 7 visits per year. Massage is slightly more popular among women (20%) than men (16%). Consumers visit massage therapists 114 million times each year. A total of 28% of adults say they had a massage in the past five years, compared with 17% in 1997. Over the past five years, massage is popular among people with some college education (31%) and people with only a high school education (20%), but more popular among college graduates (33%).

 

Demand for Massage Therapy

Massage Is at Work with Employees
An increasing number of corporations, small businesses and municipalities have found on-site massage to be a low-cost benefit with high payoff. The Investor Relations Group, Inc., of New York, offers each of its 15 full-time and part-time employees a weekly 15-minute massage, because it makes a difference in retention and employee morale. Among organization benefits managers, 8% report that massage is an employee benefit. At Boeing and Reebok, headaches, back strain and fatigue fell since the companies started bringing in massage therapists. By including 15 minutes of free massage therapy once each week, the Calvert Group, an investment firm in Bethesda, MD, reduced its turnover rate to 5% in an industry where the norm is 20%.

 

Chair Massage
Integrated bodytherapy offers Onsite, also known as Seated Massage. Corporate Massage or Trade Show Massage.

Seated massage can be performed in a wide variety of settings. Typically the person receiving the massage remains fully clothed, and sits on a portable massage chair, which comfortably supports their body while they relax and enjoy the treatment. A standard session may be from 5 minutes to half an hour or longer. This therapy can be a vital part of any corporate wellness program, an excellent way to improve employee productivity and morale, as well as to reward employees.

Benefits of workplace Onsite massage include:

  • Decreased workplace stress
  • Improved morale
  • Increased productivity
  • Improved interpersonal communication
  • Decreased work related injuries
  • Decreased stress-related absenteeism
  • Benefit to employee hiring and retention
 

Integrated Bodytherapy also offers Seated massage as a popular, professional way to attract visitors to your trade show booth or corporate event. We will work with your team to maximize the benefits of massage to your program.

Onsite massage will:

  • Increase booth traffic and the time of stay in your booth
  • Maximize the money and energy your sales and marketing teams put into your next trade show
  • Increase quality of interaction with your key customers
  • Associate your company with feelings of peace, relaxation and caring
Seated massage can be a wonderful feature for your special event. Your employees and customers will benefit from massage at health fairs, athletic or charity events, product launches and promotional events. Integrated Bodytherapy can tailor an Onsite Massage program to fit your event. Options include payment by the sponsoring organization, payment by the individual, or a combination. Please call us with details about your event so we may offer suggestions about how to best meet your needs.

 

Massage and Medicine

Among emergency room patients, 31% report they have used massage in the past for painful conditions. Among complementary and alternative medicine practices surveyed, medical practitioners ranked massage therapy highest (74%) in terms of being perceived as always or usually effective. The next closest was acupuncture at 67.7%. Of the 14% of adults who spoke to their doctors or other healthcare providers in the past 12 months about massage therapy, 76% report that the conversation was favorable about massage and 19% report the conversation was neutral. Of those people, 30% report that their physicians recommended massage therapy, compared to 26% in 2001. HMO members using complementary and alternative medicine services rate their satisfaction with HMO-defined acupuncture, naturopathic, and massage benefits as high.

 

Statistics about Health Care and Massage Therapy

The cost of health care in the United States is estimated to reach $2.2 trillion by 2008 from $1.6 trillion in 1998. Consumers spend between $4 and $6 billion annually on visits to massage therapists – Approximately 27% of the $21.2 billion spent on unconventional healthcare in 1997.25 About 18% of the 629 million annual visits to alternative healthcare providers are to massage therapists. Among Fortune 200 companies, 14% offer massage as part of their employee benefit program.
1 “Public Attitudes Towards Massage Study” [Caravan Survey] Opinion Research Corporation International (August 2002).
2 “Public Attitudes,” Opinion Research (2002).
3 Gordon , Nancy P. and Teresa Y. Lin, Kaiser Permanente Research study, presented at Scientific Conference on Complementary Alternative and Integrative Medicine Research, San Francisco, CA, May 21, 2001.
4 “Society of Human Resource Management 2000 Benefits Survey” (April 4, 2000).
5 Alderman, Lesley, “Hands-On Therapy”, Barron's (May 21, 2001).
6 “Society of Human Resource Management 2000 Benefits Survey” (April 4, 2000).
7 AMTA Market Analysis (2001).
8 AMTA Membership Report (August 2002).
9 “Public Attitudes,” Opinion Research (2002).
10 “The Landmark Report on Public Perceptions of Alternative Care” (November 1997).
11 “Public Attitudes,” Opinion Research (2002).
12 Eisenberg, et.al., “Trends in Alternative Medicine Use in the United States, 1990-1997,” Journal of the American Medical Association 280(18): 1569-1575 (November 11, 1998).
13 “Public Attitudes,” Opinion Research (2002).
14 “Public Attitudes,” Opinion Research (2002).
15 Littman, Margaret, "Massage Helps Address Major Corporate Kneads," Crain's Chicago Business (July 21, 1999).
16 Rivkin, Victoria, "Flexibility and Perks Sweeten the Job Pot," Crain's New York Business (February 12, 2001)
17 “Society for Human Resource Management 2000 Benefits Survey” (April 4, 2000).
18 Underwood, Anne, “The Magic of Touch,” Newsweek (April 6, 1998): 71-72.
19 HR Focus (September 1997): 1-3.
20 “Many ER Patients Have Tried Alternative Remedies,” Reuters Health (March 7, 2000).
21 “Post-Legislative Mandate: Two-Thirds of Group Health Clinician Respondents View CAM as Effective,” The Integrator for the Business of Alternative Medicine (April 2001).
22 “Public Attitudes,” Opinion Research (2002)
23 “First Retrospective Member Survey on HMO,” St. Anthony's Alternative Medicine Integration & Coverage 2(8): 1 (February 1998).
24 Health Industry Today Vol. 62, Pg. 10 (October 1999).
25 Eisenberg
26 Eisenberg
27 “Complementary and Alternative Care Benefits Employer Survey” Price-Waterhouse-Coopers (June 2000)

 

Research Citations:

Massage really works for chronic low-back pain
People who get massage for sore muscles and pain have long said that it gives them relief and helps them get back to regular activity. Recent research on the benefits of massage for some types of back pain has shown that massage is effective in both relieving chronic low-back pain and for controlling some back pain.
a. Cherkin, D.C., Eisenberg, D., et.al. Randomized Trial Comparing Traditional Chinese Medical Acupuncture, Therapeutic Massage, and Self-care Education for Chronic Low Back Pain. Arch Intern Med. 161(8):1081-8; Apr 23, 2001.
b. Preyde, M. Effectiveness of Massage Therapy for Subacute Low-back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. CMAJ. 162(13):1815-20; Jn 27, 2000.

 

Massage really works to relieve stress and aid relaxation

After a massage, people say they "feel good" in a general sense. They also report a greater sense of well being. When someone "feels good", they usually "hurt" less, too. Massage has been shown to reduce blood pressure and heart rate, and to increase blood and lymph circulation. Massage also has been shown to increase endorphins, the body's natural pain killers.
a. Cady, S.H., Jones, G.E. Massage Therapy as a Workplace Intervention for Reduction of Stress. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 84(1): 157-158; Feb 1997.
b. Culpepper-Richards, K., Effect of a Back Massage and Relaxation Intervention on Sleep in Critically Ill Patients. Am. J. Crit. Care. 7(4): 288-299; Jul 1998.
c. Fakouri, C., Jones, P. Relaxation Rx: Slow Stroke Back Rub. J. of Geron. Nurs. 13 (2): 32-35; Feb 1987.
d. Field, T., Morrow, C., Valdeon C., Larson, S., Kuhm, C., Schanberg, S. Massage Reduced Anxiety in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Patients. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry. 31 (1): 125-31; Jan 1992.
e. Meek, S.S. Effects of Slow Stroke Back Massage on Relaxation in Hospice Clients. Image. J. Nurs. Sch. 25 (1): 17-21; Spring 1993.
f. Shulman, K.R., Jones, G.E. The Effectiveness of Massage Therapy Intervention on Reducing Anxiety in the Workplace. J. Applied Behav. Sc. 32(2): 160-173; Jn 1996.

 

Massage really works for cancer patients

Cancer and cancer treatments can cause great physical pain and anxiety. Women who have mastectomies report negative feelings about being touched and must fight a common problem of lymphedema (a build up of lymph in the arm after their surgery). Massage has been shown to reduce and relieve lymphedema, to relieve pain and anxiety among hospitalized cancer patients, and to help mastectomy patients recover from their reluctance to be touched.
a. Badger, C. The Swollen Limb. Nurs. Times (England). 82 (31): 40-41; 1986.
b. Brennan, M.J.and Weitz, J. Lymphedema 30 Years After Radical Mastectomy. Am. J. Phys. Med. Rehabil. 71: 12-14; 1992.
c. Bunce, I.H., Mirolo, B.R., Hennessy, J.M., et. al. Post-mastectomy Lymphedema Treatment and Measurement. Med. J. Aust. 161: 125-28; 1994.
d. Ferrell-Torry, A.T. and Glick, O.J. The Use of Therapeutic Massage as a Nursing Intervention to Modify Anxiety and the Perception of Cancer Pain. Cancer Nurs. 16 (2): 93-101; Apr 1993.
e. Palliat. Nurs. 1 (1): 21-30; Jan/Mar 1995.

 

Massage really works to boost the immune system

Your body's immune system helps you fight off infections and illnesses, and it helps you recover from injuries. When you are under stress, the immune system may not always work the way it should. Research among different groups of people in very different situations has shown the massage can increase the immune system's cytotoxic capacity (the activity level of the body's natural "killer cells") and decrease the number of T-cells. The result is an immune system that is working better. Massage doesn't cure ailments, but it has been shown to help the body function better in fighting ailments.
a. Field, T., Hernandez-Reif, M., Ironson, G. Massage Therapy Effects on Breast Cancer. (unpublished); 1998.
b. Ironson, G., Field, T., et.al. Massage Therapy is Associated with Enhancement of the Immune System's Cytotoxic Capacity. Intern. J. Neuroscience. 84:205-217; 1996.
c. Zeitlin, D., et.al. Immunological Effects of Massage Therapy During Academic Stress. Psychosomatic Medicine. 62:83-87; Jan/Feb 2000.

 

 

 

 
 
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