Massage Therapy & Health Care
More Americans discussing massage with their doctors or health care providers.
- In July 2016, more than fifty-one million American adults (17 percent) had discussed massage therapy with their doctors or health care providers in the previous year, consistent with past years’ data.4
Of those 17 percent who discussed massage with their doctor or health care provider, 63 percent of their doctors or health care providers referred them to a therapist/strongly recommended massage therapy/encouraged them to get a massage. While physicians led the way in recommending massage (56 percent vs. 54 percent in 2015), chiropractors (46 percent, unchanged from 2015) and physical therapists (52 percent vs. 37 percent in 2015) also recommended massage therapy when their patients discussed it with them.4
More referrals come from chiropractic offices than other sources, with 10 percent of respondents reporting receiving referrals at least once per week, and another 23% receiving referrals several times per month. Fifty-six percent of massage therapists received at least one referral every 6 months or less from a hospital or medical office in 2016.6
Massage Therapy Research
The therapeutic benefits of massage continue to be researched and studied. Recent research has shown the effectiveness of massage for the following conditions:
- Cancer-related fatigue8
- Low back pain9
- Osteoarthritis of the knee10
- Reducing post-operative pain11
- Boosting the body’s immune system functioning12
- Decreasing the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome13
- Lowering blood pressure14
- Reducing headache frequency15
- Easing alcohol withdrawal symptoms17
- Decreasing pain in cancer patients17
- Fibromyalgia18
About AMTA
The American Massage Therapy Association, the most trusted name in massage therapy, is the largest non-profit, professional association serving massage therapists, massage students and massage schools. The association is directed by volunteer leadership and fosters ongoing, direct member-involvement through its 51 chapters. AMTA works to advance the profession through ethics and standards, the promotion of fair and consistent licensing of massage therapists in all states, and public education on the benefits of massage.