
The 18th annual American Massage Therapy Association Consumer Survey found that approximately 9 million people over the age of 55 had a total of 39 million massages in the previous 12 months. The reasons for getting these massages were mostly for medical purposes such as pain relief and muscle soreness.
Massage also can be implemented in hospice and nursing home care. A recent national cross-sectional survey of a random sample of hospices showed that 29 percent of facilities reported employing an art, massage or music therapist, while 74 percent of them employed massage therapists.
Receiving regular massage therapy sessions can help promote relaxation and stability, help temper the effects of dementia, and can relieve the symptoms of high blood pressure and osteoarthritis.