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Posted on: November 5, 2014
Over the last decade, the field of massage therapy has grown substantially and is now included in many corporate wellness programs. The expansion not only reflects overall changes in attitude toward health care, but also indicates a shift in people’s acceptance that therapeutic massage treatments are a viable and realistic alternative to traditional pharmaceutical, medical, and surgical interventions. Concurrently, the requirements for massage therapist education have evolved into rigorous academic programs that emulate and comply with the shift and address the need for high credibility. The benefits of massage are not readably quantifiable and statistical evidence is difficult to ascertain when compared to random, non-biased studies that generate numerical proof that a drug or a surgery has had a definitive outcome. Many people go on with their day-to-day lives in discomfort for a variety of reasons. They search for help unsuccessfully, or they accept their pain as normal and ignore it. Furthermore, they question mainstream health care but remain ignorant or apathetic to their options, adhering to powerful and fast acting drugs, unsuccessful interventions, and surgery. In the United States, the outrageous cost of medical treatments on the individual and on the economy aligns with the recognition of the fundamental importance of preventative measures in terms of health, morbidity, and disease. Moreover, research continues to demonstrate the psychological and physiological benefits of massages that incorporate numerous modalities to alleviate pain, increase circulation, promote relaxation, improve posture, reduce stress, enhance athletic performance, assist with injury recovery, strengthen the immune system, and contributes to a healthy living lifestyle. For example, studies at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality & Healing, acknowledges the importance of massage therapy, confirms efficacy for chronic pain, affirms advances for pre-term infants and cancer sufferers, and advocates further research in the field. Massage therapy is a journey of recovery and rejuvenation, and in this fast-paced changing world the need for touch is one constant.
