How Massage Therapy Can Help Those Afflicted By Addiction

Addiction Affects People of All Ages, Genders & Cultures. 

In a recently published article entitled, “The Rewarding Work of Massage for Addiction Recovery,” author and expert, Allison Payne, writes:

“Addiction is a powerful problem; more than 20 million Americans age 12 and older had a substance use disorder in 2015, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine,” adding, “According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 3.5 million U.S. adults—1.4 percent of people 18 or older—received treatment for substance abuse; 2.3 million of those were treated at specialty facilities.

Incorporating massage into a substance abuse program is advantageous in all of the stages of quitting an addiction: withdrawal, detoxification and abstinence. The physical, emotional and spiritual components of recovery all can be directly benefited by the healing power of therapeutic touch.

“One obvious benefit to both clients and therapists is that regularly scheduled massage sessions are part of clients’ care plan. Seeing clients more often than you typically would in a massage clinic or spa setting can translate into greater opportunities to see your work have a positive effect,” Payne writes.