With the ever-increasing need for complementary care, massage therapy has a field of expertise that allows it to intervene at both the preventive (wellness) and therapeutic levels, in order to relieve pain and improve health conditions.
Did you know that today, nearly one in four Quebecers are limited in their daily activities because of functional health problems?
Here are some key facts about the health of Quebecers:
- 1 in 2 people suffer from at least one chronic health problem 1
- 1 in 2 people will be affected by cancer in their lifetime 2
- The World Health Organization has shown that depression and back pain are the leading causes of disability 3
- 26,814 workplace injuries per year in Quebec, directly attributable to musculoskeletal disorders (tendonitis, bursitis, low back pain, etc.) 4
- The aging of the population: by 2041, a quarter of the population will be over 65 5
The therapeutic applications of massage therapy are vast and the studies proving its benefits are increasingly numerous. So, whether you wish to intervene in prevention or offer therapeutic follow-up, the job prospects are numerous.
According to our surveys, massage therapists and kinesitherapists who are members of the FQM work mainly :
- at home, 35.5%
- integrative health centres (multidisciplinary), 12.7%
- spas, 12.3%
- massage therapy centres, 9.4%
- their clients’ homes, 7.2%
- beauty or hairdressing centres, 2.8%
- medical clinics, 2.3%
- organisation linked to a CI(U)SSS (e.g. hospital, CLSC, CHSLD), 1.8%
- various businesses (e.g. chair massages by appointment), 1.8%
- NPO/foundation working in the health sector, 1%
- hotel (excluding spa), 0.6%
- rehabilitation centre, 0.4%
- retirement home, 0.3%
- sports organisation, 0.1%
- other, 12.1%
REFERENCES
1 Institut de la statistique du Québec. (2016). Zoom santé – L’autogestion des maladies chroniques, l’état de santé et l’utilisation des services hospitaliers : exploration de données d’enquêtes populationnelles. http://www.bdso.gouv.qc.ca/docs-ken/multimedia/PB01670_zoom_sante_55_2016H00F00.pdf
2 Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (2023). Détection du cancer par le médecin de famille. Repéré à https://www.msss.gouv.qc.ca/professionnels/cancer/detection-du-cancer-par-le-medecin-de-famille
3 World Heath Organization. (2017). “Depression: let’s talk” says WHO, as depression tops list of causes of ill health. https://www.who.int/news/item/30-03-2017–depression-let-s-talk-says-who-as-depression-tops-list-of-causes-of-ill-health
4 Statistiques sur les lésions attribuables aux troubles musculosquelettiques (TMS) en milieu de travail 2019-2022 (2023). https://www.cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/statistiques-lesions-tms_1.pdf
5 Institut de la statistique du Québec. (2023). Portrait of seniors in Quebec. https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/communique/portrait-of-seniors-in-quebec