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Oriental Medicine Newspaper

NEWS RELEASE

September 19, 2002

For More Information Contact: Rebecca Wilkowski, Phone: (800) 729-0941

National Massage Therapy Awareness Week

National Massage Therapy Awareness Week, October 20-26, 2002, is designed to raise public awareness of the benefits of therapeutic massage and encourage people to take the extra time to care for their health through massage. In light of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, the war against terrorism and the difficult economy, this year’s theme is "Massage Relieves Stress".

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego will be participating in National Massage Therapy Awareness Week by offering free tours of its classes in Acupressure, Foot Reflexology, Jin Shin, Shiatsu, Tui Na, Thai and Swedish massage. Pacific College offers certification as a Massage Technician, Massage Therapist, Oriental Body Therapist, and Holistic Health Practitioner. The college will also be hosting lectures and demonstrations on massage and Chinese medicine at Whole Foods-Hillcrest, OB People’s Co-Op, and several hospitals in San Diego during this week.

Popular among all age groups, massage is effective for relaxation and stress reduction, as well as medical reasons, including muscle soreness/stiffness/spasms, injury, headaches, pain reduction, blood and lymph circulation and improved immune system function. Massage has been shown to reduce blood pressure and heart rate and increase endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. More than one in four Americans report having had a massage from a massage therapist in the past five years, spending a total of between $4 and $6 billion on 114 million visits each year.

Studies show that people are making more visits each year to alternative care practitioners (629 million times per year) than to primary care physicians (386 million). The explosion in the popularity of massage can be attributed to the growing population of aging baby boomers and an increased awareness of the effects of stress and the physiological benefits of massage. Doctors are now prescribing massage to their patients, and sports teams are hiring massage therapists as well. A growing number of businesses and organizations, including the U.S. Department of Justice, are also offering massage in the workplace to decrease job stress and increase productivity.

For more information on National Massage Therapy Awareness Week, or Pacific College’s massage programs and clinic, please call (800) 729-0941.

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