The public interest and use of massage and bodywork continues to increase every year.

Consumers spend between $4 and $6 billion annually on visits to massage therapists.

54% of primary care physicians and family practitioners say they would encourage their patients to pursue massage and bodywork therapy as a compliment to medical treatments.

More and more hospitals are incorporating massage and bodywork therapists into their pain management programs, as well as offering body therapy to patients and staff for stress management.

Use of massage by people age 65 and over has tripled since 1997.

Use of massage in hospitals has increased up to 30 percent in 2006.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor employment for massage therapists is expected to increase 20 percent from 2006 to 2016, faster than average for all occupations.

In the survey of alternative medicine that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, massage therapy ranked third among the most frequently used forms of alternative medicine.

More than 70% of adults suffer from back pain sometime in their lives and massage was rated one of the most widely used and most effective alternative healthcare modality.    

The average annual income for a massage therapist (including tips) who provides 15 hours of massage per week is $30,000, compared to $28,170 for full-time healthcare support workers; $27,190 for full-time medical assistants and $23,290 for occupational therapist aides.

Many companies (e.g. G.E., Goldman Sachs, Young & Rubicam, Motorola, and American Airlines) are inviting massage therapists on-site as an employment perk and as a means of reducing stress and absenteeism.