5 evidence-backed Benefits of Massage

If you’re reading this, there’s a 92% chance you’re stressed, sore, tired, or currently Googling “why does my shoulder hurt when I breathe.” Welcome — you’re among friends.

Massage therapy isn’t just a luxurious treat you reward yourself with after surviving a chaotic week. It’s a legit, well-researched, scientifically respectable way to take care of your mind and body. Let’s get into the top five perks — starting with the heavy hitters.

1. It Lowers Stress, Anxiety & Depression (Yes, Science Says So)

Massage therapy is basically your nervous system’s love language. Research shows that regular massage can significantly reduce cortisol (your stress hormone), while boosting serotonin and dopamine — the “I can actually function today” chemicals. Even a single session has been shown to drop anxiety levels in people dealing with everything from day-to-day stress to chronic mental health conditions. You know that feeling when someone tells you to “relax”? Massage therapy is the version that actually works.

Evidence-informed tidbit: According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), 83% of massage-focused studies (15/18) reported statistically significant reductions in anxiety levels.

2. It Relieves Pain (Your Muscles Will Send Thank-You Notes)

If you’ve ever said “I think I slept wrong” and then spent three days walking like a Frankenstein, massage is for you. Massage therapy is widely supported for reducing pain — from chronic low back pain to fibromyalgia to those “mystery aches” you swear are from stress but Google insists are from impending doom. Massage works by:

• Improving circulation
• Reducing muscle tension
• Interrupting pain signaling
• Encouraging the release of endorphins (aka your body’s built-in mood boosters)

Evidence-informed tidbit: In a 2016 meta-analysis published in Pain Medicine, massage therapy showed a large effect for reducing pain when compared to no treatment.

3. It Improves Sleep & Overall Well-Being (The Real Adulting Superpower)

You know how kids get tucked in and fall asleep in two minutes? That could be you.

Massage boosts parasympathetic activity, the “rest and digest” mode, which helps regulate sleep cycles. People who receive massage regularly often report deeper sleep, easier falling asleep, and fewer middle-of-the-night regrets about that iced coffee they swore wouldn’t affect them.

Bonus: Better sleep → better mood → less snapping at your family → world peace? (Not clinically proven but strongly suspected.) This “mechanisms of action” article (2015) mentions how massage affects the autonomic nervous system (ANS) — shifting away from fight/flight into rest/digest — which supports sleep and recovery.

4. It Improves Mobility & Posture (Goodbye T-Rex Neck)

Modern life has us all shaped like slightly wilted question marks.

Massage helps by:

• Loosening tight muscles
• Increasing circulation to restricted areas
• Encouraging better alignment
• Improving joint mobility

Evidence-informed tidbit: The “Massage therapy as self-management strategy” review looked at chronic neck/back pain and found positive outcomes — improved function often mediated by reduced tension and improved soft-tissue status.

5. It Can Lower Blood Pressure (Your Heart Will Love You for This) Here’s something measurable your doctor would high-five you for: massage therapy has been shown to lower blood pressure, especially systolic numbers (the top one — the one everyone freaks out about).

Research shows that massage can:

• Reduce sympathetic nervous system activity (your internal “fight or flight” alarm)
• Increase parasympathetic activity (the calming system)
• Improve circulation
• Reduce overall cardiovascular strain

In simple terms: massage helps your heart stop acting like everything is an emergency.

Evidence-informed tidbit: A 2018 long-term effect study found significant reductions in systolic and diastolic BP in the massage group compared to control.

This is great news for anyone dealing with chronic stress, borderline hypertension, or white-coat syndrome (the sudden blood-pressure spike that happens when a doctor walks into the room holding a clipboard). If you spend most of the day hunched over a laptop, phone, steering wheel, or existential dread, your muscles will be VERY appreciative.

The Takeaway (a.k.a. Your Sign to Book the Massage)

Massage therapy isn’t indulgent — it’s preventative care. It’s stress management. It’s pain reduction. It’s choosing not to suffer through another week of tension headaches or “my traps feel like concrete” energy.

Whether you’re looking for emotional balance, physical relief, cardiovascular benefits, or just one blissful hour where no one asks you for anything, massage therapy delivers. And if anyone gives you grief for prioritizing self-care, tell them it’s literally evidence-informed healthcare. Then schedule your appointment anyway.

Working With or Renting From a Chiropractor: What Massage Therapists Can Expect

One of the most common places to find massage therapy is within a chiropractor’s office. Speaking of which, this was actually my introduction to massage therapy. After a motor vehicle accident, the chiropractor I was seeing spent several months recommending a massage before I finally decided to schedule a 60-minute session in his office.

Massage therapists typically work in one of two ways in these settings: either as employees under the chiropractor’s business or by renting a room while maintaining their own independent practice. Both options come with pros and cons, which can help a massage therapist decide which path fits their career goals and lifestyle. Because what’s a benefit for one therapist might be a drawback for another, I’ll summarize what you can generally expect from each scenario.

Working directly for a chiropractor is currently the most common setup for massage therapists wanting to collaborate. Right from the start, you’ll notice the difference in language—chiropractors refer to those they treat as patients rather than clients, and you’ll quickly adopt the same terminology.

As an employee, you have immediate access to the chiropractor’s established patient base, leading to faster referrals and a steady flow of massage appointments. Many of these patients will present with complex or chronic conditions you may only have read about in textbooks during massage school—conditions like multiple sclerosis, psoriatic arthritis, disc herniations, and more. This setting offers valuable hands-on experience treating real-world cases that challenge your skills and clinical reasoning.

Most chiropractic offices accept insurance, which affects treatment planning because patients must work within their insurance deductibles and visit limits. This often means massage sessions tend to be shorter and focused on specific areas rather than longer, full-body massages. Keep in mind, pay rates for massage in these settings are generally lower than what you might find at a spa, due to insurance reimbursements—except in cases involving work-related or motor vehicle accidents, where liability insurance is involved.

While the financial rewards may be modest, working alongside a chiropractor can be extremely rewarding in other ways. You become part of a healthcare team helping patients manage pain and improve quality of life, which is a meaningful and fulfilling experience. Renting a room from a chiropractor, on the other hand, allows you to maintain full autonomy as an independent business owner. This flexibility can be ideal if you have other commitments or prefer to control your own schedule.

Although you’ll likely still receive referrals from the chiropractor, patients won’t be able to use their insurance benefits to cover your massage services. This can limit some patients who are hesitant to pay out-of-pocket for additional treatments on top of their chiropractic care. However, it also means you’re not limited by insurance-approved visit caps, which can give you more freedom in treatment planning.

Running your own practice means handling marketing, bookings, and business operations. While this entrepreneurial approach is empowering, it requires self-discipline and a willingness to manage the administrative side of your work. Some therapists thrive in this environment, while others may find the business aspects overwhelming. As you get started with your practice and begin building referral sources, it is important to avoid any form of fee-splitting or referral bonuses between you and the chiropractor, or any healthcare provider for that matter. This practice is not only unethical, but also illegal in most states—even if it’s framed as a “mutual referral” or includes gifts instead of money.

Oftentimes, chiropractors are willing to negotiate rental agreements—especially for newer therapists who may not yet have a steady clientele to cover a full month’s rent. Overall, collaboration with the chiropractor in this model tends to be less formal, but maintaining a good professional relationship can still lead to valuable referrals and networking opportunities.

How Massage Schools Teach The Most Critical Skill Most Clients Never See

When you think about a massage appointment, what comes to mind?

Maybe something like this: you walk into the room, get on the table, receive a massage, and leave. Sound familiar? For many people, that's the typical experience. But what if we told you that this approach doesn't meet the professional standard of care massage therapists are trained to provide?

To become a licensed massage therapist in 46 of the 50 states, plus Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia, practitioners must pass the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx). Notably, 17% of that exam assesses the therapist’s knowledge of client assessment. That’s a significant portion — and for good reason.

Assessment helps the massage therapist determine how best to support a client’s goals—or when to recognize that the client may need medical or even emergency care. A not-so-fun fact: headaches and neck pain are sometimes early signs of a stroke. Scary, right? Thankfully, most cases aren’t that serious—but this is one of many medical concerns that trained massage therapists are taught to screen for. So what does a massage assessment actually look like? It can vary slightly from client to client and session to session, but key components are consistently included:

• Consultation and health history review

• Visual inspection to identify safety concerns

• Postural and gait analysis, when appropriate

• Palpation and orthopedic testing to locate and understand problem areas

• Range of motion assessment to identify movement restrictions

Without proper assessment, massage therapy becomes guesswork. At Carolina School of Bodywork, we don’t just train students to pass the MBLEx — we train them to think critically, assess thoroughly, and deliver the highest standard of care to every client they serve.

How easy is it to find a job as a massage therapist?

This is a common question we are asked when prospective students consider enrollment. And a valid one - you want to make sure you get a return on your investment!

The majority of our graduates have job offers prior to graduation. We enjoy helping students find their place in the field. The beauty about massage as a career is the number of different places you can work, and the style of work that each therapist does is different. Ultimately, there’s a place for everyone.

Most massage therapists identify as self-employed, and the second largest employer of massage therapists is businesses that offer personal care services like spas and wellness centers. Even if you don’t see yourself opening a business, we are ready to help you pave your road to success.