Massage therapy is a great way to relax and rejuvenate the body. But who is the target market for this type of treatment? Who needs massages and why?
Many believe that the target market for massage therapy is limited to athletes and pregnant women or that it can only benefit the elderly and those with chronic pain. While all these types of people can benefit from massage therapy, so can many others.
In this article, we will explore the target market for massage therapy and discuss who can benefit from this alternative form of medicine. If you are considering adding massage therapy to your business or considering starting a massage therapy practice, just read on!
What is Massage Therapy?
Before we can discuss the target market for massage therapy, it’s important that we have the same definition of massage therapy as this term can mean different things to different people.
The Mayo Clinic defines Massage Therapy as the purposeful manipulation of the soft tissues of the body including, muscles, connective tissues, tendons, ligaments and skin using varying degrees of pressure and movement for the purpose of optimizing health.
There are many different types of massage therapy but all aim to achieve similar goals: to relax the body and mind, improve circulation, reduce stress and pain, and promote healing.
What does Massage Therapy include?
(+ Types of massage)
Typically massage therapy includes the use of the hands, fingers, elbows, and forearms to manipulate the soft tissues of the body. However, there are many different types of massage therapy that target different areas and use different techniques.
Some common types of massage include:
Swedish Massage: This is the most common type of massage and includes long strokes with light to moderate pressure.
Deep Tissue Massage: This type of massage targets the deep layers of muscle and connective tissue. It is often used to relieve chronic pain or muscle tension.
Sports Massage: As the name suggests, this type of massage is often used by athletes to prevent or treat injuries.
Ayurvedic Massage: This is an ancient form of Indian massage following the principles of Ayurveda – a system of medicine that aims to balance the mind, body and spirit.
Reflexology: This type of massage targets the feet and hands as these areas are believed to be connected to different organs and systems
Prenatal Massage: Also called pregnancy massage, this type of massage is specifically for pregnant women and can help to relieve pain, improve circulation, reduce stress, and relieve specific pregnancy pains like sciatica.
Who is the Target Market for Massage Therapy?
Now that we have a common understanding of what massage therapy is, let’s explore some of the target markets for this type of treatment.
The main segments of the target market for massage therapy are:
- Athletes
- Pregnant Women
- The Elderly
- People with Chronic Pain
- People recovering from an injury
- People who want to reduce stress
- People who want to improve their overall health
#1. Athletes
One target market for massage therapy includes athletes. Athletes often put their bodies through a lot of stress and strain which can lead to injuries. Massage therapy can help to prevent these injuries by keeping the muscles and connective tissues loose and pliable.
In addition, massage therapy can also help athletes to recover from injuries more quickly. It can help to increase circulation and reduce inflammation, both of which are important in the healing process.
#2. Pregnant Women
Another target market for massage therapy is pregnant women. Pregnancy can be a very stressful time for a woman’s body and massage therapy can help to reduce some of that stress. This results in improved mood and overall health for both the mother and the baby.
In addition, massage therapy can also help to relieve some of the common pains and discomforts that women experience during pregnancy. These include lower back pain, swelling and sciatica.
A problem many women have in the latter part of pregnancy is sciatica, which is a sharp pain that radiates from the lower back down the legs. Massage therapy can help to relieve this pain by helping to release the tension in the muscles and connective tissues.
#3. The Elderly
As we age, our bodies go through many changes and we often experience more aches and pains. This pain often becomes chronic and massage therapy can be one way of getting temporary relief from this pain.
This makes the elderly a prime target market for massage therapy. Massage therapy can also help to increase circulation and flexibility, both of which are important for the elderly.
#4. People with Chronic Pain
Many people suffer from chronic pain can be caused by a variety of conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, and chronic back pain. Massage therapy can help to relieve some of the pain associated with these conditions by helping to relax the muscles and increase circulation.
In addition, massage therapy can also help to reduce stress and anxiety, which are often secondary conditions experienced by people with chronic pain.
#5. People recovering from an injury
Someone who’s been through an accident or is recovering from surgery can benefit from massage therapy. Massage can help to reduce pain and swelling and to improve range of motion and flexibility, both of which are often limited following an injury. All of these things are important in the healing process.
People recovering from an injury may also need to visit a physical therapist and will often get massage therapy as part of their treatment.
#6. People who want to reduce stress
Massage therapy is one of the proven ways to reduce stress. It can help to relax the body and mind and to improve mood.
People who want to reduce stress may not necessarily be suffering from any specific condition, but they may just feel that they need to de-stress and relax. This is a perfectly good reason why people get massage therapy.
Many people will go to the gym and work out as a way of reducing stress. Others will do yoga or pilates as a way to destress. Massage therapy can often be complementary to these other forms of stress reduction techniques.
#7. People who want to improve their overall health
People interested in health and wellness are a classic target market for massage therapy. These people are interested in taking care of their bodies and often see massage therapy as a way to improve their overall health.
People in this group are often interested in other forms of alternative medicine and may also get acupuncture or chiropractic treatments. They may also do things like eat healthy, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep.
Summary
Since almost anyone can benefit from a massage, the target market for massage therapy is a fairly broad one. The most common segments of the target market for massage therapy include those suffering from pain and those who wish to avoid it. Most people fall into the former category.
Athletes often use massage therapy to prevent injury but also as a way to de-stress their muscles and their body after an intense workout or a game or championship.
Pregnant women can benefit greatly from massage therapy as it can help reduce the stress of the pregnancy which can be beneficial not just for the mother but also for the unborn child. Additionally, massage therapy can reduce the suffering from pains specific to pregnancies. These include lower back pain, joint swellings and sciatica.
The elderly often suffer from aches and pains and can benefit greatly from massage therapy. The same applies to people in chronic pain as well as those recovering from surgery or an accident.
The target market for massage therapy also includes those suffering from stress as well as people generally trying to improve their health and overall wellness.
If you’re planning to get into massage therapy as a business or as a therapist there will be no shortage of people who could benefit from what you will have to offer.