* Touch is the first sense to develop in humans, and may be the last to fade.

* There are approximately 5 million touch receptors in our skin-- 3000 in a finger tip.

* A touch of any kind can reduce the heart rate and lower blood pressure.

* Touch stimulates the release of endorphins (the body's natural pain killers) which is why a mother's hug for a child's skinned knee can literally make it better.

* People with eating disorders who receive massage three time a day for ten day's, gain weight faster and get out of the hospital six days sooner than those who don't.

* Elderly people who massage surrogate grandchildren report higher-esteem and better moods .

* Massage before an athletic event, makes the athlete more flexible, enhanced speed and power, and less prone to injury .

* One in five Americans have had a massage from a massage therapist in the past five years and 13% report receiving one in the past year. This is up 8% from 1997.

* Today, there are more than 60,000 Nationally Certified practitioners that serve millions of consumers.

* Nationally Certified practitioners provide expertise in various areas of therapeutic massage and body work; Nationally Certified practitioners provide expertise in various areas of therapeutic massager and body work, including Swedish massage, shiatsu, polarity therapy, Rolfing?, Trager? techniques, reflexology, neuromuscular therapy and many more.

* In 1996, massage therapy and bodywork was officially offered for the first time as a core medical service in the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. At the Games, Nationally Certified practitioners were providing key medical services.

* Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia now regulate the practice of therapeutic massage and bodywork. Of those, twenty-five states, in addition to the District of Columbia, now use the NCBTMB examination as meeting (in part or in whole) the requirements of regulation.

* NCBTMB currently has over 600 Approved Providers of Continuing Education.

* Consumers spend between $2 and $4 billion dollars annually on visits to massage and bodywork practitioners, totaling approximately 75 million visits each year.

* The three most often cited reasons for getting a therapeutic massage are relaxation (27%), relief of muscle soreness, stiffness or spasm (13%), and stress reduction (10%).

* Health insurers are increasingly expanding coverage to include alternative medicines. In addition, several healthcare network providers use NCBTMB to check the National Certification status of the practitioner.

* Fifty-four percent of primary care physicians and family practitioners say they would encourage their patients to pursue massage therapy as a complement to medical treatment.

* Massage therapy accounts for 18% of the 425 million visits made to alternative healthcare providers each year.

* In 1999, 52% of American adults thought of massage as "therapeutic," which is up 47% from 1997.

* An estimated 20 million Americans receive massage therapy and bodywork each year, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH).