For massage therapists, it’s important to annually revisit your business goals, like increasing revenue or booking more new clients.
One way to boost revenue and get more clients? Staying in the know on the latest massage therapy trends.
The more services you offer, the more clients you can help, right?
To keep your massage services up with the latest massage therapy trends, we gathered up the trendiest services clients are looking for in 2024.
Pick those that work for you, and give your clients something new to try!
Latest Massage Therapy Industry Trends
1. Sports Massage Therapy
Offering massage therapy for athletes or clients with physically demanding hobbies fills a very specific need in your community.
Sports massage therapy helps athletes and competitors prepare for the physical side of their sport — from preparing joints, muscle groups, or tendons to repairing the body after activity.
2. Medical Massage Therapy
Combining traditional and alternative medicine is becoming more and more common.
Massage therapy in medical settings is growing, too!
Medical massage therapists provide care that focuses on:
- Healing injuries
- Increasing circulation
- Reducing pain
- Minimizing stress
They’re able to help patients with autoimmune and chronic conditions, even those who have cancer and fibromyalgia.
3. Physical Massage Therapy
Like medical massage therapy, physical massage therapy is there to help clients recover from an injury.
(Think “PT” — as in physical therapy after an injury.)
But unlike a traditional spa massage centered around relaxation, physical massage therapists are there to rehabilitate muscle and joint strength.
4. Deep Tissue Massage
Clients with lots of knots, tense muscles, or pain from stress love a strong deep tissue massage.
Famous for alleviating knots and stress, deep tissue massages use extra firm pressure and slower movements to break down deep layers of muscle and connective tissue.
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When you think of Thai massage, think serious deep pressure.
And that’s because Thai massage therapists will typically walk or kneel on their clients.
Their focus is about applying a deeper level of pressure to improve mobility and circulation. Thai massages are also known to help improve immune systems and lower anxiety.
6. Neuro Massage Therapy
Different from Thai massage, neuro (or neuromuscular) massage therapy focuses on soft pressure.
This softer approach to massage remedies chronic muscle and nervous system disorders. For clients with circulation, nerve compression, or postural problems, neuro massage therapy can be a life-saver.
7. Animal Massage Therapy
Hey, as a massage therapist, you have a gift.
Why not use those healing hands to help out the animal kingdom, too?!
From cats to horses, there’s a need for massage therapists. Here are just a few examples:
- Equine Massage Therapy: Equine massage therapy focuses on horses. Whether it’s a racehorse, or the owner simply wants to pamper their pet, equine massage therapy has several benefits, such as stimulating blood flow or removing lactic acid build-up in their muscles.
- Dog Massage Therapy: Like horse massage therapy, dogs don’t have to be athletes to enjoy a massage. In most cases, dog massage therapists help improve a dog’s mobility or rehabilitate after a muscular injury.
- Cat Massage Therapy: Therapeutic massage — for a cat? Yep, absolutely! A lot of veterinary hospitals offer massages for cats. With a massage, practitioners can help cats who are dealing with pain issues, giving them relief from pain and discomfort.
8. Reiki Energy Healing
Reiki is a technique that uses gentle touch to promote relaxation and lower stress or anxiety.
By using their hands, reiki practitioners pass energy to their clients’ bodies, improving the flow and balance of energy in their clients.
This technique is often used in tandem with more traditional forms of health treatments to build balance in the body — physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.
9. Mobile Massage Therapy
As a scheduling app made with massage therapists in mind, we’ve noticed a trend here at Schedulicity: A lot of massage therapists are taking their business on the road!
And why not? As a mobile business, you have more flexibility, autonomy, and… no rent payments.
10. Prenatal Massage Therapy
Used to help with pregnancy discomforts such as back pain and poor circulation, prenatal massage therapy uses techniques from Swedish, deep-tissue, and Shiatsu massage.
11. Fascia Stretching
Fascia stretching is a massage technique to increase the patient’s range of motion by manipulating fascia—the connective webbing around muscles and nerves.
