Massage therapy: A profession on the rise

[Guest guest]

Medical News Today 01 Mar 2005

Massage therapy: A profession on the rise

Massage therapists elicit an impressive level of goodwill and

increasing popularity among American adults. Fully two out of five

adults have visited a massage therapist and 12% received at least one

massage in 2004, putting massage on a par with consumer use of

chiropractic and physical therapy services.

These results come from a January 3 to 11, 2005 national telephone

survey of a representative sample of 1,027 adults age 21 and older.

The study was commissioned by Associated Bodywork & Massage

Professionals (ABMP) and conducted by Harstad Strategic Research,

Inc., the national public opinion research firm in Boulder, Colo.

" Experiencing a massage therapy session is its own best advertisement

for changing perceptions, " says Bob Benson, President of ABMP.

According to the survey, receiving a massage promotes favorable

regard of its value: 96% of those who received at least one massage

in 2004 have favorable feelings toward massage therapists as compared

to 72% of previous users and 32% of those who have never had a

massage.

More impressive than Americans' lopsidedly favorable feelings is

their trend in feelings toward massage therapists over the past

decade. A 45% plurality say their feelings have changed for the

better over the past 10 years, 3% say for the worse, 40% say no

difference, and 12% are not sure. This 15-to-1 better-to-worse

feelings ratio is promising confirmation of growing acceptance and

goodwill toward massage therapists.

" What is striking about the overall survey results is that there are

very few detractors, few negative expressions about massage, " Benson

says. Most of those who haven't yet received a massage simply haven't

felt a need for it. According to the survey, 51% have favorable

feelings about massage therapists versus just 6% with unfavorable

feelings.

" The massage therapy profession has worked to legitimize its standing

among complementary therapies, distancing itself from out-dated,

negative stereotypes. Massage now generally enjoys a receptive,

welcoming climate, " Benson says. Compared to the 12% of adults who

reported visiting a massage therapist in 2004, the survey found that

13% went to a chiropractor and 10% to a physical therapist. Of those

who received massage in 2004, their average number of visits was

nine -- quite similar to frequency numbers for individuals accessing

chiropractic (10) and physical therapy (11) services. " What's

especially impressive about these comparisons, " Benson says, " is that

most chiropractic and physical therapy treatments are reimbursed by

health insurance while more than 90% of massage therapy sessions are

paid out of the client's own pocket. "

Massage therapists are especially popular among adults under age 50

(58% favorable) and women (also 58% favorable). Indeed, those

favorably-disposed include two-thirds of women under age 45 and two-

thirds of women with at least two years of college. Those least

favorable and least familiar with massage therapists are age 65 plus

(37% favorable).

The market strength among younger adults bodes well for massage

therapists as these Americans age. " The combination of these baby

boomers reaching peak earning years just as their bodies begin to

creak suggests that massage demand will only grow, " Benson says. For

the amount of stress relief, restoration, and relief of muscular

soreness massage provides, that service remains a relative bargain.

The survey found that the median price nationally for a one hour

massage is just $60. Prices vary regionally and by setting; charges

in spa settings tend to be higher than elsewhere.

The finding of 12% of adults visiting a massage therapist has a

statistical margin of error of plus-or-minus 2%, at the 95%

confidence level. In other words, the chances are 95% that the

response about utilization of massage in 2004 would be between 10%

and 14% if all adults in telephone-equipped households were

interviewed. This 12% finding contrasts with two recent studies of

the same behavior which produced widely divergent estimates. An

August 2004 Opinion Research Corporation study commissioned by the

American Massage Therapy Association estimated 21% received a massage

that year while a 2002 National Institutes of Health study found only

5% of adults received a massage for health reasons during the prior

12 months.

" A lot has to do with how the questions are framed and phrased, " says

Harstad, President of Harstad Strategic Research, Inc. " The NIH

survey asked about massage received 'for your own health,' which

phrasing may have limited affirmative answers since many people

receive a massage for relaxation or enjoyment and may not perceive it

as for their health per se. The Opinion Research Corporation survey

solely asked about receiving a massage. It isn't clear whether that

survey distinguished between massage work provided by a massage

therapist versus other health care professionals, whose inclusion

would drive up the affirmative response rate. "

" In the 2005 telephone survey conducted for ABMP, visitation with

massage therapists was posed in a battery amongst other healthcare

providers -- which approach often reduces any possible respondent

resistance or inclination to provide socially acceptable answers.

Respondents were not told at the outset of the interview who

commissioned the survey, nor could they have had any clue at the time

of this early question that the survey would focus more on massage

therapy. To help minimize possible confusion between physical

therapists and massage therapists, respondents were always asked

about massage therapists after physical therapists, " Harstad said.

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals is the nation's leading

professional organization for massage therapists with over 53,000

members throughout the United States. For additional information, an

extensive article database, or to find a massage therapist, visit our

consumer website at http://www.Massagetherapy.com.