Oct. 17, 1997

1997 THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE SURVEY FACT SHEET

Findings of a survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, commissioned by the American Massage Therapy AssociationTM (AMTA):

  1. American adults had three times as many massages (6 total) in the past 12 months as they did in the previous year (2), and nearly twice as many in the past 12 months as they did in the previous four years combined (4).

  2. The frequency of therapeutic massage is increasing as well, with the mean number of massages reported for the past 12 months as 6, compared to 4 for the previous 4 years combined.

  3. A total of 17 percent of the adult U.S. population reported getting therapeutic massages in the past 5 years, 8 percent in the past 12 months.

  4. While massage therapy is somewhat more popular among people 18 to 34 (22 percent)) it is sought out by people in all age brackets measured: ages 35-44 (18 percent); 45-54 (16 percent); 55-64 (17 percent); and those over 65 (8 percent).

  5. Massage therapy is equally popular among men and women, in all regions of the country. The West shows the highest percentage of people who got a massage in the last five years -- 22 percent.

  6. 45 percent of people said they think of massage as therapeutic, 23 percent said it feels good and 22 percent said both. Three percent said neither and 7 percent didn't know.

  7. The three most-often cited reasons for getting a therapeutic massage are relaxation (21 percent), to relieve muscle soreness, stiffness or spasms (14 percent) and for stress reduction (10 percent).

  8. A total of 87 percent said it is important for a massage therapist to be a member of a professional association that has a code of ethics and requires its members to follow professional standards.

  9. 83 percent said it is important for the therapist to be licensed by the city and/or state in which they practice.

  10. 81 percent said the therapist should have graduated from an accredited massage therapy school.

  11. Opinion Research Corporation conducted the survey by telephone June 12-15, 1997. The survey was conducted among a national probability sample of 1007 adults (503 men and 504 women) age 18 and older, living in private households in the continental United States.

  12. The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) is a professional organization of more than 28,000 members. AMTA professional members have demonstrated a certain level of skill and knowledge through education and testing. New Professional Active members must be graduates of training programs accredited or approved by the Commission on Massage Training Accreditation/Approval (COMTAA) and have a current AMTA-accepted city, state or provincial license, or be Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork.

  13. AMTA provides free informational brochures for consumers and will help consumers or professionals locate qualified massage therapists in their area. To obtain a free brochure and/or to locate a qualified massage therapist, consumers should send a self-addressed, stamped envelope with the request to AMTA, 500 Davis Street, 9th Floor, Suite 100, Evanston, IL 60201-4444. AMTA also can be contacted by telephone (847) 864-0123; fax (847) 864-1178, or via the Web at www.amtamassage.org.

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