Features Op-Ed
from the editor: Spring 2011

In September 2010, for massage therapy awareness week, I was invited by two radio shows in my home city of Hamilton to speak on behalf of the profession. I spoke about the benefits of massage therapy and took calls from listeners.

The main question asked by the radio broadcast hosts was “do people still think of massage as a luxury?” 

The answer, unfortunately, is yes. There is still a very large population that sees massage as a nice thing to do – a pampering, stress-down treat. As true as those benefits are, a great number of people still do not perceive massage as a frontline modality or a component of a team approach to rehabilitation.

Our clients are “ the converted,” or at least on the way to being so. They have an understanding of the benefits of massage – they are already in your hands. But, how can we make an impact on those who have not yet experienced the benefits of massage therapy?

Our associations do a great job promoting us as a profession, but what can we do as individual therapists to assist with this task? What can we do as individuals to increase  awareness of the benefits of massage  throughout the year, as opposed to relying solely on association messaging and/or annual campaigns?

We need to  challenge ourselves to do more. We could commit to doing a few public awareness talks per year. We could offer each client, on an individual basis, information regarding benefits of massage, through the use of handouts, pamphlets, websites, or just one-on-one chatting.

We’d like to hear from you if you have been involved in, or know of, any interesting public awareness projects being undertaken by registered massage therapists. We will then share those ideas with readers.

Everyone can jump on board with this effort, so that we will be working for our profession, together!

Send your comments, feedback and ideas to jrogers@annexweb.com.