A survey of training and practice patterns of massage therapists in two US states

Abstract

BackgroundDespite the growing popularity of therapeutic massage in the US, little is known about the training or practice characteristics of massage therapists. The objective of this study was to describe these characteristics.MethodsAs part of a study of random samples of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners, we interviewed 226 massage therapists licensed in Connecticut and Washington state by telephone in 1998 and 1999 (85% of those contacted) and then asked a sample of them to record information on 20 consecutive visits to their practices (total of 2005 consecutive visits).ResultsMost massage therapists were women (85%), white (95%), and had completed some continuing education training (79% in Connecticut and 52% in Washington). They treated a limited number of conditions, most commonly musculoskeletal (59% and 63%) (especially back, neck, and shoulder problems), wellness care (20% and 19%), and psychological complaints (9% and 6%) (especially anxiety and depression). Practitioners commonly used one or more assessment techniques (67% and 74%) and gave a massage emphasizing Swedish (81% and 77%), deep tissue (63% and 65%), and trigger/pressure point techniques (52% and 46%). Self-care recommendations, including increasing water intake, body awareness, and specific forms of movement, were made as part of more than 80% of visits. Although most patients self-referred to massage, more than one-quarter were receiving concomitant care for the same problem from a physician. Massage therapists rarely communicated with these physicians.ConclusionThis study provides new information about licensed massage therapists that should be useful to physicians and other healthcare providers interested in learning about massage therapy in order to advise their patients about this popular CAM therapy.

Are personal characteristics of massage therapists associated with their clinical, educational, and interpersonal behaviors?

“…(38) In addition, the characteristics of massage therapists in this study were consistent with previous state-based studies regarding gender, (3)(4) age, (3)(4) working in a variety of settings, (3)(4) working part time, (3)(4) median hours of initial training, (4) years in practice, (4) most common type of massage therapy used, (3)(4) and respondents' tendency to provide self-care recommendations such as increased water intake and exercise. (5) Future studies should consider using a national sample to obtain a broader picture of the characteristics, expectations, and behavior of massage therapists.…”

“…[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. Nearly half of the massage therapists practiced alone (45.7%), while 15.9% practiced with a chiropractor, 14.6% practiced in a salon or spa, 12.6% practiced with other massage therapists, and 12% worked in other practice settings.…”

“…It revealed that 18% of adults surveyed received a massage, most commonly to manage stress and medical concerns. (1) Although US massage therapists saw an estimated 18 million adults and 700,000 children in 2007, (2) few studies have examined the characteristics of massage therapists, (3)(4)(5) and none have used a health behavior theory as a framework or evaluated measures of interpersonal behaviors with clients, expectancies, and outcome expectations of massage therapy.…”

A Descriptive Study of the Practice Patterns of Massage New Zealand Massage Therapists

“…PhD thesis; Coventry University, Coventry, UK; 2001; Quinn F. Complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of low back pain, with a focus on reflexology. PhD thesis; University of Ulster, Belfast, UK; 2006) (7,8,20,25,(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35) ; consultation with Māori (NZ indigenous peoples); collegial discussions; and from the words and themes derived from a telephone focus-group study of massage clients (36,37) and massage therapists (Smith JM. Massage therapy services for health needs: drivers, utilisation, culture of care, and practice patterns of massage therapy in NZ.…”

Effect of Massage Therapy on Physiologic Responses in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure

“…Therapeutic touch and massage are of the oldest anxiolytic methods (Sherman et al, 2005). Massage is a systematic form of touch that manipulates soft tissues of the body to promote comfort and healing (Harris, 2010).…”