The Society for Human Resource Management reported in 2007 that 13 percent of its 210,000 member companies offer workplace massage. An earlier Working Mother article found 77 percent of the top 100 U.S. companies offered massage at work.
Research has shown massage reduces carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. The Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 2004.
Touch Therapy Institute at the University of Miami reports its massage therapy studies indicate effectiveness in:
Reducing mothers risk for premature delivery and postpartum depression; improved sleep for babies.
Reduced pain from migraines and arthritis.
Reduced aggression in adolescents and less hyperactivity in adolescents with ADHD.
Greater alertness in autistic children.
Better lung function in asthmatic children.
Decreased glucose levels in diabetic children.
Less stress and improved performance for employees receiving work-site massage.
Forty-eight percent of respondents to a Consumer Reports survey rated massage therapy as "very helpful" in relieving back pain. The survey revealed pain relief was a top motivator for those seeking massage. (Consumer Reports, May 2009)
Massage therapy has been shown to strengthen the immune system, according to research published in the Journal of Neuroscience, 1996, and Psychosomatic Medicine, 2000.
