TRENDS

2024 TRENDS

TREND 1:  Massage Therapists’ Career and Demographics

Working as a massage therapist offers many opportunities in the growing industry of wellness. And, employment  for professional  massage therapists continues to rise. The Bureau of  Labor Statistics projects that massage therapist employment will grow 18% through 2032 which is faster than the average for all U.S. occupations.  Because of this, the number of U.S. practicing  massage therapists has  increased by 8% over the last decade. The massage profession is predominantly female and nearly half of all massage therapists (42%) have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Massage therapy is rarely the first career choice for most massage therapists, and many find their way to this career mid-life.  

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TREND 2:  Massage Therapists’ use of Tech Touch Therapies is on the Rise

Tech touch therapies and equipment gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for consumers to manage their pain and stress during those no-touch years.  Since then, Spas and Massage Therapists continue to integrate tech touch therapies with massage treatments as consumers have enjoyed the benefits of these services.  Tech touch therapies include meditation loungers, infrared therapy, salt booths, vibratory tools and E-stim machines.  Massage Therapists are discovering that this equipment helps support their sessions and seems beneficial to use before, during, and post massage treatments. In addition, Massage Therapists are using tech touch therapies and equipment as self-care, helping them stay healthy as well. 

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TREND 3:  Medical Providers Are Recommending Massage

Medical providers and doctors are increasingly viewing massage therapy as a complementary option to address health concerns. Consumers are talking with their healthcare providers about massage, and those providers are recommending massage to their patients. This indicates an increased integration of massage therapy in healthcare environments. According to a new IRS ruling, massage therapy can now be a qualified medical expense. This ruling states “Medical expenses are the costs of diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or disease prevention and the costs for affecting any part of function on the human body.” Massage therapy is increasingly being viewed as a traditional, evidence-based therapy rather than an alternative therapy by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (the NIH agency that funds research on health).

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TREND 4:  Distance Learning for Massage Students

Massage therapy schools have increased their online course offerings as part of entry-level education over the past few years, giving massage students more flexibility in their education. Because of COVID-19, many schools shifted some courses to online, especially business, ethics, anatomy, and physiology courses. As massage schools modernize, many have updated their programs to include hybrid education where some courses are completed online and hands-on technique courses are completed in person. Offering hybrid education programs is one way to answer the demand of today’s students for easier access to education via  technology and online learning. 

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Massage Makes Me Happy & Healthy Initiative of Global Wellness Institute

  • Heather Zdan, co-chair
  • Karen Short, co-chair
  • CG Funk, co-chair
  • Dr. Tiffany Field
  • Cherie Sohnen-Moe
  • Kim Collier
  • Scott Dartnall
  • Melissa Mazzola
  • Allan Share
  • Jim Chenevey
  • Luke Massery

Updated March 2024

2023 TRENDS

Anxiety and Depression: 

Anxiety and depression are on the rise for both clients and practitioners.  Anxiety and depression can affect anyone and manifests differently in each person.  There are ways to manage and treat both anxiety and depression.  Studies show that massage can actually relieve depression and anxiety that is affecting the body’s biochemistry, according to the Touch Research Institute at the University Of Miami School Of Medicine.  Massage therapy can relieve the tension that naturally happens in muscles and connective tissues when they become stiff. Blood flow increases and that alone promotes relaxation to create relief from the physical symptoms of depression including back pain, muscle aches, sluggishness, and sleeping problems.

Mental Health:

A new survey on mental health from the You-Gov Cambridge Globalism Project shows that 53% of American women said their working life has become more stressful due to the pandemic, 50% of people in the U.S. ages 18 to 24 say the pandemic has badly affected their mental health, and just 43% of the overall U.S. population say they feel optimistic for the future. High-profile athletes (Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles) and others are being honest about struggles with mental health—and although massage is not a replacement for mental health care and referrals should be made as needed, massage therapy has been found by researchers to decrease anxiety and depression while boosting feel-good hormones like oxytocin.

Massage as a Healthcare Modality:

Massage continues to be considered more for well-being and healthcare versus the historical just relax and pampering.  Of consumers that discussed massage with their doctor: 57 percent of respondents discussed pain relief or pain management with their doctor. 36 percent discussed injury recovery or rehabilitation with their doctor. 47 percent discussed soreness, stiffness, and spasms with their doctor.

Mindfulness:

Mindfulness is a practice developed through meditation, breathwork and remembering to be here now. Mindfulness has been seen as an antidote to modern stressors for many years—but has taken on a larger significance due to the pandemic, political strife and growing unease about what may come. 

“The almost unfathomable upheavals of the global pandemic have been an ongoing reminder of the fragility of our lives; we have felt, again and again, how hopes and plans and expectations can be dashed without warning,” says educator and author David M. Lobenstine, LMT. “As a result, the gift that mindfulness gives—a reminder to remain in the present moment—is more valuable than ever.” Practicing mindfulness during a massage session can be particularly powerful, he adds. “When we become aware of the rise and fall of our own breath—when we notice our wandering thoughts without judgement and bring our attention back to the next exhalation—then we provide a template for the client to do the same and feel more at ease in their own body and brain and breath.”

Your Wellness Roadmap for the New Year: 2022 Trends

Global Massage Makes Me Happy Day:
Global Massage Makes Me Happy and Healthy Day is celebrated on March 20th of every year to highlight the benefits of massage therapy. It launched in 2018 and is celebrated at the same time as the International Day of Happiness. Each year consumers, spas, wellness centers, massage schools, associations, businesses, the media, researchers, and individual practitioners promote this day and many hold activities to coincide with this event.

www.GlobalWellnessInstitute/massage-makes-me-happy

Massage Makes Me Happy and Healthy Initiative

  • Lynda Solien-Wolfe, Chair, In Loving Memory (2018-2023)
  • Heather Zdan, Vice Chair
  • Karen Short, Vice Chair
  • CG Funk, Vice Chair
  • Dr. Tiffany Field
  • Cherie Sohnen-Moe
  • Kim Collier
  • Melissa Mazzola
  • Allan Share
  • Scott Dartnall
  • Ryan Hoyme

Updated May 2023