What is a Massage Therapist?

Massage therapy might seem like a modern indulgence, but it’s actually one of the oldest healthcare methods recorded. Chinese medical textbooks mention massage as a way of treating illness over 4,000 years ago. Today’s massage therapist is an expert on the human body and knows how to not only help someone relax, but to also help alleviate tension and help blood flow into the tissues. Here’s some more information about massage therapists and the field they work in.

What Is Massage Therapy All About?

Massage therapy involves the manual manipulation of soft body tissues with the sole purpose of bettering someone's health and general well-being. The massage therapy will target

• Muscles
• Connective tissue
• Ligaments
• Tendons

Despite its simple and non-intrusive approach, massage therapy has proven its worth as a powerful tool that can either work independently or in tandem with conventional medication to cure a disease, condition, or injury.

Massage therapy works by reducing stress to affected body parts or the body in general, relaxing your soft tissues and giving your body the chance it needs to heal itself and rejuvenate. This makes massage therapy more of a catalyst than it is of an active treatment procedure.

Different Types of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy has grown from the regular relaxing touch you would get from a casual establishment to a serious therapy that has branches focused on different healing capabilities.

Relaxation massage, or Swedish massage, takes place at spas, wellness centers, and resorts. The main purpose is to relax the entire body and give you some rest after a long day, week, or month. You don’t need a prescription or a reason to get such a massage other than being tired and having the desire to rest your tired body faster.

Rehabilitative massage, on the other hand, targets deep tissue and is loosely referred to as clinical massage. This is because it focuses on helping patients recover from injury or trauma and will mostly take place at clinics, hospitals, and at doctor’s office after intense examination and prescriptions.

How to Become a Massage Therapist

To become a massage therapist, you need to get the necessary education and training for massage therapy. Getting the training and education doesn’t necessarily mean that you are allowed to practice. This will depend on licensing and certification you get after graduation.

In order to practice commercially, you must get a license and become a licensed massage therapist. Getting your license is a needed step to practicing massage therapy on the public. Here are the steps you will need to undertake in order to do just that.

• You will need a certificate or diploma in massage therapy from an institution that’s recognized by your state’s licensing board.
• Take board certification exam in massage therapy and attain a passing grade
• Apply for state licensure and pass the necessary tests and examinations

After this, you will have to keep advancing your skill and education to maintain your license. Most boards have a continued education requirement whose purpose is to keep practicing therapists current and aware of changes in the market. Different administrative bodies regulate massage therapy in different regions and it is illegal to work in a specific place without approval from these licensing bodies.

A certified massage therapist is a professional massage therapist who has taken a professional oath to uphold a specific set of standards and ethics. A certification test proves that you have the skills needed to meet these standards.

The certification becomes a seal of approval that endorses you as a reliable authority in the massage therapy field. In most states, you must be certified or licensed in order to practice. However, even if your state does not require this, it’s a good idea to obtain certifications and licensing to in order to make sure you’re eligible for more job opportunities and advancement.

Massage Laws and Regulations

Most states will demand for a minimum hours of training in addition to passing the screen exam to prove your competence. This coupled with continued education might be all you need to become and remain a legal massage therapist. Be sure to observe all of the laws in your state and contact your local certification board if you have any questions.

Career Outlook for Massage Therapists

Massage has been around for thousands of years and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), it’s not going anywhere. The BLS indicates the field will increase around 22% from 2014 to 2024. This growth is tremendous when you consider the average is around 7%.

If you’re interested in a career in  massage therapy, there has never been a better time to get the education and training you need. ECPI University offers an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Massage Therapy. For more information, contact a helpful admissions advisor today.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

DISCLAIMER – ECPI University makes no claim, warranty, or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.

Gainful Employment Information – Massage Therapy - Associate’s

For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.