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Massage Courses & Massage Therapy Schools:
Answering the questions you didn't know you had! |
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Massage Courses...
Hello, I'm Tony.
With so much confusing choice, it is exceptionally difficult
to decide what is right for you amongst all the massage courses
and massage therapy schools available.
That's why we've created this special page within
the site to advise on how to make this decision easier and
help start you off on what can be a fantastic, rewarding and
diverse career.
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So you want to do
one of the many therapeutic massage courses to become a massage
therapist. Well there are so so many different massage therapy
courses; do you really have a strong idea of what |
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form of certified massage therapist training you want to do? If not
then read on, because here is a non exhaustive list to give you an
overview of the more common types of massage. If you don’t have a reasonably
good idea of which type of massage you want to learn, choosing the best massage course will be much harder.
General Body Massage /
Leisure Massage: More of gentle body massage generally applied or
focused to a specific zone of the body. The purpose is to relax the
client and ease their tension away. It could be argued this is the
most common massage therapist training. Usually theses body massage
therapy courses include in their syllabus, massage of the back, hands,
face etc.
Medical Massage: The
diagnosis is made by the physician and then the massage therapist
concentrates at the specific area of the condition to help healing
and maximize comfort.
Manual Lymphatic
Massage: lymphatic massage courses teach a gentle massage therapy
which aims to help eliminate excess fluid in the bodies lymphatic
system (part of body’s tissue drainage and immune system), a holistic
massage treatment for various conditions e.g. lymphoedema.
Swedish Course in
Massage: Swedish massage is a collection of pressure, movements and
touch to varying depths of the skin/muscles to relieve tension/stress,
relax the body and facilitate healing.
Shiatsu Massage /
Acupressure Massage Courses: These holistic massage courses, as far as
I understand, teach essentially the same philosophy however one is
more traditional than the other. Shiatsu is a Japanese term meaning
"finger pressure". Pressure by the hand or fingers along with
manipulative techniques attempt to correct/relax the structure of
the body and improve energy flow so helping to maximize and maintain
health.
Reflexology Massage:
Reflexology massage courses teach a technique which primarily focuses
on the feet where it is believed reflex points exist. These points are
linked to different systems & organs of the body. By stimulating the
points, the massage therapist increases the functioning of areas
distant from them. Occasionally ears and hands are on also. The
pressure is very specific with the use of a finger or thumb but
sometimes the palm is used.
Sports / Remedial
massage: There is somewhat of an overlap here, both sports and remedial
massage utilizing a firmer pressure than used in relaxing/general
massage. These deep tissue massage courses focuse on prevention
and healing of an injury. These forms of massage are also helpful
in clearing tension in muscles that have been stressed and strained
during sport or any physical activity so by improving the functioning
and performance of the individual.
Thai Massage: A
general body massage or focal pressure is applied to regions of
the body to stimulate the flow of the believed energy pathways of
the body so improving health. Tends to be firmer and questionably
more tender than a relaxing western massage.
Reiki Massage:
It is frequently reported that Reiki itself involves the practitioners’
hands being still. It is believed that energy from the practitioner is
channelled into the patients’ body via energy centres on the body
(Chakras) to improve healing. Some practitioners, to make it a more
holistic massage therapy, simply add the benefits of massage to the
mix to enhance the overall effect.
Aromatherapy Massage:
Massage of the whole or part of the body with a view to having a
general effect on the body is taught in this massage therapist course.
Essential oils with properties that hopefully compliment and heighten
the benefit given by the massage itself are also used.
So whatever massage
training courses you do, via which ever massage school or online
massage course, your holistic massage therapy career should be rewarding
and diverse. So don’t worry if you cannot quite decide between a couple
of massage jobs as you can always do the other more advanced massage courses
later on.
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Whether you have
just graduated from high school or possibly considering a career
change, massage therapist training could be gateway to a new the diverse and rewarding
career you are seeking. |
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Most individuals
when looking for massage courses are paralysed by the amount
of massage therapy courses available. How do you choose?
You might start by trying to decide roughly what type of massage
you want to do and in what setting. Simply different massage
therapy schools will run massage therapy courses specific to
particular massage careers. So to help you, here is an overview
of the more common massage therapy courses and a summary of where
the massage therapist in this field is likely to work.
Medical Massage Courses:
You should easily find a massage course covering this area.
Typically the therapeutic massage therapists work within hospitals
and private clinics. They often work in a professional team to
help patients get over recent illness or injury. Aside to the
massage therapists that work in hospitals, massage therapy is
needed in chiropractic clinics, sports injury centres etc, where
the need of remedial massage is prevalent. A massage therapist
might also be found in nursing homes. Finally you can even specialize
within a specialized area e.g. pre and post pregnancy is a nice
niche because there won’t ever be a shortage of potential
clients!
Sport Massage
Courses: Sports massage doesn’t tend to be a general body massage.
It tends to be more focused to particular areas of the body pre
and post training as well as the already mentioned when dealing
with sports injuries. Work can be at fitness clubs, sports clubs
and private clinics etc.
General Body
Massage Courses: Or you could say relaxation massage therapist
courses. The common illness at the moment is stress! People want
a little luxury in an effort to relax and reward themselves and
feel great. The potential here is huge! Think of all the numerous
spas, health clubs/studios, cruise ships, luxury hotels etc and a
massage therapist can also work from home or visit clients in
their own homes. You could specialize by looking to take one of
the more specialized massage training courses e.g. Indian head
massage courses. The private office is yet another market. Some
high powered time challenged professionals are willing to pay a
lot to have massage techniques ease away their stresses at their
own offices and even to have employees worked on to make them
more productive and feel appreciated.
Holistic Massage
Courses / Alternative massage: Maybe you aspire to more specialist
courses for massage. Maybe you need to find shiatsu or aromatherapy
massage courses. Other courses in massage therapy teach Reiki
massage, Thai massage, Swedish massage, there is also acupressure
and lymphatic drainage massage courses etc etc. It could be argued
that the more specialized you become, the more risk you have of
not finding work, however, it could also be argued that the more
specialized you are, the more money you can charge for your
services. See the other articles on this site to get an overview
of what these massage therapists do.
So, decide on what
area you would like to move into, search for the massage course
that will be ideal and make sure the certification you receive
(be it from on-line massage courses or traditional on site massage
courses whatever), will allow you to work in your chosen area.
If unsure still, maybe start broad and go for advanced massage
courses later – often with the basics already under your belt you
will find the specialism’s could be learned in only a one day or
weekend massage courses.
It is also really
worth talking to qualified massage therapists about their experiences
during their massage therapist training and trawling the internet, visit all the sites you can, spend a
few days checking out lots of massage courses - it is a big
decision you have to make – don’t rush it but equally without
action there is no success – take action now and good luck.
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Mis-Spellings:
message therapy schools,
massage theraphy schools,
massage therepy schools,
massage therpy schools,
massage theropy schools,
masage therapy schools,
massages courses,
message courses. |
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So you want to
study massage therapy or looking for one of the numerous specialized
massage therapy schools. Through which vehicle are you going to
study? Simply these days with the internet there are more options
available than ever before. In essence, you will be deciding
whether it is better for you to undertake your massage therapist training at a massage therapy school
or via online schools for massage therapy (distant learning).
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This article will
provide you a basic overview of the pros and cons of each to help
you on your way to making that all important decision.
Accredited Massage Therapy Schools:
It could be argued that attending a school of massage therapy is
preferable whether it is full or part time (if you are time poor),
because of its individual support network. Massage therapist training,
if new to you, will occasionally cause you doubts about your decision
and having colleagues in the same situation to chat to can help boost
morale. You could be at home and feel a little cut off and forever
challenged with distractions from the phone to kids! Arguably therefore,
attending a massage therapy training school is probably more
focused and nurturing.
Perfect practice makes
perfect! The most important skill you will take from any schools of
massage therapy is the massage technique; it is the single component
that is going to generate you your income the most. It is possible
to study from home and practise on relatives, but the feedback from
your fellow student is likely to be superior because they know what
it is you are precisely trying to achieve and know how it should feel.
Would a relative be honest enough? Undertake your massage therapist training massage therapy schools could be
more beneficial by increasing your chances to practice on lots of
people so you get to experience dealing with both sexes, all shapes
and sizes.
It’s likely that your
confidence will rapidly accelerate as your massage therapy school can
sometimes organise for their students to go to sporting venues and
work for example. They may even have a clinic so the public can come
and have a discounted massage and help the massage schools students
get more experience of providing therapeutic massage and also
importantly patient interaction.
Online Massage Therapy
School/distance learning:
Maybe your finances dictate you need to
remain at home or can’t afford to travel a lot. Maybe you live in a
pretty remote region and simply there aren’t any massage therapy
schools near enough that provide the massage therapy courses you
wish to learn. If you are also disciplined then why not learn essentially
on your own? In the main, you will be using textbooks, manuals,
e-books, videos, maybe viewing lectures via the internet utilizing
one of the many multimedia channels that are available nowadays.
The pace you become a massage therapist is up to you. This method
of massage therapy training will be more flexible and allow the juggling of work
for example if you still have to earn while retraining. You may
feel it all less pressurizing also.
Sometimes the whole
massage therapy training is via online massage schools even the testing
of your acquired knowledge. If you are unlucky and fail initially
then retesting may not mean you need to retake parts of the course
again. If you believe that the lack of hands on experience could
be an issue, you could get around this by interning within a
local massage therapy practise and be mentored by the principle.
If you strike up a great relationship, it could be a gate way
to your first massage therapy job! Certain online massage
therapy schools are not just online however and to graduate
you might need to attend a weekend lecture/seminar or two
with a test at the end.
So I hope that helps.
On-line learning is convenient but does it lack the contact that could
sometimes make life easier. Massage therapy schools are more focused
and your learning could be more varied but do you require additional
flexibility while training? Decisions decisions decisions!
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Whether you are
looking to attend one of the many top massage therapy schools or
looking to study your massage therapy training via an online massage therapy school, you will
need a list of criteria so you can compare easily between them.
So to start you off and get your thinking juices cascading,
here are some thoughts to help you decide which is your top
massage therapy schools. |
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How much do the massage
therapy schools cost? It goes without saying that the cost of your massage therapy courses is important
and if it isn’t you probably don’t need to get a job!
Is the massage therapist
certification you receive on graduation from one of the nationally
accredited massage therapy schools? For you to be accredited and
hence able to work, will your massage therapist training certification satisfy the
legal framework in the region/country you want to practice? Also
you need to consider which company you are going to use to obtain
your professional insurance – do they recognise the qualifications
you will end up with? Finally, is there a professional organisation
you need to be a member of and what schools for massage therapy
do they recognise?
Will the certification
be recognised by healthcare insurance companies? It is fine dreaming
of the job at the end of your massage therapist training but for 99.9% of us the principle reasons
for having a career is to earn money. Make sure from the start you
are maximizing all avenues of getting your hands on the green stuff.
What qualifications
do you need to enter the school for massage therapist training? You will
be learning a lot of specific science subjects e.g. dermatology,
anatomy, physiology, pathology, etc and your chosen school of massage
will be looking for evidence that you will be able to cope with the
information presented. If you are looking for post graduate massage therapy courses i.e. massage courses that are really a speciality, to
study them you need to prove you already have a basic level of
education in massage therapy.
Do the massage therapy schools
offer training full or part time?
What name does the
massage therapy school have within the environment you need to work
in? Is it a Harvard or Cambridge University? Initially when you are
in work your clients will be more confident and trusting if you have
graduated from a well known courses in massage therapy.
Already qualified
in a field of medicine? A nurse maybe. Will your existing level
of knowledge allow you to be exempt from sections of the massage therapists training syllabus
and so accelerate your route to graduation and a new income
stream?
Massage therapist
jobs are tough. You need to make sure that after a few years you
don’t finish up unable to work through injury. Does the curriculum
indicate that this is an area the tutors take seriously and teach
techniques that minimize the chance of fatigue and injuries?
What experience
has the lecturers had at the best massage therapy schools you have
found? What have they specialized in? Technique is the bread and
butter of your job and it is better if you can learn from someone
who has not only been a teacher, but worked in the field as well.
Does the school
include business studies – if you are going to be as most therapists
are – self employed, you need to think of your job as a business!!
Does the massage therapy course include education in business practises? You will
need to learn a lot after graduation but being introduced to the
basics early on is helpful.
So whichever
good massage therapy schools you look at, be they sports massage
schools, Thai massage schools, reflexology schools, general
therapeutic massage schools, take your time when studying the
massage therapy courses they offer and think long term in your career
planning.
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