Massage Therapy Journal Winter 2025

76 • Massage Therapy Journal

Active-duty service members

of treatment by a PT or OT is a covered benefit. Active-duty service members, retirees and military family members report using and paying for integrative therapies at a higher rate than their civilian counterparts. Patients that received therapy from massage therapists were more likely to engage in multiple visits (93% vs. 63%) than those receiving massage therapy from a non-massage therapist . Massage therapists were primarily located in pain management clinics (93%), followed by physical therapy clinics (5%). Massage therapists were at seven military treatment facilities that had specialty pain management clinics. Active-duty service members had greater accessibility to massage therapist delivered care than retired service members and family members, likely due to greater access to military treatment facilities.

Patients that received massage therapy from massage therapists were less likely to be prescribed opioids, but more likely to access other pain medications, such as muscle relaxants and NSAIDS, perhaps due to history and occupations of those referred to massage therapists. The current study, however, did not provide information enabling an analysis of referral reasons or the effectiveness of the therapy either in general or when compared to different types of providers. This small study was limited by the need to use two specific CPT codes and HIPAA codes to identify massage therapists. An overall picture of the use of massage therapy provided by massage therapists not in the TRICARE system wasn’t possible. However, the research does provide a first look at the accessibility, location and use of massage in the military health care system.

had greater accessibility to massage therapist delivered care than

retired service members and family members. .

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