The culture of massage therapy: valued elements and the role of comfort, contact, connection and caring.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the attributes of the therapy encounter valued by repeat users of health-related massage therapy. DESIGN: A qualitative design with telephone focus group methodology was used. A total of 19 repeat users of massage therapy participated in three telephone focus groups where audiotaped semi-structured interviews were conducted. SETTING: Telephone focus group with massage clients from a range of provincial and urban regions in New Zealand. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Summary of reported themes of the massage experience. Data were thematically analysed using the general inductive approach. RESULTS: Six valued elements of the massage encounter (time for care and personal attention, engaging and competent therapist, trust partnership, holism and empowerment, effective touch and enhancing relaxation), four modulators (comfort, contact, connection and caring) and two themes relating to adding experiential value (enjoyment, escapism) characterize the massage therapy culture. CONCLUSIONS: The culture of massage therapy care incorporates a number of characteristics that are congruent with the complementary and alternative medicine approach to health. In addition, massage specific factors were identified. The humanistic aspects of the therapy encounter valued by clients offer insight into the growing use of massage therapy and the success of massage therapy outcomes.