A 1996 study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience found that 15 minute chair massage given twice weekly for a period of five weeks lowered anxiety, improved alertness and even showed increased speed and accuracy on math computations. ['Massage therapy reduces anxiety and enhances EEG pattern of alertness and math computations", PMID 8884390].
Stress in the workplace is endemic and can cost companies in absenteeism and productivity. In a 1999 report by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupational stress, classified as “neurotic reaction to stress,” accounted for 3,418 cases in 1997. The report noted “the median absence from work for these cases was 23 days, more than four times the level of all nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses.” The same survey found that those most affected were white collar workers, such as technical and sales occupations.
In a 1998 survey conducted by the Confederation of British Industry, workplace absence cost British businesses £10.2 billion, or roughly $18.8 billion U.S. dollars, that year. Their HR Policy Directory commented that “flexible working patterns and policies to deal with stress can help employers reduce absence problems and cut costs.”
Workplace Massage
The benefits of massage therapy in a corporate or work environment has been researched for a number of years now. A 2005 study conducted by the Touch Research Institutes in Miami, Florida found that massage therapy had stress-alleviating effects on a variety of medical conditions and stressful experiences, ["Cortisol decrease and serotonin and dopamine increase following massage therapy," PMID: 16162447]. Another study conducted in 1997 found 15 minute seated chair massages significantly reduced participants systolic and diastolic blood pressure ["Massage therapy as a workplace intervention for reduction of stress", PMID: 9132704].
Introducing Massage to the Office
Companies around the globe are introducing stress reduction programs to cut down on employee absenteeism. South Africa’s Vodacom has an onsite massage therapy program at their “wellbeing centre.” In Golden, Colorado Molson Coors Brewing Company has a wellness center that offers massage therapy to not only its employees but also to spouses and other dependents as well as retirees.
Massage therapy is a popular choice for health risk management programs. Small companies may hire a professional chair massage practitioner for monthly visits to the office to offer 10-20 minute increments of massage. National chair massage companies are growing to offer their services as a middle-man to find qualified massage therapists and arrange scheduling.
Very small offices may opt to gift employees with gift cards to local massage practices in cases where on-site massage services would be impractical or impossible.
References:
- Massage therapy reduces anxiety and enhances EEG pattern of alertness and math computations, Int Journal of Neuroscience, 86, 197-205, PubMed ID 8884390
- U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Summary 99-10, September 1999, accessed 2008
- U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Stress: Counts and Rates, Timothy Webster, Bruce Bergman, Fall 1999, accessed 2008
- Confederation of British Industry, Absence Bill of £10 Billion for Business in 1998 – CBI Survey, News Release, accessed 2008
- Cortisol decreases and serotonin and dopamine increase following massage therapy, Int J Neurosci. 2005 Oct;115(10):1397-413, PubMed ID 16162447
- Massage therapy as a workplace intervention for reduction of stress, Percept Mot Skills. 1997 Feb;84(1):157-8, PubMed ID 9132704
- Helping staff with personal pressures can protect profit by Hlengiwe Nhalbathi, September 1, 2008,Business Day online, accessed 2008
- Wellness Programs Get a Makeover by Joanne Wojcik, Workforce Management Online, April 2008, accessed 2008
Amy Kreydin - Amy Kreydin, NBCRT, CCAP, BD is a Board Certified Reflexologist and Clinical Aromatherapist.
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