06.12.2007

 

Health Benefits of Massage, Growing

 

Highland Ranch (PR) June 12, 2007 – The therapeutic massage industry has shown growth over the last decade, with no signs of slowing. So much that the industry is catching the eyes of policy makers, with thirty-seven states now regulating the profession, in addition to the many municipalities when there is no statewide regulation.

 

In addition, the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) report that older baby boomers (ages 55 to 64) have tripled their use of massage over the past 10 years, as did those ages 65 and older. The AMTA also report that 94 percent of the Generation Y population (18- to 24-year-olds) agree that massage can be beneficial to their health.

 

92 percent of Gen Xers agree with their younger counterparts and believe massage can benefit their health.

 

It isn't just the end-use consumers that understand the benefits of therapeutic massage. The medical industry is siding with the hands-on approach as well. While physicians led the way for recommending massage therapy when asked (59 percent), nearly half of all chiropractors (48 percent) and physical therapists (47 percent) also recommended massage when patients inquired. And 82% of hospitals offering alternative medicine therapies include massage therapy among their healthcare offerings.

 

With over 47 million American adults receiving a massage each year and the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating future growth at 27% or more compared to past years, Elements Therapeutic Massage, based in Highlands Ranch, CO quickly sold 40 franchise locations due to the demand from both consumers and massage therapy graduates looking for jobs in their industry.

Elements opened their first franchise with the intent of providing cost effective massage sessions to the public. "By making massage more convenient for everyone to benefit from and bringing the cost per session down, we are filling a niche in the marketplace that had not been met," reports Scott Wendrych, President of elements Therapeutic Massage. “We use a unique system to ensure that we match the right therapist with the client, this has proven successful in keeping our clients coming back regularly,” Mr. Wendrych reported.

 

The original Elements was founded in 1998 by Michele Merhib, a massage therapist and member of the corporate staff responsible for helping owners learn how to open and run massage studios. To closely model the high end resorts, Elements offers a variety of massage types, including: Swedish, Deep Tissue & Trigger Point, Sports Massage, Prenatal and Hot Stone Massage. "Massage has proven to be an effective method for reducing stress and releasing tension," reports Mr. Wendrych. "Our objective is to provide our clients a regular mini-vacation to release stress and live a better quality of life through professional therapeutic massage." While there are many massage facilities, two franchises are leading the massage industry for the mass market, elements Therapeutic Massage and Massage Envy.