Massage Therapy Career Statistics Massage therapy careers are growing as the industry gains respect from the medical world and the demand for massage therapy increases. Recent surveys show that there are 118,000 massage therapists working in the US. However, because many massage therapy professionals practice massage as a second career, there may actually be as many as 200,000 people providing massage therapy services in some capacity. In any case, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment for massage therapists will grow 20 percent between 2006 and 2016. Professional massage therapy organizations and associations are working to gain even more recognition for massage by the medical and insurance industries. And their work is paying off. Today, massage therapy is found everywhere. In addition to hospitals, elderly care facilities, chiropractic clinics and nursing facilities, massage therapy careers can be found in: - Spas
- Resorts
- Hotels
- Cruise ships
- Gymnasiums
- Salons
- Health clubs
 What Massage Therapy Can Do In a massage therapy career, you'll have the opportunity to share the benefits of massage—both clinical and non-clinical—with your patients. Outside a medical setting, massage therapy can help patients in the following areas: - Pain relief
- Stress reduction
- Anxiety management
- Rejuvenation
Its use in the health care industry includes: - Prenatal or pregnancy massage
- Elder care
- Sports massage
- Chiropractic therapy
- Physical therapy
- Hospice massage
- Infant massage
- Post- and pre-operative therapeutic massage
As massage therapy careers gain recognition in the medical industry, the list of health applications continues to grow. Massage Therapy Career Opportunities Massage therapy is gaining respect as a restorative, rehabilitative medical practice. In this capacity, massage therapy is the perfect compliment to chiropractic and physical therapy. Chiropractic Care Massage is now a standard treatment in chiropractic clinics. Because most chiropractic medicine is commonly covered by medical insurance, this affords excellent opportunities for massage therapists. If you would enjoy working with patients with immediate therapeutic needs on a short-term basis, working in a chiropractic office is an excellent opportunity . Physical Therapy Physical therapists are trained in basic massage movements, and conversely, massage therapists are learning physical therapy techniques as well. If anatomy and physiology are of particular interest to you, you will enjoy reading more about a physical therapy career. Learn More About Massage Therapy Careers For more information about types of massage, visit our Massage Therapy Glossary. You can also find out what you'll earn in a massage therapy career in our Massage Therapy Salaries article.  |
