What is Massage Therapy?
Category: Physical Therapy
Most popular types: Myofascial release Multiple method massage Aromatherapy massage Show all
Massage is the practice of applying structured pressure, tension, motion or vibration manually or with mechanical aids to the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, joints and lymphatic vessels, to achieve a beneficial response.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stiffness/spasticity | 341 | 139 | |
| Pain | 329 | 104 | |
| Fibromyalgia | 269 | 92 | |
| Muscle pain | 143 | 24 | |
| General health | 122 | 30 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 7 | |
| Moderate | 21 | |
| Mild | 77 | |
| None | 291 |
Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Massage Therapy
| Side effect | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle soreness | 22 | |
| Muscle aches | 14 | |
| Pain | 14 | |
| Soreness if too firm | 9 | |
| Muscle pain | 6 | |
| Fatigue | 5 |
Why patients stopped taking Massage Therapy
Multiple reasons could be selected
| Reason | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Expense | 137 | |
| Other | 66 | |
| Did not seem to work | 44 | |
| Course of treatment ended | 43 | |
| Side effects too severe | 17 | |
| Change in health plan coverage | 15 | |
| Doctor's advice | 5 | |
| Personal research | 1 |
Duration
Stopped going to Massage Therapy
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 20 | |
| 1 - 6 months | 63 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 49 | |
| 1 - 2 years | 50 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 34 | |
| 5 - 10 years | 20 | |
| 10 years or more | 15 |
What people switch to and from
Patients started going to Massage Therapy after stopping:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Gabapentin (Neurontin) | 2 |
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