Massage Trivia

Muscles make up 1/2 of the weight of the body.

Muscles receive 1/4 of the blood from the body except for during a massage or exercise which they then receive 1/2 of the blood.

Massage is able to increase muscular tone by improving the nutrition that the muscle receives.

When a muscle is inactive, the blood goes around it instead of through it.

Massage is able to "feed" a muscle without exhausting it.

After only 3-4 weeks of massage, muscle size and firmness are improved somewhat. Marked differences in muscle size and firmness takes 2-3 months of massage.

Four-fifths of all of the food eaten goes to the production of heat. One-fifth is used for work.

Fibromyalgia patients receiving massage during a research study were relieved of some pain, were in better moods, and had less stress.

Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome had less pain, depression, anxiety, and improved sleep patterns after receiving massages.

In a study of 6 breast cancer patients undergoing radiation, they experienced more "vitality and tranquility", less tension and tiredness, and fewer symptoms from the radiation treatments after receiving back massages.

From the Touch Research Institute in Miami:

Children with asthma had decreased stress and anxiety levels, along with improved attitudes after receiving massages instead of relaxation therapy.

Attentiveness and responsitivity improved after massage in autistic kids.

Babies who were born to depressed adolescent mothers received massage therapy and subsequently became more responsive to human interaction.

Sexually abused women reported less depression and anxiety after massages, and also had lower cortisol (stress related hormone) levels.

Patients recovering from a post burn scar reported less anxiety, depression, pain, and itching following massage therapy they received in the hospital.

The following are some excerpts from the American Massage Therapy Association newsletter, Hands On, Volume XVII, Number 6 "Consumer Survey Fact Sheet"

More than twice as many adult Americans report receiving one or more                          massages from a massage therapist in the past year.

The number who report getting a massage each year has steadily increased.

24% of Americans expect to get a massage from a massage therapist in the next 12 months.

From the Americans who received a massage in the last 5 years, 35% of adults got their last massage for medical reasons, while 31% got a massage to pamper themselves, 15% for relaxation, and 10% for stress reduction.

Almost one-third of adults surveyed say that medical reasons would motivate them to get a massage.

55% of Americans say massage therapists are providers of a stress-reducing service outside of medicine.

42% say that massage therapists are providers of alternative or complementary healthcare.

34% view massage therapists as complementary members of a healthcare team.

Of the adults who spoke to their healthcare providers about massage therapy, 79% report that the conversation was favorable about massage.

58% of adults would like to have their health insurance cover massage.

43% would be willing for massage to be added to their health plan, if they pay the massage therapist directly at a discount.

21% are willing to pay higher premiums to their health plan to have massage as a covered benefit.

Consumers visit massage therapists 114 million times each year, and spend between $4 and $6 billion annually on visits to massage therapists.

An increasing number of corporations, small businesses, and municipalities have found on-site massage to be a low-cost benefit with high payoff.

Among emergency room patients, 31% report that they have used massage in the past for painful conditions.

Among complementary and alternative medicine practices surveyed, medical practitioners ranked massage therapy highest (74%) in terms of being perceived as always or usually effective.