1998 MASSAGE THERAPY CONSUMER SURVEY FACT SHEET

Following are findings of a survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, Princeton, N.J., and commissioned by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). A total of 1,007 American adults were polled August 13, 1998. The survey has a confidence level of + 3 percent.

This is the second annual survey of American consumers commissioned by AMTA. Opinion Research Corporation conducted its first survey of consumers on massage by telephone in June 1997. The surveys were conducted among a national probability sample of 1,007 adults (503 men and 504 women) age 18 and older, living in private households in the continental United States.

  • More than one in five Americans (22 percent) report having had a massage from a massage therapist in the past five years. Thirteen percent report receiving one or more massages in the past year — an increase from 8 percent of Americans in a survey conducted by ORC in1997.

  • Of those who spoke to their physicians about massage therapy, 76 percent reported that the conversation was favorable about massage.

  • Almost three in four (72 percent) American adults in 1998 could name some form of benefit that would motivate a person to get a massage — compared to 55 percent in 1997. Thirty percent said they would get a massage from a massage therapist for a specific healthcare reasons, including relief of muscle soreness, pain reduction and injury recovery.

  • Fifty-two percent said they think of massage as therapeutic, up from 45 percent in 1997. Twenty-three percent said it feels good and 19 percent said it is both therapeutic and feels good.

  • The three most often cited reasons for getting a therapeutic massage are relaxation (27 percent), relief of muscle soreness, stiffness or spasms (13 percent) and stress reduction (10 percent).

    • Massage therapy is growing in popularity among the 25-54 age group. In 1998, 31 percent of 25-34 year olds reported having a massage in the past five years, compared to 22 percent in 1997; 25 percent of 35-44 year olds reported having a massage in the past five years in 1998, compared to 18 percent in 1997; and 22 percent of 45-54 year olds reported having a massage in the past five years in 1998, compared to only 16 percent in 1997.

    • The proportion of men who received one or more massages from a massage therapist doubled to 12 percent from 1997 to 1998, while 14 percent of women reported getting a massage from a massage therapist in the same period.

    • Massage therapy is equally popular among men and women and in all regions of the country. The West shows the highest percentage of people who had a massage in the last five years — 35 percent.

  • The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) is a professional organization of more than 35,000 members. AMTA Professional members have demonstrated a certain level of skill and knowledge through education and testing. New Professional members must be graduates of training programs accredited or approved by the Commission on Massage Training Accreditation (COMTA) or be Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, and have all current city, state or provincial licenses for the area in which they practice.

  • The American Massage Therapy Association provides information about massage therapy for consumers and will help consumers or healthcare professionals locate qualified massage therapists in their area. For more information and/or to locate a qualified massage therapist, contact AMTA, 500 Davis Street, 9th Floor, Suite 100, Evanston, IL 60201-4444; telephone (847) 864-0123; fax (847) 864-1178; or via the Web at www.amtamassage.org.

For more information, contact:
Molly Ring or Alicia Schuster
Public Communications Inc.
312/558-1770

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