Establishing the Benefits of a Corporate Therapeutic Massage Program

This study performed at the University of Texas at Austin and 3M corporation was designed to study the benefits and credibility of chair massage as part of a corporate wellness program. Here are some of the interesting results.

Some key results:

• Employee perceptions of on-site massage

  • 99.7% say massage should be made accessible to all employees
  • 79.5% say massage is an on-site necessity

• Substantiation of therapist's claims (self-reported massage questions)

  • 99.0% indicated muscular release
  • 88.9% indicated reduction in stress
  • 91.9% indicated enhanced overall well-being

• General Perceptions on Massage

• 17.8% preferred female therapists
• 78.8 % had no preference on gender
• 91.8% plan to continue massage
• 94.6% would recommend massage without reservations
• 26% (n = 6) of control group had at least one massage since the beginning of the program
• 23% (n=19) of intervention group has had at least one massage in the month following the intervention (average 2 per person)

Questions answered:

• Are the claims being made by massage therapist substantiated?

  • Massage Therapy reduces stress immediately after the intervention (indicated through stress scale) and has a lasting effect (indicated by self-report)
  • Massage enhances ones overall well-being by reducing stress
  • increasing ones quality of sleep
  • reduction in common cold or flu incidences
  • decreasing number of depressed mood incidences
  • increasing concentration
  • decreasing the likelihood of being tired or lacking energy
  • decreasing the number of headaches
  • making one feel less nervous or tense
  • enhancing a secure sense of self (indicated through core wellness scale)

• What are the employee perceptions of massage therapy at the work site?

  • Massage is feasible at corporations
  • It can be done in a fifteen minute break
  • It does not require a lot of space or time for set up
  • Massage should be made accessible to all employees
  • There is no preference for gender of therapist with regard to chair massage
  • It is being used! By January 1st 1999, 50% of all available massage appointments had been booked at 3M for the whole year.In 1998, 93% of available massages were taken by 3M employees.
  • Additionally, it is currently being done at corporations such as 3M, Dell, Tenneco, Motorola, Amicus Networks, USAA, among others

[via UTexas]