Massage Therapy
by Sam Hirschberg
Professional Massage Therapy 
Until recently, massage therapy services have been provided by licensed massage therapists (LMT) and certified massage therapists1 (CMT) in a variety of settings including hair or nail salons, chiropractic offices, spas and health clubs. In general, massage therapists have been sub-contractors, room renters or employees. In these work settings massage therapy is generally a secondary service. In cases such as these, employers often do not have a good understanding of how to schedule and support their massage therapists.
What exactly is Massage Therapy?
Massage is derived from the Greek word meaning "to work with the hands, as in kneading dough." Wikipedia defines massage as the practice of manipulation of the soft tissues of the body in order to fulfill any of several physical, functional and/or emotional goals2.
Dictionary.com defines massage as: the act or art of treating the body by rubbing, kneading, patting, or the like, to stimulate circulation, increase suppleness, relieve tension, etc.
Dictionary.com then defines therapy as: the treatment of disease or disorders, as by some remedial, rehabilitating, or curative process: speech therapy.
Massage therapy has many applications and remedies, such as relaxation, general circulation and pain management. While many definitions could be created by combining the above definitions, a working definition of massage therapy is the treatment of disease or disorders through treating the body by rubbing, kneading, patting or the like.
Of course there are many beneficial effects of massage therapy, including pain relief, stress reduction, relief of many diseases, but the most cited reasons for introduction to massage as reported by therapists that work for elements therapeutic massage was patient demand and clinical effectiveness. Today, the demand for therapeutic massage services are at an all time high. Reports estimate over 40 million people receive a massage each year, contributing to the multi-billion dollar massage therapy industry.
While massage is typically performed by professional Massage Therapist, massage is also provided by other health care professionals, such as Chiropractors, Osteopaths, Athletic trainers and/or Physical Therapists.
Helping People through Massage – About Massage Therapists
You may have heard that massage therapists are their “own breed.” In the past massage therapists have had a reputation of being “flaky” or “not stable.” Much of this reputation is based on the fact that typically massage therapists have not been provided a stable work environment.
Therapists generally range in age from eighteen to mid-forties. There is a new trend of younger students due to massage schools marketing to them. Older students appear to choose massage as a second or third career. Most massage therapists are in the industry because they are care givers and want to help people feel better.
Massage Therapy has Been Shown to Reduce Pain and Discomfort by3:
- Providing a powerful muscle relaxant
- Stretching pathologically shortened muscles
- Breaking compensation patterns
- Reducing delayed onset of muscle soreness
- Stretching contracted connective tissue (fascia)
- Flushing out lactic acid
- Stimulating production of endorphins (natural pain killers)
- Introducing new information through the nervous system which re-educates muscles in poor posture
Massage Therapy Increases Strength by:
- Maximizing performance ability
- Reducing scar tissue formation
Massage Therapy Decreases Stress by:
- Decreasing rate of respiration
- Decreasing heart rate which helps anxiety levels decrease
- Increasing mental/self awareness
- Being healthier
For more information, we invite you to visit the two largest Massage Therapy Associations:
- ABMP -- American Body Work and Massage Professionals is a national association for massage therapists and bodyworkers. They offer liability insurance and a monthly magazine as part of membership. Website
- AMTA -- American Massage Therapy Association is a national association for massage therapists and massage therapy supporters that often have local “chapter” business and continuing education meetings. They offer liability insurance, a monthly magazine and a journal as part of membership. Website
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