Massage Makes Me Healthy and Happy Initiative
2025 Trends
Massage Makes Me Healthy & Happy aims to celebrate the healing powers of Massage Therapy and promote its benefits through research, education, advocacy, and awareness. In doing this the initiative consolidates existing clinical research and supports distribution of research for deeper integration of massage into healthcare and wellness practices. As part of this year’s theme for enhancing the massage experience the initiative celebrated Massage Makes Me Healthy & Happy Day on March 20th sharing new ways for therapists to elevate their practice. This was the foundation for the 2025 trends keeping in support of that theme.
TREND 1: Massage Fosters Overall Wellness
People receive massage therapy for many reasons. But according to a new study – the largest and most comprehensive ever conducted on the subject – the prevalence of visits to massage therapists is higher than one might have imagined, and the reasons may be surprising.
In the Baylor study using data from more than 27,000 people surveyed as part of the 2022 round of the annual National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), researchers at Baylor University found that:
11.1% of U.S. adults – one in nine adult Americans or nearly 30 million people – visited a massage therapist in 2021 for any reason.
- 8.5% used massage therapy for overall health and
- 6.0% did so to help with pain
“What our study shows is that it’s probably not helpful any longer to label massage as an ‘alternative’ therapy’, with all of the marginality that the term conveys,” Jeff Levin PHD, University Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health, said. “Licensed massage therapists ought to be respected as mainstream practitioners, whose profession provides a therapeutic approach not just to address pain and functional challenges but to foster wellness and overall well-being, physical and emotional. Everyone can benefit from working with a skilled massage therapist. They’re the hidden gems in the healthcare system.”
Sources:
TREND 2: Enhancing the Massage Experience
In the past few years, businesses offering massage and other healing hands-on services have been innovating menus to adapt to the digital age. Some of these adaptations include state of the art equipment that combine science and technology to create elevated wellness experiences.
Fast Company has recognized several massage products and services for their innovative design and ability to promote wellness. Fast Company’s “Innovation by Design Awards” recognize products, services, and environments that promote a healthy lifestyle. Their “World Changing Ideas Awards” recognize products and services that improve personal or global well-being.
These include:
- Aescape – Aescape – Fast Company
An AI-powered massage robot that uses a 3D scan of the body to customize a massage. Aescape won Fast Company’s 2024 Innovation by Design Award in wellness.
- Theragun – Theragun – Fast Company
A device that applies rapid pressure to muscles to help with blood flow, muscle tension, and recovery.
- Symbodi – Symbodi is one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2024. A handheld percussive therapy device that helps with knots. Symbodi was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2024.
Sources:
TREND 3: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Employment of massage therapists is projected to grow 18 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 22,800 openings for massage therapists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Continued growth in the demand for massage services will lead to new jobs for massage therapists. Not only does massage help relieve stress and increase relaxation, but it is also becoming more accepted as a natural and safe treatment method for managing pain. Demand for massage therapists is expected to increase as more people look to massage to maintain overall health and well-being.
Sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
