Why Have Massage?

If you practice stress management techniques, why not have regular massage or bodywork? I posed this question in my last poll and here are the results:

39% of the voters suggested that the reason they did not have regular massage or bodywork was because of the expense.

31% said they were not comfortable with the idea of having a massage.

24% suggested they had other reasons or didn't have enough information.

8% had no time.

Statistics on Stress and Stress-Related Problems

Now take a look at these statistics on stress and stress-related problems:

• 75-90% of visits to family physicians are for stress-related problems.
• The World Health Organization identified job-related stress as a worldwide epidemic.
• In a 2000 annual Gallup Poll on attitudes in the American workplace, 80% of workers felt stressed on the job; nearly 50% said they needed help in managing their stress; and 42% said their coworkers needed help; 62% find that they end the day with work-related neck pain.
• The National Safety Council estimates that 1 million American employees are absent every day from work because of stress-related problems.
• 65% of North Americans take prescription medications daily, 43% take mood altering prescriptions regularly.
• Alcohol is commonly used to cope with anxiety. 72% of Canadians consume alcohol each year.

Is Massage Therapy Expensive?

Many extended health care plans cover massage therapy visits.

On average, massage therapy will cost approximately $1.00 per minute of time spent, whether that is chair massage or an actual full body massage at a clinic, office or spa. That works out to about $50 for 50 minutes of relaxation.

Most of us can easily spend $50 dining out one evening, buying weekly coffee at Starbucks, or regularly consuming alcohol.

If you find that massage therapy is beyond your budget, there are other ways to get the benefits. You could always sign up for a couple's massage or introductory acupressure or foot reflexology class and learn how to do it yourself. You could also call up a massage school and ask about their student rates.

So back to the original question of why massage?

Quite simply, massage is one of the oldest forms of healing. It is a drug-free and non-invasive way of helping to relieve pain, stress and tension. It can help you cope better with stress and has shown to be effective in helping to reduce anxiety. If stress is getting the better of you, why not try one of the 100 different massage therapy techniques available.

For those somewhat uncomfortable about having to disrobe for a massage, there are a number of massage techniques where that is not required (i.e. reflexology, shiatsu, chair massage, acupressure).

© Copyright, Sylvia Carlson 2006. Reproduction without permission prohibited.

Related Articles:

1. Benefits of Massage

2. Stress Management Poll Results

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