Awilda Pelaez, Medical Massage Practitioner & Author

What is Autoimmune Disease?
In autoimmune diseases, the immune system, which ordinarily defends the body against outside infection, mistakes the body’s own cells, tissues and organs as foreign—and attacks them accordingly.
Learn more at https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/massage-autoimmune-disorders/

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Awilda Pelaez, Certified Medical Massage Practitioner.. At the AMTA National Convention 2022- Cleveland, Ohio.

Check this out on Amazon
Learn Soft Tissue Manipulation Skills: The Medical Massage Practitioner’s Guide https://a.co/d/fefMxXt

Common Types of Surgery and How Massage Therapy Can Help with Rehabilitation..
https://www.amtamassage.org/resources/massage-and-health/rehabilitation/

How has COVID-19 impacted the massage profession?
As of April 2020, 86% of massage therapists stated they had stopped working. In September 2021 over 90% stated they were back at work.

Massage therapists are changing their work practices and cleaning and appointment procedures due to the pandemic. This includes more time between appointments to allow for additional cleaning.

COVID-19 and the Massage Industry
What kinds of business changes are consumers looking for in response to COVID-19?

Where are massage therapists practicing?
77% of massage therapists describe themselves as sole practitioners
On average, massage therapists work in about 2 different settings
52% of massage therapists provide massage in their offices
36% provide massage in their homes

The number of massage therapists has increased by 14% over the last decade. The profession is predominately female at 86%. Nearly half of massage therapists (46%) have a bachelor's degree or higher. Massage therapy was rarely the first career choice for most massage therapists, regardless of the practice setting.

Where do massage therapists find clients?
The average massage therapist uses more than five outlets of communication to promote their practice.

Social media and the internet are the most common digital tools massage therapists use to promote their practice.

61% of massage therapists had websites for their practice – and those working as employees reported 74% of their employers had a website.

Roughly half of massage therapists received referrals from physicians at least once every 6 months.

Over three-quarters, (77%) of massage therapists referred clients to another massage therapist at least once every 6 months.

Where do clients find massage therapists?
While most massage therapists don’t actively promote client-to-client referrals, at just 37 percent, that is the most common way clients find a massage therapist, at 85 percent.

The next most common way to find massage therapists is online and through community or local events.

Why Do Consumers Get a Massage?
Over half of all massage consumers got their last massage for health and wellness reasons.

Just 16% of consumers list pampering as their primary reason for their last massage, and 30% of consumers received a massage for pampering in the last year.

Nearly half of consumers got a massage last year for relaxation or stress reduction.

Men are more likely than women to discuss massage therapy with their doctor or health care provider.

In 2021, 63% of consumers who got a massage for health and wellness reasons stated it was part of a treatment plan from a doctor or medical provider.

Research data comes from the 2021 AMTA Consumer Survey.

Where Are Consumers Getting Massage?
In 2021 46% of female consumers and 23% of male consumers got a massage in a spa
34% of consumers got a massage at a massage therapist’s office
24% of consumers visited a massage franchise or chain in 2021 – and 13% of consumers got their last massage at a name-brand chain in 2021.
7% of consumers got a massage at their home or the home of someone they know in 2021
*Some consumers may not know the difference between a spa, franchise, and often a massage therapist's office.