A massage therapist is a trained professional who relieves pain and tension through the manipulation of various muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the body. Massage therapy can be medically therapeutic or for relaxation purposes, and there are countless benefits of massage. For example, massage has been shown to relieve conditions such as high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression.
Many individuals also turn to massage therapy after accidents or injuries. Just as there are different functions of massage therapy, there are numerous types of massage. Some of the most popular include Swedish massage, sports massage, deep tissue massage, reflexology, and stone massage. In addition, massages are not always given with only the hands; some therapists use their feet, elbows, and knees to massage patients and clients.
Massage therapists generally work in doctors' offices, spas, health clubs, hotels, or independently, and they often enjoy a varied schedule that usually consists of appointments with patients or clients lasting one hour to an hour and a half. Because of the high demand for massages recently, massage therapy jobs are expected to grow by almost 20 percent over the next five years.
Massage therapy is governed by two different organizations: the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards and the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. These groups are the main organizations that provide licensing and massage therapy certifications in the United States.
There are different rules regarding licensing in every state. In thirty eight states, a massage therapist must be licensed. In Colorado, Indiana, and Virginia, a massage therapist need only be state certified. Seven states have no licensing, registration, or certification requirements at all for massage therapists. In states where regulations are imposed, the educational hours required during massage therapy programs range from 300 - 1000, and it normally takes nine months to a year to complete the required schooling. After graduation, therapists will be eligible to take state exams or register as a massage therapist. They might also be required to complete Continuing Education Units (CEUs) every few years and renew licenses or certifications.
Massage therapy training is usually offered at technical schools, community or state colleges, beauty colleges, and holistic schools. In order to begin a program, most massage therapy schools require that prospective students have a high school diploma or equivalency. The curriculum in school will include a coursework component in addition to a substantial amount of practical hours. The practical hours involve learning hands on massage techniques and then putting them into practice. Since massage therapists must know how the human body works, anatomy and physiology is an important class that all massage therapists must take. In addition to anatomy and physiology and general massage courses, there are many other classes required of students in massage school that teach the law and professionalism when working as a massage therapist. Some of the massage therapy courses a student can expect to take are:
Besides the general coursework, students can choose to take courses that specifically teach different massage techniques and forms of massage.
Certificate or Diploma
A certification or diploma in massage therapy is usually offered at community or state colleges, technical schools, beauty colleges, and holistic schools. Although students typically put in many hours of study, they will only receive a certification or diploma in massage therapy, not an actual college degree. The certification does entitle graduates to qualify for whatever certification or licensing procedures are required in the state where they would like to practice. In a certificate program, classes are all focused on massage therapy and legal and ethical matters related to massage therapy in the state where the school is located. There are no general education requirements in massage therapy certification or diploma programs.
A certificate or diploma in massage therapy qualifies graduates to work in many different industries. Some possible job fields are:
Associate Degree
Some community or state colleges offer prospective students an actual Associate of Applied Science degree in massage therapy. The associate programs usually take longer than certification programs since students are required to take many general education courses in addition to massage therapy courses. General education courses often include English, math, history, and science. Therefore, an actual degree in massage therapy could take two years or more. An associate degree in massage therapy will qualify graduates to work in the same fields as those with a diploma or certificate.
We found 127 schools offering massage therapy degree programs in the U.S.
>> See all 127 Massage Therapy Colleges in the U.S.
