WILLIAMS GARNERS SUPPORT FOR MASSAGE THERAPY WEEK RESOLUTION

 HARRISBURG, OCT. 25 – State Sen. Connie Williams received overwhelming support on Monday for a resolution that supports massage therapy.

 Williams' resolution declares the week of Oct. 21^st through 27^th at National Massage Therapy Week in Pennsylvania and draws attention to the health benefits of massage.

 "Alternative medicine, like massage therapy, is important for whole body care," Williams said. "As the medical community's knowledge of health care and wellness advances, there is renewed emphasis on combining traditional and alternative medicines for a whole body approach to health care.

 According to the American Massage Therapy Association, almost 47 million Americans had a massage in the past 12 months. At the same time the number of massage therapists in the United States, including students is growing.

 Massage therapy can benefit people of all ages and can aid in relaxation, injury recovery, pain reduction, headache control and overall health and wellness.

Consumers spend in excess of $2 billion to $4 billion annually on massage therapy.