Original manuscript & recording released:

December 25, 2025

When Massage Becomes a Spectacle

Andrew DeGroat, N.D.

The World Massage Championship is often presented as a pinnacle of excellence within the profession. While it is undeniably impressive as a visual and technical showcase, it does not fully represent what defines excellence in massage therapy as it is practiced in clinical and therapeutic settings.

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 At its core, massage therapy is a client-centered, relational practice. Outcomes are measured not by choreography or novelty, but by the client’s lived experience, pain reduction, improved function, nervous system regulation, emotional safety, and informed consent (Moyer et al. 2004; Fritz 2021). Client feedback is not ancillary to the work; it is foundational.

  Competitive formats, by necessity, prioritize what can be observed and scored in real time: flow, originality, athleticism, and visual impact. These elements may demonstrate technical proficiency, but they offer little insight into therapeutic effectiveness or long-term outcomes. Research consistently shows that the benefits of massage therapy are mediated through complex biopsychosocial mechanisms, including the therapeutic alliance and the client’s subjective perception of safety and care (Bordin 1979; Porges 2011).

  Moreover, trauma-informed and somatic approaches emphasize that effective touch must be responsive, adaptive, and guided by continuous client input factors that cannot be adequately assessed in a staged, time-limited competition (Levine 2010; Poole Heller 2018). Without centering the client’s voice, the work shifts from therapy toward performance. This does not diminish the value of the World Massage Championship as a platform for creativity, inspiration, and global visibility. However, it is important to name it accurately. It is a showcase of technique, not a measure of therapeutic excellence. If we are serious about advancing massage therapy as a healthcare and healing profession, we must continue to uphold what matters most: the client’s experience, outcomes, and sense of safety, not the spectacle.

References:

Bordin, Edward S. 1979. “The Generalizability of the Psychoanalytic Concept of the Working Alliance.” Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice 16 (3): 252–60.

Fritz, Sandy. 2021. Mosby’s Fundamentals of Therapeutic Massage. 7th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier.

Levine, Peter A. 2010. In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

Moyer, Christopher A., James Rounds, and James W. Hannum. 2004. “A Meta-Analysis of Massage Therapy Research.” Psychological Bulletin 130 (1): 3–18.

Porges, Stephen W. 2011. The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. New York: Norton.

Poole Heller, Diane. 2018. The Power of Attachment. Boulder, CO: Sounds True.

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