Lastly, massage helps relieve the stress and tension of everyday living that accounts for 80 to 90% of disease and illness. In fact, according to a recent study, it follows medication as the most sought-after form of pain relief: 33% for medication followed by 14% for massage therapy.

Among alternative medicine practices surveyed, medical practitioners ranked massage therapy highest (74%) in terms of being effective. As an accepted part of many physical rehabilitation programs, it has proven beneficial for back pain, arthritis, cancer-related fatigue, high blood pressure, diabetes, immunity suppression, infertility, sleep disorders, eating disorders, smoking cessation, depression, and more.

And the best part about it? It's not invasive. It doesn't involve taking drugs. It's just a natural form of healing.

• Massage is one of the oldest healing arts.
• 3000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians started and ended each day with a massage.
• Alexander the Great had the wisdom to employ professional massage therapists.
• In Homer's Odyssey, the heroes were massaged upon their return from battle--a great way to unwind after a long day at war.

• The Greek physician Hippocrates, father of modern medicine, proclaimed that all physicians must be experienced in the art of massage.
• In the 18th century, the Swedish physician Pehr Ling established the first standard and scientific system of massage based on the principles of anatomy and physiology. Thus was born the term "Swedish Massage".
• Thomas Metzger, the father of modern massage, later instituted advanced refinements to create massage as we know it today.

It stretched from $5 billion in 1999 to $10.7 billion in 2001, and for the first time, spa receipts surpassed those of theme and amusement parks and topped U.S. box office grosses.

Massage crosses all demographics from business executives to students to athletic types to movie stars to kids. Employers are incorporating massage into their wellness plans. Younger people view massage in a positive light, and almost everyone has some kind of physical discomfort at some level. A massage is the ideal natural remedy.

While it used to be the kind of thing someone got once in a blue moon, it is now considered an added perk for factories, film sets, rock bands, and corporate offices. Some hotels are literally ripping out gyms and replacing them with spas.

But why the sudden surge in popularity? There are a few reasons.

• It is part of a larger wave of interest in holistic healing.
• There is now a wider acceptance of alternative medicine, and massage is a therapeutic leader in the field.
• Many Americans no longer view massage as just luxurious pampering but as a way to reduce stress, stay healthy, look better, and boost the immune system.
• The public is finally realizing that massage therapy has nothing to do with massage parlors or other sex-related businesses. Doctors,    chiropractors, physical therapists and sports trainers are recommending therapeutic massage.
• The public is now aware of the bad effects of stress on your physical health.
• As more people spend their days sitting in front of a computer screen, massage becomes the perfect antidote for cramped muscles.

• Of those 18-24 years of age, 99% agree that massage can be beneficial to one's health.
• Consumers visit massage therapists 114 million times each year, for which they pay more than $6 billion.
• 28% of adults say they had a massage in the past five years, compared with 17% in 1997.

• The number of massage therapists in the US has doubled in 6 years - from 120-160,000 in 1996 to 260-290,000 in 2002.
• In 2001, there were 950 state licensed massage schools in the U.S - 14% more than two years earlier

• As of June, 2001, there were 9,632 U.S. spas, up from 5,300 in 1999.
• High-end properties and conference hotels can't compete anymore without a spa.
• The number of spa visits has leaped by 71% since 1999, from 91 million to 156 million.
• More men are joining spas than ever before. They now make up 24% of spa clientele. Calls from men have increased almost 900 in the past four years, reports Spa Finder, a travel-reservation service.
• Eastern treatments such as yoga, Thai massage, and ayurvedic rituals are making a splash at spas, as are hot-rock rubdowns and plant- and food-based treatments such as lavender aromatherapy and chocolate pedicures.

LA Times
July 2006 - Massage Programs Gaining a Foothold at More Companies

St. Louis Today
Aug. 2006 - Medical Benefits of Massage Therapy !

Benefit News
May. 2004 - Chair Massage Keeps Illnesses Down, Productivity Up

Dummies.com
May. 2004 - Enjoying Massage in the Workplace

From the NY Times - 9/7/04 - "About 20 percent of employers have some kind of dedicated stress-reduction program in place, surveys find.