Governor Issues 2014 Massage Therapy Awareness Week Proclamation

Published: October 13, 2014

Whereas Therapeutic massage can benefit people of all ages; and

Whereas Research has shown massage may be helpful in controlling pain, relieving stress, boosting immune system functioning and reducing heart rate and blood pressure; and

Whereas The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has found that the employment of massage therapists is expected to increase by 20 percent from 2010 to 2020; and

Whereas Consumers spend in excess of $2 to $4 billion annually on massage therapy and, recognizing the benefits of massage therapy, insurance companies now cover such services; and

Whereas The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) a 55,000 member professional association for massage therapists, and the Massachusetts Chapter of the The American Massage Therapy Association, consisting of over 3,500 members, provide consumer and professional education information on massage and help consumers and health professionals locate qualified massage therapists in their areas,

Now, Therefore, I, Deval Patrick, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts do hereby proclaim the week of October 19th-25th, 2014, to be

Massage Therapy Awareness Week

And urge all the citizens of the Commonwealth to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance.

Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston, this twelfth day of September, in the year two thousand and fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the two hundred and thirty-eighth.

By His Excellency

Deval L. Patrick

Governor of the Commonwealth

William Francis Galvin

Secretary of the Commonwealth

Massage Therapy Awareness Week