Prevalence of visits to massage therapists by the general population: a systematic review

Abstract

Objective: To systematically review 12-month prevalence of visits to massage therapists by representative samples of the general population across countries.

Methods: Surveys reporting estimates of overall CAM use were included. Studies were identified via database searches. Study quality was assessed using a six-item tool.

Results: Twenty-two surveys across six countries were included. Estimates for 12-month prevalence of visits to massage therapists by adults ranged from 0.4% to 20% and the median was 5.5%. Estimates for children were 0.3%-3.8% (median 0.7%), while estimates for older adults were 1.5%-16.2% (median 5.2%). 16 surveys (73%) met at least four of six quality criteria.

Conclusions: This review summarises 12-month prevalence of visits to massage therapists in six countries (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore and South Korea). A small but significant percentage of these general populations visit massage therapists each year.

Keywords: Massage; Prevalence; Systematic review.