MASSAGE FACTS/STUDIES

STUDIES:

~Please see 'Conditions' page of this web site for more information and noted studies. Additionally...

~Visit www.massagemag.com and type in key phrase, "Massage and Bodywork for Pain Relief" for details on the following titles/articles in this entry regarding recent research findings, and many, many more;

"Deep Presure Massage Eases Chronic Pain"  Article outlines common causes and 6 principles of chronic pain, and the role of deep pressure in dealing with this sometimes-debilitating condition that many people live with on a daily basis. Some of the beneficial effects of deep pressure massage include increased endorphine (the body's natural pain killers) release as well as enhanced circulation of blood and lymph, which helps to flush nerve irritants and toxins from the affected tissues, as well as fresh oxygen and nutrients in to same. Kim Miller-Mirolli, D.C., L.M.T. Massage Magazine Issue 141, Feb. 2008, pp. 72-77.

"Acupressure Reduces Low Back Pain" In a randomised, controlled trial, at an orthopedic clinic in Kaohsiung, Taiwan involving 129 randomly selecetd patients with chronic low-back pain, acupressure was shown to be effective in reducing low-back pain, with effects lasting for six months. Authors Lisa Li-Chen Hsieh, Chung-Hung Kuo, Liang Huei Lee, Amy Ming-Fang Yen, Kuo-Liong Chien and Tony Hsiu-Hsi Chen. Originally published in BMJ [British Medical Journal], Vol. 332, No. 7543, March 25, 2006, pp. 696-700.

"Massage Therapy Shown to Reduce Stress, Enhance Well-being" Massage Therapy was found, in a pilot/randomised study of adults age 60 and older, to greater enhance positive well-being and reduce stress, compared to guided relaxation. Patricia A. Sharpe, Harriet G. Williams, and James R. Hussey. Originally Published in Complimentary Therapies in Medicine (2007) 15, pp. 157-163.

"Massage Reduces Hand Arthritis Pain and Increases Grip Strength" In a University of Miami School of Medicine Touch Research Institute study, the massage-therapy group had lower anxiety and depressed mood scores after the first and last sessions, and by the end of the study reported less pain and greater grip strength than the control group on all measures accross the study period. Tiffany Field, Ph. D.; Miguel Diego, Maria Hernandez-Reif, Ph. D., Jean Shea. Originally Published in Journal Of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (2006), doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2006.09.002

"Massage Therapy Aids Recovery from Addictions" Recent studies found that the addition of massage to standard treatment programs reduces anxiety and promotes behavioral change. In addition to helping circulation and elimination, massage helps to move stuck energy in the body, which, in turn, allows the addict to let go of his emotions. Also, massage stimulates the vagus nerve, one of 12 cranial nerves, which in turn slows heart rate, facilitates food absorption, and reduces cortisol (stress) and other neurotransmitters. Phyllis Hanlon, Massage Magazine, Issue 129, Feb., 2007

"Massage Improves Sleep, Decreases Pain and Substance P in Fibromyalgia Patients" According to the research, after receiving massage twice-weekly for five weeks, firomyalgia patients experienced improved mood and sleep, and their levels of substance P, a neurotransmitter in the pain system, decreased, along with the number of tender spots thoroughout their bodies. Tiffany Field, Ph.D., Miguel Diego, Christy Cullen, Maria Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D., William Sunshine and Steven Douglas. Originally published in the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, April 2002, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 72-76.  

Some other interesting facts on touch...

~German emperor Frederick II, took a number of newborns from their mothers and gave them to nurses who fed them but did not cuddle or talk to them. All of the babies died before they could talk. Fredrick concluded "They could not live without petting."

~In the early 1990's, Romania, thousands of infants were put in orphanages, they were left in their cribs for two years, all alone. They were found to be severely impaired.

~Duke Professor Saul Schanberg found that rat pups separated from their parents for 45 minutes underwent major internal changes including a large drop in growth hormones. Injections of growth hormones didn't help. But when someone stroked them with a wet paintbrush-- mimicking their mothers tongue--the hormone levels went back up.

~Touch is the first sense to develop in humans, and may be the last to fade

~there are approximately 5 million touch receptors in our skin-- 3000 in a finger tip

~a touch of any kind can reduce the heart rate and lower blood pressure

~touch stimulates the release of endorphins (the body's natural pain killers) which is why a mother's hug for a child's skinned knee can literally make it better

~people with eating disorders who receive massage three time a day for ten day's, gain weight faster and got out of the hospital six days sooner than those who don't

~elderly people who massage surrogate grandchildren report higher-esteem and better moods

~massage before an athletic event, makes the athlete more flexible, enhanced speed and power, and less prone to injury

* One in five Americans have had a massage from a massage therapist in the past five years and 13% report receiving one in the past year. This is up 8% from 1997.

* Today, there are more than 60,000 Nationally Certified practitioners that serve millions of consumers.

* Nationally Certified practitioners provide expertise in various areas of therapeutic massage and body work; including relaxation massage, deep tissue, acupressure, shiatsu, polarity therapy, Hot Stone, reflexology, neuromuscular therapy and many more.

* In 1996, massage therapy and bodywork was officially offered for the first time as a core medical service in the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. At the Games, Nationally Certified practitioners were providing key medical services.

* Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia now regulate the practice of therapeutic massage and bodywork. Of those, twenty-five states, in addition to the District of Columbia, now use the NCBTMB examination as meeting (in part or in whole) the requirements of regulation.

* NCBTMB currently has over 600 Approved Providers of Continuing Education.

* Consumers spend between $2 and $4 billion dollars annually on visits to massage and bodywork practitioners, totaling approximately 75 million visits each year.

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

* Health insurers are increasingly expanding coverage to include alternative medicines. In addition, several healthcare network providers use NCBTMB to check the National Certification status of the practitioner.

* Fifty-four percent of primary care physicians and family practitioners say they would encourage their patients to pursue massage therapy as a complement to medical treatment.

* Massage therapy accounts for 18% of the 425 million visits made to alternative healthcare providers each year.

* In 1999, 52% of American adults thought of massage as "therapeutic," which is up 47% from 1997.

* An estimated 20 million Americans receive massage therapy and bodywork each year, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH).

* Approximately 50,000 massage and bodywork practitioners provide 45 million one-hour therapy sessions each year.

* Two thirds of Americans have tried at least one form of alternative therapy or treatment for medical conditions.

* Massage therapy is the third most commonly used form of alternative medicine in the U.S., having been tried by 35% of Americans.

* Women are more likely than men to have tried alternative treatment.

* Forty-two percent of Americans have used some type of alternative care in the past.

* Americans make more visits to see alternative therapists than to see primary-care physicians, spending $21.2 billion.

* The number of massage practitioners in the U.S. is between 120,000 and 160,000.

* Massage and bodywork therapy is sought out by a large number of people in age brackets: 18-24 (22%); 25-34 (31%); 35-44 (25%); 45-54 (22%); 55-64 (19%); and over 65 (9%).

* The most important driver to try an alternative treatment is a recommendation from a friend or family member, which leads 62% of their patients to these providers.