Mayo Clinic's approach
Mayo Clinic's Integrative Medicine and Health program combines conventional medicine with integrative medicine for physical, mental and spiritual wellness. Mayo Clinic health care providers and certified massage therapists work together. They create massage therapy treatment plans for an injury or condition as part of the care plan.
At Mayo Clinic, massage therapy is included in some peoples' hospital stays. Mayo Clinic researchers have found that massage therapy can reduce pain and tension in people facing or recovering from many problems, including:
- Heart surgery
- Breast cancer
- Colon and rectal surgeries
Several Mayo Clinic massage therapists have training in practices other than massage. Practices include acupressure, reflexology, kinesiology, mobilization of scar tissue and lymphedema drainage.
Mayo Clinic volunteers also offer hand massage to people staying in the hospital. Studies show these 15-minute hand massages can help people feel better by reducing anxiety and increasing calmness.
Mayo Clinic offers wellness services to people staying in the hospital and their families, as well as staff. Rejuvenate Spa is at Mayo Clinic's Rochester, Minnesota, campus. This full-service spa is a part of Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program. It offers massage and other relaxation and cosmetic services.
Expertise and rankings
Mayo Clinic has been a leader in making massage therapy part of patient care in the hospital for almost 20 years. Mayo researchers in the Integrative Medicine and Health Research Program have done many studies proving the safety and benefit of massage therapy before or after many different types of surgeries and procedures.
People staying in the hospital may have wounds from surgery, or they may be connected to medical equipment — such as intravenous lines or chest drains. Because of this, Mayo Clinic has a training program to help massage therapists work with people who are in a hospital. The training program, Medical Massage Therapist, is available at Mayo Clinic's campus in Minnesota.
Each year, medical professionals at Mayo Clinic provide inpatient and outpatient massage to thousands of people dealing with problems ranging from a cancer diagnosis to a sports injury.
Locations, travel and lodging
Mayo Clinic has major campuses in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona; Jacksonville, Florida; and Rochester, Minnesota. The Mayo Clinic Health System has dozens of locations in several states.
For more information on visiting Mayo Clinic, choose your location below:
Costs and insurance
Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.
In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral. Some insurers require referrals or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.
Learn more about appointments at Mayo Clinic.
Please contact your insurance company to verify medical coverage and to obtain any needed authorization prior to your visit. Often, your insurer's customer service number is printed on the back of your insurance card.