The state of the Massage Therapy profession
After going through the pandemic, the Massage Therapy profession is doing pretty good, but there have been some distinct changes from past years. The AMTA has released its annual report on the profession this week after surveying therapists and the general population.
For example, men are more likely to get a massage now than women. In the AMTA survey, 22% of male respondents said they received a massage during the previous year, while 20% of women said the same. That amazed me! My practice has always had an approximately 80-20 ratio of women to men. Most therapists that I’ve talked to, both female and male, say that it’s the same in their practice. What’s the ratio in your practice?
By the way, in 2011 these numbers were a lot different – 24% of women said they’d gotten a massage, while only 13% of men did. What do you think this change says about the profession and where it’s going?
There are many other findings in the report that are interesting and worth being aware of. I’ll get to those in a second. First, I want to mention that there will be four Ray of Light Training in-person classes coming up soon. All of them offer 18 CEUs. Some of these classes are already more than half full. Click on a class to get more information and register:
– August 20-22 – Cranial-Sacral Therapy Essential Tools and Protocol – Fayetteville
– Sept 10-12 – Direct-Indirect Technique for Upper & Lower Back and Legs – Little Rock
– Oct 8-10 – Direct-Indirect Technique for Shoulder, Arm, Neck, Head, and TMJ – Fayetteville
– Nov 12-14 – Cranial-Sacral Therapy Essential Tools and Protocol – Hot Springs
What else is happening in the MT world?
Here’s a rundown of some of the other findings from this survey of both therapists and the general population:
- More people who have children (25%) are getting bodywork than people who don’t (19%). Maybe it’s the extra stress.
- People with a high income (34%) are more likely to get bodywork than those who don’t (15%). Not very surprising.
- Where do people go to get a massage? – spa (41%), therapist office (38%), chain or franchise (36%), beauty salon (17%), resort or cruise (17%). About 6% said they’d gotten a massage in their home.
- More than 60% of people said they’d gotten a massage for health and wellness reasons, as opposed to “pampering” (28%). And 30% said their bodywork was part of a treatment plan associated with a medical professional. Clearly, more people are aware of the benefits of massage now, and they’re talking with their doctors about it.
- 57% of respondents said they’d gotten a massage for pain relief or pain management. This is up from 40% in 2011.
- How do people find a therapist? – client referral (90%), internet (85%), social media (68%), local events (47%), professional networking (47%), locator service (45%). Client referrals are still the best way to get new clients. However, the internet and social media is being used by more and more people now to find a therapist.
- How do Massage Therapists promote their business? – professional networking (82%), locator service (81%), local events (80%), social media (79%), internet (59%), and asking for client referrals (38%). We have a lot more tools that we can use these days.
- The number of Massage Therapists has increased by 19% over the past 10 years, and 88% of them are female. That ratio of women to men has been fairly constant over time.
- Where are therapists practicing? – own office (40%), client’s home (38%), own home (32%), spa or salon (20%), chiropractor office (13%), client’s workplace (11%), medical facility (6%), massage chain (6%), health club (5%), hotel or cruise (4%). Obviously, many therapists work in multiple locations.
In addition to these survey results, many therapists said their practice changed a lot over the last year due to the pandemic. They purchased a lot more supplies and equipment. They instituted lots of sanitation and safety measures. Although covid case numbers have increased again recently, the more stringent measures may be relaxed over time. Many therapists have already done so. Hopefully, things like careful sanitation, air filters, and other measures will continue to be used. They will help with lots of other things besides covid spread.
You can see more about this report here:
https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-industry-fact-sheet/?utm_source=informz&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=members&utm_content=july-hands-on-july-8&userToken=b3d20842-25e2-444f-b40f-90d7e443e9d3&Site=AMTA
I’m curious to know what you think of these survey results. In the meantime, remember to take good care of yourself, so you can continue to safely and successfully help your clients and everyone else that depends on you.
Stay well, John
Ray of Light Training
John J. Ray is a Board Approved Continuing Education Provider through the NCBTMB
Member of the Fascia Research Society