Massage Therapy, Science and Pseudoscience

Monica's Massage and Bodywork is dedicated to operate a business based on sound science and not pseudoscience. The reason we have to make that statement is because the spa and massage industry is rife with pseudoscience.

The intention is not to judge, but to educate. Massage is an excellent therapeutic tool, but we advise our clients to be skeptical of and critically consider all the various claims that are being made and peddled in the spa and massage industry. Ask your therapist about his or her practices, techniques and modalities and make your own decision. Remember, anecdote does not equate to evidence. That being said, even very basic massage therapy is sorely lacking in scientific analysis.

Monica's Massage and Bodywork promises to work within the realm of evidence based therapy to the best of our abilities. We hope to steer clear of questionable practices but incorporate what makes sense. For example, candles, lighting, etc. are used for ambiance and to create a soothing environment removing you from your everyday reality, not because it is particularly healing or ch'i-aligning or anything like that. You will not be approached with anything that bares resemblance to anything metaphysical, religious, magical, or mystical.

Our focus is to provide therapeutic and relaxation services capitalizing on the evidence that exists regarding massage therapy leaving other techniques and modalities to others. That being said, massage in general lacks sufficient study. We do the best we can with what we know.

Here are some links on massage therapy that we found to be educational:

• Wikipedia's Beneficial effects section in their massage article
• The Skeptic Dictionary's entry for massage therapy
• Aetna's InteliHealth article is particularly helpful

Here are some general links on science and skepticism that we find very informative:

• James Randi Educational Foundation - more focused on combating paranormal claims, JREF is an excellent resource for information about pseudoscientific claims
• NeuroLogica Blog - Your Daily Fix of Neuroscience, Skepticism, and Critical Thinking
• Scientific American blogs - blogs at one of the most respected science magazines on the planet
• The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe - a podcast that focuses on skepticism and has occasionally addressed massage therapy and related practices