E. Houston LeBrun, president-elect of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) is quoted as saying, "More and more companies offer massage therapy not only as a perk, but also to increase their employees' productivity and morale. You get immediate results — the employees experience stress reduction and greater satisfaction with their jobs."

Indeed, studies have shown that massage improves bottom line of employers. A study by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami found that after 5 weeks, a group of 26 employees who had twice-weekly, 15-minute massages in the office faired better than a control group of 24 employees who were just told to close their eyes and relax. The massaged group experienced reduced stress and improved performance, while the control group did not. Using electroencephalograms (EEG), researchers measured alpha and beta waves in both groups, and found massage recipients to be more alert. Stress hormones in the saliva of the massaged group were lower than in the control group. The massaged workers completed math problems in half the time as normal and with half the errors they had before they were massaged. The math skills of the control group did not improve. The massage recipients also said they were less fatigued and more clear-headed.

Every year, more companies are heeding the call. There are no statistics on the number of companies that offer massage therapy on site, but those that have offered it include law firms, hospitals, manufacturers and major corporations, such as Boeing, Apple Computer, PepsiCo, Sony Music and United Airlines.