Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been looking at general trends in the massage therapy industry (click here for earlier entries). So far we’ve been able to conclude that the industry is generally growing rapidly (especially from 2005 to 2009 – click here), but that 2010 was most likely a bad year. What does that mean for massage therapists and the massage therapy industry?
More of the same…but that’s a good thing! (more…)
Last week I wrote a somewhat disparaging entry about the Massage Therapy Journal, and how it made a claim (that workplace massage is increasing) and then failed to back it up. After examining the AMTA Consumer Survey Fact Sheets from 2005 to 2010 (click here) and the 2009 and 2005 Massage Industry Fact Sheets, I now realize that general trends in the massage therapy industry are definitely hard to spot; determining whether specific trends are emerging, such as an increase in workplace massage, is even harder yet. But some general trends can be seen.
First, the good news: (more…)
Skimming through back issues of AMTA’s Massage Therapy Journal, I came upon an article about workplace massage with a compelling headline: More Businesses are Offering Massage Therapy as an Employee Benefit. This was published in June, 2009, right as the economy pulled out of recession, and I was excited that the MTJ – a very thorough and professional publication – was going to provide some solid information about a possible growth area in the massage therapy industry.
Then I got to the fifth paragraph, where the article states clearly: (more…)
We’ve written about the magic of massage therapy before, and how it helps mothers (and fathers) relieve tension, lower their blood pressure, and reduce their anxiety, both before birth and after.
But a new study published in the May 2010 edition of Women’s Health reveals perhaps the most startling conclusion of all: Massage therapy can actually help women during labor. (more…)
This just in from The New York Times: Massage therapy has been shown to decrease levels of hormones that cause stress and increase levels of hormones that cause contentment and well-being.
While we’ve written about the proven stress-busting abilities of massage therapy, as well as its ability to improve mood, it’s always nice when the leading source of information in the world backs you up. (more…)
This summer’s issue of the Massage Therapy Journal includes a detailed look at Lomi Lomi massage, a modality that originated in Hawaii and has since been “westernized”, gaining recognition among massage therapists in America. The specifics of the modality are pretty interesting as there are many differences, and some similarities, between Lomi Lomi massage and a traditional Swedish massage. (more…)
Pain is something that we all experience, and it is also something that massage therapy has been shown to counter and prevent (click here). In fact, surveys have shown that people choose massage therapy in part because it helps reduce pain and generally increases their wellbeing (click here). The fact that massage therapy is an effective, non-invasive way to deal with pain and stress while improving one’s wellbeing makes the following trends in America, described below, all the more troubling. (more…)
Most people wouldn’t think that a relaxing massage can actually help you lose weight. But, after hearing the reasons why massage therapy can help take off the pounds, the conclusion should seem obvious, especially to those who read this blog and our Website regularly.
When getting a massage, most people focus on the bigger areas, such as the back, neck, shoulders and arms. Face massage doesn’t seem to be too common, but, in fact, there is a lot of information out there about it. Indeed, the term gets 2,120,000 hits on Google, and there are numerous instructional videos on YouTube.
However, the exact benefits of face massage therapy, how, and to whom, it is performed, and even basic general information about the modality (from legitimate sources) are hard to discover. (more…)