An Incredible Market With Growth
Massage as a growth industry
- In 2005, massage therapy was projected to be a $6 to $11 billion a year industry.1
- It is estimated that there are 250,000 to 300,000 massage therapists and massage school students in the United States.2
- Between August 2004 and July 2005, approximately 47 million American adults received a massage - 2 million more than in the previous year.3
- Nine million more people discussed massage therapy with their doctor or healthcare provider this year than five years ago.
- Almost twice as many doctors recommended it to their patients this year than five years ago, among those who discussed massage therapy with their doctors.4
- The number of both men and women who received a massage in the last year has double since 1997, but at 23 percent, women still get the most massages.4
- 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.4
- Each year, twenty-five million more Americans are getting a massage today than they did 10 years ago.4
- 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.4
- The region that has most increased its use of massage over the last 10 years is the North Central area (up from 8 percent to 19 percent of those surveyed). Use of massage per year at least doubled in all regions - the Northeast up from 9 percent to 18 percent, the South up from 7 percent to 16 percent and the West up from 11 percent to 19 percent. The percentage of both metro and non-metro residents getting massage has increased by 9 percent points since 1997.4
- Only 28 percent of Gen Y (18- to 24-year-olds) agree that massage is just a luxury, compared to 94 percent that agree it can be beneficial to their health. Gen Xers agree: 92 percent believe massage can be beneficial to their health.4
- Massage therapy was three times more popular than medication as a form of pain relief among 18- to 24-year-olds (34 percent for massage versus 10 percent for medication).4
- Ninety-eight percent of Gen X respondents believe massage can be an effective way to relieve pain and thirty-seven percent have already had a massage to relieve pain, while 48 percent of Gen Y have used massage to relieve pain.4
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 2004 National Health
Expenditure Projections 2004-2014.Barnes P, Powell-Griner E, McFann K, Nahin R. CDC Advance Data Report #343. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults: United States, 2002. May 27, 2004. - From data compiled by AMTA 2005.
- AMTA 2005 Consumer Survey.
- AMTA Massage Therapy: Not just a Trend
