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FACTS AND STUDIES
STUDIES:
German emperor Frederick II, took a number of newborns
from their mothers and gave them to nurses who fed them but did not cuddle or
talk to them. All of the babies died before they could talk. Fredrick concluded
"They could not live without petting."
In the early 1990's, Romania, thousands of infants were
put in orphanages, they were left in their cribs for two years, all alone. They
were found to be severely impaired.
Duke Professor Saul Schanberg found that rat pups
separated from their parents for 45 minutes underwent major internal changes
including a large drop in growth hormones. Injections of growth hormones didn't
help. But when someone stroked them with a wet paintbrush-- mimicking their
mothers tongue--the hormone levels went back up.
INTERESTING FACTS ON TOUCH:
Touch is the first sense to develop in humans, and may be
the last to fade
there are approximately 5 million touch receptors in our
skin-- 3000 in a finger tip
a touch of any kind can reduce the heart rate and lower
blood pressure
touch stimulates the release of endorphins (the body's
natural pain killers) which is
why a mother's hug for a child's skinned knee can
literally make it better
people with eating disorders who receive massage three
time a day for ten day's, gain weight faster and got out of the hospital six
days sooner than those who don't
elderly people who massage surrogate grandchildren report
higher-esteem and better moods
massage before an athletic event, makes the athlete more
flexible, enhanced speed and power, and less prone to injury
* One in five Americans have had a massage from a massage
therapist in the past five years and 13% report receiving one in the past year.
This is up 8% from 1997.
* Today, there are more than 60,000 Nationally Certified
practitioners that serve millions of consumers.
* Nationally Certified practitioners provide expertise in
various areas of therapeutic massage and body work; Nationally Certified
practitioners provide expertise in various areas of therapeutic massager and
body work, including Swedish massage, shiatsu, polarity therapy, Rolfing®,
Trager® techniques, reflexology, neuromuscular therapy and many more.
* In 1996, massage therapy and bodywork was officially
offered for the first time as a core medical service in the Summer Olympic Games
in Atlanta. At the Games, Nationally Certified practitioners were providing key
medical services.
* Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia now
regulate the practice of therapeutic massage and bodywork. Of those, twenty-five
states, in addition to the District of Columbia, now use the NCBTMB examination
as meeting (in part or in whole) the requirements of regulation.
* NCBTMB currently has over 600 Approved Providers of
Continuing Education.
* Consumers spend between $2 and $4 billion dollars
annually on visits to massage and bodywork practitioners, totaling approximately
75 million visits each year.
* The three most often cited reasons for getting a
therapeutic massage are relaxation (27%), relief of muscle soreness, stiffness
or spasm (13%), and stress reduction (10%).
* Health insurers are increasingly expanding coverage to
include alternative medicines. In addition, several healthcare network providers
use NCBTMB to check the National Certification status of the practitioner.
* Fifty-four percent of primary care physicians and family
practitioners say they would encourage their patients to pursue massage therapy
as a complement to medical treatment.
* Massage therapy accounts for 18% of the 425 million
visits made to alternative healthcare providers each year.
* In 1999, 52% of American adults thought of massage as
"therapeutic," which is up 47% from 1997.
* An estimated 20 million Americans receive massage therapy
and bodywork each year, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH).
* Approximately 50,000 massage and bodywork practitioners
provide 45 million one-hour therapy sessions each year.
* Two thirds of Americans have tried at least one form of
alternative therapy or treatment for medical conditions.
* Massage therapy is the third most commonly used form of
alternative medicine in the U.S., having been tried by 35% of Americans.
* Women are more likely than men to have tried alternative
treatment.
* Forty-two percent of Americans have used some type of
alternative care in the past.
* Americans make more visits to see alternative therapists
than to see primary-care physicians, spending $21.2 billion.
* The number of massage practitioners in the U.S. is
between 120,000 and 160,000.
* Massage and bodywork therapy is sought out by a large
number of people in age brackets: 18-24 (22%); 25-34 (31%); 35-44 (25%); 45-54
(22%); 55-64 (19%); and over 65 (9%).
* The most important driver to try an alternative treatment
is a recommendation from a friend or family member, which leads 62% of their
patients to these providers.
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