Massage Therapy in Integrative Care & Pain Management
Explore research demonstrating massage therapy's value and efficacy for pain management and relief.
Updated Report: Massage and Integrative Healthcare
Massage therapy has become widely accepted as an important part of healthcare in major hospitals and everyday medical practices, with a growing body of research demonstrating its value for pain management and relief.
Building on national studies conducted for AMTA in 2014 and 2017, this updated report explores how massage therapy can be integrated with medical procedures and pharmaceutical interventions across hundreds of health conditions.
The new research estimates that incorporating massage therapy into comprehensive care models could reduce U.S. healthcare system costs by approximately $11.1 billion annually while creating more than 63,000 jobs nationwide.
The Value and Efficacy of Massage Therapy
The first section of the publication examines research demonstrating massage therapy's impact on a range of health issues and case studies showing how massage has been applied in healthcare settings.
Updated Research: The Economic Case for the Use of Massage Therapy
The second section provides an updated economic model for massage therapy as a first-line approach to assist in the overall reduction of medical costs that currently exist when treating pain with opioids or other pharmaceuticals. Massage therapy can also be an integrated complement to other non-pharmacological and pharmacological approaches to pain management.
This new educational tool is meant to inform conversations about the current science behind massage therapy and its role in an integrative approach to healthcare when speaking with:
- Legislators
- Insurance companies
- Collaborators in the healthcare profession
- Clients
- Colleagues
This document contains proprietary information of the American Massage Therapy Association as well as other organizations. If you wish to reproduce these materials or use them in any other way you must request permission from AMTA or other owners of the original materials. For permission to reproduce any AMTA data contained in this report, call 1 (877) 905-0577 or email info@amtamassage.org. If consent is granted, attribution to AMTA and other sources specified in the document should be made. All rights reserved.
Additional Resources
Massage for Pain Relief
Find out how AMTA is leading the conversation on massage therapy as an effective treatment for the management of acute and chronic pain.
Healthcare Advocacy Initiatives
Learn about AMTA's advocacy, education, and partnerships that help promote the integration of massage therapy into mainstream healthcare.