Frequently Asked Questions
What is massage therapy?
Massage therapy spans a wide variety of therapeutic approaches, working to improve an individual’s health and well-being through the hands-on manipulation of muscles and other soft tissues of the body.
What are the key benefits of massage therapy?
Physical -- Massage therapy is designed to stretch and loosen muscles, improve blood flow and the movement of lymph throughout the body, facilitate the removal of metabolic wastes resulting from exercise or inactivity, and increase the flow of oxygen and nutrients to cells and tissue. In addition, massage stimulates the release of endorphins -- the body’s natural painkiller -- into the brain and nervous system.
Mental -- Massage therapy provides a relaxed state of alertness, reduces mental stress and enhances capacity for calm thinking and creativity.
Emotional -- Massage therapy satisfies the need for caring and nurturing touch, creates a feeling of well-being and reduces anxiety levels.
Who can benefit from massage therapy?
People throughout the life cycle -- from the very young and very old to those in between -- all find that a professional massage can have special applications suited for their needs.
What is the origin of therapeutic massage?
Therapeutic massage methods used today have both Eastern and Western origins. The first written records of massage date back 3,000 years to early Chinese folk medicine and ancient Ayurvedic medicine of India. Shiatsu, acupressure and reflexology spring from these Eastern sources, as do other contemporary methods.
Western civilizations were introduced to therapeutic massage by Greek and Roman physicians. Modern Western massage is credited primarily to Peter Henrik Ling, a 19th century Swedish athlete. His approach, which combines hands-on techniques with active and passive movements, became known as Swedish massage -- still one of the most commonly used methods in the Western world.
What do research studies say about massage therapy?
Myriad research studies confirm that massage therapy provides physical, mental and emotional benefits at all stages of life.
How is massage therapy regarded by the medical community?
The results of a survey, conducted between November 2000 and February 2001 in Washington State, indicate strong recognition on the part of medical clinicians that massage therapy is effective. In Washington, where complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers have been recognized by health plans since 1996, the survey asked medical practitioners five years later what they thought of CAM practices. Of 12 CAM practices included in the survey, massage therapy was ranked highest (74%) in terms of being perceived as always or usually effective. The next closest CAM practice in the same category of effectiveness was acupuncture, ranked by 67.7% of clinician respondents.1
The American Medical Association published a report in September 2000 that said two-thirds of the nation’s medical schools teach about herbal therapy, acupuncture, massage or other alternative medicine.2
How popular is massage therapy as a form of medical treatment?
When naming the types of alternative care consumers say they would be most likely to use, 80% say massage therapy.3 In a July 2000 consumer survey commissioned by AMTA, twice as many adult Americans reported receiving one or more massages from a massage therapist in the past year (16 percent) as did in 1997 (8 percent). Twenty-one percent of Americans said they expected to get a massage from a massage therapist in the next 12 months.
How often do U.S. consumers visit massage therapists and how much do they spend?
Estimates are that consumers visit massage therapists 114 million times per year, spending between $4 billion and $6 billion annually on these visits. A 1998 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimated that annual expenditures for massage therapy accounted for approximately 27 percent of the $21.2 billion spent on alternative healthcare-provider services and about 18 percent of the 629 million annual visits to such providers.4
Is massage therapy a luxury?
This is a perception that is rapidly changing as massage becomes increasingly accepted as a natural part of a healthy lifestyle. In fact, according to one media characterization, "massage is to the human body what a tune-up is to a car. It provides a physical boost to the weary, sore and stressed."
An increasing body of clinical research confirms that massage reduces heart rate, lowers blood pressure, increases blood circulation and lymph flow, relaxes muscles, improves range of motion, boosts the immune system, and increases endorphins (all may enhance medical treatment).
Does the consumer have any responsibilities during the massage?
A person receiving a massage should give the therapist accurate health information and always report discomfort of any kind -- whether it’s from the massage itself or due to room temperature, volume of music, or other distractions.