Evidence-Based Massage Therapy

Subscription services rely on busy, forgetful clients.

Reiki, Crystals and Energy Grids: What We Know, What We Don’t, and Why Informed Consent Matters (A summary of research on Reiki and other “energy” modalities) Estimated read time: ~2-3 minutes Clients often ask us at The Massage Clinic what we think about Reiki, crystal healing or energy grids. Some have had powerful personal experiences. Others are skeptical but curious. Our own practice is grounded in more conventional massage therapy, but we believe you deserve a clear pi

We'd Love to work with your doctor to find the most effective and safe techniques and improve outcomes.

Massage for People with Sensory Concerns and Neurodiverse

Why consent and safety are paramount to effective massage.

Loneliness, Touch Hunger and the Power of Safe Contact for Older Adults

Massage and Aging Bodies: Balance, Pain and Touch in Later Life (A summary of research on massage in older adults) Estimated read time: ~3–4 minutes Many of our older clients at The Massage Clinic say the same thing: “I don’t bounce back like I used to.” They’re dealing with arthritis, chronic pain, balance changes, fear of falling and, often, less day‑to‑day touch. The research on massage and older adults is smaller than we’d like, but it does suggest real, practical benefit

we see fourth‑trimester massage as part of a broader support network, not a self-care extra, or worse…a ‘treat

We use massage to help you feel more comfortable, move more freely and tolerate a wider variety of positions.

Why Massage Helps Some People More than Others

How to Be an Active Massage Client: What You Do Between Sessions Matters More Than You Think!

“Will sports massage make me faster?” and “Can it fix this soreness so I can train tomorrow?” We’ve looked closely at research on massage for delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), recovery and performance, and we want you to have the same realistic picture we have when we build your treatment plan.

that massage was significantly associated with reduced depressive symptoms compared with various control conditions. Other reviews and narrative summaries have reported decreases in trait anxiety and stress in populations ranging from medical patients

What Massage Can (Actually) Do for Pain (Not What the Ads Promise)

A recent review of trigger point theory and muscle pain emphasizes that myofascial trigger points likely involve an interplay of biomechanical and neurophysiological mechanisms, including sustained sarcomere contraction, local ischemia and sensitized nociceptors, but it also acknowledges limitations in the research.

we treat screen‑related pain as a real, predictable pattern—not a character flaw or a sign you’re “weak.” We build neck and jaw sessions around what your actual days look like: laptop height, phone use, stress levels and how your body tends to guard under load.

Massage research that reports reductions in pain, improved function and better quality of life is not just about dim lights and nice smells; it’s about targeted, repeated manual therapy in a therapeutic relationship. If a practice hides behind aesthetics without delivering thoughtful assessment and hands‑on work, clients may feel good for an hour and still be stuck with the same problems.

Does Massage actually dehydrate you and where did the water go?

Misinformation & Prenatal Massage