The answer is no.
The profession is alive and well, continuing to expand as people become more aware of its health benefits.
There is constant talk about how bad the economy is, and that massage therapy is one of many luxuries to have been sacrificed. It is simply not the truth. That is a response from an individual not working in the field. Make no mistake; businesses do fail all the time. However, the number of people who receive alternative medicine and massage has been growing at a steady pace the last two decades.
Today, more health care plans provide for massage services and understand its benefits. Medical doctors, chiropractors, and physical therapy centers make considerable earnings from billing insurance companies for massage services, as the number of personal injury cases make up a sizable percentage of clientele for the profession.
Older citizens in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities also are finding benefits from massage, such as increased energy levels and reduced health problems. Demand for massage therapy should grow among older age groups because they increasingly are enjoying longer, more active lives and persons aged 55 years and older are projected to be the most rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population over the next decade
Other massage therapists can be seen working in day spas, resorts, hotels, cruise ships, airports, malls, country clubs, health food stores, and holistic centers providing alternative medicine. Massage therapists also work with athletic departments, professional athletes, with the disabled, or even with animals. Massage therapists regularly work for companies, providing in-office seated massages for employees as an on the job benefit. And don’t forget that the demand for massage by affluent clientele with disposable income remains strong.
Forty-three states require licensure, with the remaining seven states falling under local municipalities. Thirty-eight states plus the District of Columbia use or recognize either the National Certification Exam (NCBTMB), or certification from The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB). You can find certified practitioners in every state in the union, as well as the West Indies, Virgin Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico and Canada. Joining a professional association can help build strong contacts and further increase the likelihood of steady work.
Being licensed through the department of health in many states means that massage is a professionally regulated field, is recognized as a health care profession, and will continue to grow as a career.
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