To participate in the occasion, and to tie into their "We Give Back Free Massage Program", Diamond Massage & Wellness Center in San Francisco will provide over $2000.00 worth of complimentary 30-minute massages for any schoolteacher who either lives or works in San Francisco. Appointments are available to anyone who works as a pre-school though college-level teacher, with no purchase necessary.

According to a national survey released by AMTA, Americans are increasingly recognizing the value of therapeutic massage, turning to it to combat stress and to relieve muscle aches and pains. Research has shown that aside from just feeling good, massage has health benefits such as reducing blood pressure, increasing blood circulation and lymph flow, relaxing muscles, improving joint range of motion, and increasing serotonin levels, which in turn lowers pain perception and allows people to feel better! When people have less stress and improved health - it improves job performance, which has motivated many companies to provide massage therapy at the worksite.

Massage therapists, massage centers and spas across the country are volunteering to participate in this national awareness week. Some creative therapists are giving discounts on services, donating services at senior centers and nursing homes and providing chair massage to veterans and their families. The Sacramento California chapter is even giving free massage on the State Capitol steps to enlighten the politicians to the benefits (and legitimacy) of massage therapy to aid in the state licensure of massage therapists of which none exists now.

"It would be difficult to find anything that has as wide as wide a range of benefits as massage. Pharmaceuticals nor any other physical or external therapies can create the over-all health benefits massage provides," said Irene Diamond, Director of Diamond Massage & Wellness Center in San Francisco, and P.R. Chair for the California Chapter of the AMTA. "It's effective in rehabilitating injuries and reducing pain, and a wonderful relaxing way to help your body deal with life's daily stresses. We have treated people whose doctors had told them they had to have surgery, but instead we got them better through therapeutic movement and massage. Needless to say their physicians were as amazed as the clients."

To participate in the occasion, and to tie into their "We Give Back Free Massage Program", DM&WC's certified massage therapists will provide over $2000.00 worth of complimentary 30-minute massages for any schoolteacher who either lives or works in San Francisco. A variety of styles of massage is available such as pregnancy, deep tissue and sports massage. Also during that week, an hour massage at Diamond Massage & Wellness Center will be only $45.00 - $50 for first time clients, a savings of over $35 - 40.00 and will include moist-heat Diamond Packs at no additional charge.

Because there are so many schoolteachers who want to participate, DM&WC has extended the program through October 31st. to accommodate everyone. "We started three years ago to tie into this National Massage Week by giving massage to teachers, since they are so over-worked and underpaid. The response was so popular we decided to keep going with it. So now, each month a new group gets to receive free massage therapy. The participants love it and it is great to be able to provide such a valued gift." says Charlie Sherwin, Office Manager. "Since then, DM&WC provides free massage each month to a different group of people in our community - it's just our way of saying thanks and giving back to the folks who have supported us all these years. Next month will be free massage for pregnant women - everyone gets their chance." (A list of Diamond's monthly groups is available at http://www.DiamondWellness.com/FreeStuff.htm .)