Massage therapy is becoming a more popular therapeutic career.
Massages have gone well beyond just a luxury on a cruise line or for expensive spa clients; with an increasingly health savvy population massages have broken into the mainstream as an excellent health improvement tool for people in all walks of life. Because of this, there is an increasing demand for massage therapists. If you love interacting with people and are interested in a therapeutic career then you should consider becoming a massage therapist.
What is a Massage Therapist?
Massage therapists are skilled in a variety of treatments to help reduce stress, muscle aches and pains, stiffness and help improve circulation by stimulating the skin. There are a variety of massage types that can be used including sports massages, trigger point massage, Swedish massage, orthopedic, reflexology, acupressure and deep-tissue massage as well as others.
These therapeutic specialists usually work with people who are recovering from injuries or just trying to unwind from a long day. The length and type of massage given will depend on the client’s need and medical condition. Some common reasons that people want massages are back pain, migraines, headaches, muscle sprains and strains, stress relief, help to sooth arthritis and tendonitis, help relieve muscle spasms, and for injury rehabilitation. They will often incorporate aromatherapy and soothing music into a massage session and will use oils or lotions on the skin.
MT’s can work for themselves as independent contractors, open their own business, work in a health center, be employed in a wellness center or a spa, work in a physical therapy center, rehabilitation clinic or hospital, fitness centers, sports medicine clinics, professional sports team or work in a hotel, resort or a cruise ship. Independent massage therapists can work in their own studio or in their client’s home. Due to the popularity of massages, you can often find massage centers in shopping malls and airports.
Required Education and Certification
The majority of the states require that a massage therapist be licensed in order to practice and depending on state regulation the education requirements can vary. Programs can be anywhere from a few months to two-years but there is no universal program for becoming a massage therapist.
If you are living in a state that has license requirements, depending on the requirements of the state you wish to practice in, you will need to be certified by taking one of two certification tests offered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). The two certification examinations that are offered are the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB) and the National Certification
Examination for Therapeutic Massage (NCETM). A list of state requirements can be found here http://www.naturalhealers.com/qa/massage-state-boards.html.
If you are living in a state that does not require you to be licensed, there is no minimum requirement needed to become a massage therapist; however, the majority of employers hiring for massage therapists prefer to hire somebody with education and training in the field. The amount of education that you decide to pursue is directly related to how far you wish to go in the field.
Top Massage Therapist Programs
Cortiva Institute Schools of Massage Therapy
With campuses in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, this program is one of the top programs for massage therapy.
National Holistic Institute
Focusing solely on massage therapy, this Institute has several campuses throughout California
Byran College
With two California campuses, this college offers classes that can be taken during the day, evening or online.
Everest College
Everest has forty campuses in eleven states and offers programs for both spa therapy and sports therapy.
The Soma Institute (National School of Clinical Massage Therapy)
This competitive program is located in Chicago, IL and has a very selective admissions process.
Job Responsibilities
- Interview and assess individual needs of clients including their range of motion, joint quality, muscle strength, muscle condition and discuss any underlying health issues. Evaluate a patient’s medical history and current conditions to determine what type of massage would be the most beneficial and develop a massage treatment plan
- Set up the massage room, and step out while the client disrobes and then covers up on the table. Once the client is ready, the massage therapist will apply oil or lotion and proceed with the massage, kneading, and massages the muscles of their client, applying extra attention to the areas that need it
- Refer clients to other physicians or doctors, such as a chiropractor for example, as needed
- Educate clients about stress relief, how to improve posture, how to strengthen, and tone problem areas
- Maintain detailed records of their clients’ histories, treatments, and progress
Salary Range
The average annual salary for massage therapists is $ 34,900, which works out to about $ 16.78 per hour.
Job Outlook
Up through 2020, the massage therapist job field is expected to grow by 20 %. Increased awareness of health and well-being by the population had led to a higher than average job growth in this field.
Conclusion
Due to the increasing popularity of massages as a stress management tool, a way to promote wellness and a way to reduce pain, this ancient healing method has been gaining momentum when it comes to job growth. The outlook for this job is very stable and is expecting growth for the next several years to come, which makes this a smart therapeutic career choice.
