THE BRIEF GUIDE TO MASSAGE’S ROLE IN MEDICAL SPA

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The interrelationship between massage, spa and medicine in the U.S. dates back to the origin of health spas and curative waters.

Massage was an important component in the early days of the American health spa, while therapeutic touch as part of the medical spa movement has taken massage to a new level in spa.

A medical, or med, spa offers spa services, but is first and foremost a medical facility. As such, a medical spa offers challenging and rewarding opportunities to the massage therapists employed there.

While early medical spas had a much more clinical feel to them, most medical spas today have adopted best practices from the hospitality and day spa environment to create a relaxing and supportive environment for guests.

Massage services can play an important role in creating and maintaining a hospitality-driven experience while also providing therapeutic benefit.

The Med Spa Movement

The growth in the popularity of medical spa treatments and procedures is not a trend; it is a movement.

It is estimated that there are more than 4,200 medical spas in the U.S. generating 3.97 billion dollars annually, according to the American Med Spa Association’s report, Medical Spa Industry Overview, 2017.

Today’s medical spa guest is seeking a one-stop facility that can deliver classic spa services as well as effective medical spa services and wellness programs.

This return to a blend of traditional spa services such as massage along with medical treatments offers the savvy physician or medical spa owner an opportunity to expand or enhance their present menu of services.

For the massage therapist this provides a unique employment opportunity that offers the best of both the spa and the medical setting.