Massage therapists use their hands to work the soft tissue and muscles of the human body. Massage therapists undergo extensive training to become familiar with the muscular structure of the body in order to understand the best way to reduce muscular tension. Massage therapy is used for a variety of reasons including supporting overworked muscles, promoting general health, reducing stress, and recovering from physical injury.

Clients often seek out massage therapy for its therapeutic physical and physiological effect on the body and mind, seeking the professional services of many different massage varieties. Massage therapists generally work by appointment, taking time to meet individually with clients and consider their physical and mental health situation before engaging in the therapy session.

The length and type of session often depends on the technique of the therapists as well as the needs and conditions of the client. Massages are often tailored to meet the needs of a specific clientele. For example, physical therapy massage is different from stress relaxation, while maternal massages are yet another kind of massage for pregnant mothers.

Many massage therapists are self-employed and specialize in specific types of massage. Based on a patient's needs, a therapists may refer clients to other specialists, while in return other therapists might refer their clients back to them. It can take time for massage therapists to gain the rapport necessary to attract a large number of clients and to develop a network of other specialists to work with, but doing so will increase the stability of the profession for self-employed therapists.

Career Specializations

Massage therapists can specialize in over 80 different types of massage, called modalities. (BLS) Some of the most common specialties include:

• Deep Tissue Massage: With an estimated 77 percent of all massage therapists providing this kind of massage, it is the most common modality. A deep tissue massage involves short strokes that focus on separating tightened muscles from the rest of the body to work out knots.
• Swedish Massage: This is the a very traditional and common modality of massage. It involves long strokes up and down the body combined kneading of specific areas to provide simultaneous relaxing and stimulating strokes across the muscle groups.
• Sports Massage: This modality of massage was created and designed for athletes, but may be helpful for anyone doing a strenuous activity. Sports Massage typically involves both a before massage and an after massage. The before massage works muscles hard to get blood flowing to reduce the likelihood of stress injuries, while the after massage works out tension developed during strenuous activity to get the muscles back to their pre-event state.
• Thai Massage: This modality uses gentle stretching and pushing to alter skeletal structure and relieve stress. This kind of massage is often used in conjunction with other types of therapy such as acupuncture.
• Acupressure: This ancient Chinese Technique is an offshoot of the same principles that go into acupuncture. Acupressure massage focuses on applying direct pressure to certain pressure points to relieve muscle stress throughout the body and allow energy to flow more freely through the body.

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Degree Levels Available for Massage Therapy

• Certification: 6 months to 1 year

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Education and Certification Requirements

There is really only one applicable degree level for massage therapy, but each program will provide different expertise and experience which may affect the skills developed by the student. For example, one school may provide courses in sports massage, while another may specialize in deep tissue massage techniques. The relative level of education for both of these programs may be the same, but the specific skills and training provided may vary greatly.

Massage therapy programs will also vary between states and localities, as certification requirements can be dictated by state and local regulations. Typically students will spend time learning about anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and ethics, while getting hands-on experience with one or more massage techniques.

In states with massage regulations, students are required to get a license after completion of a general education program before being able to work as massage therapists. To obtain a license, students will be required to pass a written exam. Depending on the state, this exam might be administered by the state or they might use one of two main national certification exams: the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB) and the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx).

Passage of these exams and acceptance into the massage therapy practice is regulated by state massage therapy boards, so individual students should look up specific state requirements to find out more information and to prepare for the necessary exam. Periodic re-certification and examination may also be required depending on the state.

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Salary Information

As massage therapists can choose to work as part time trainees or full time entrepreneurs, the salary can vary greatly from one practitioner to the next. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly salary of massage therapists in May 2008 was 16.78 dollars. However, this salary varied from just over 8 dollars for those in the bottom 10 percent to over 30 dollars for those in the top ten percent.

This represents a huge standard variation in salaries which indicates the variance between individual therapists depending on their schedule and success. Many massage therapists also earn much of their salary in gratuities, which can also help account for some of this variation. (BLS)

Also, since many massage therapists work only part time or on variable hours, annual salary can be very difficult to predict. Most massage therapists get little to no benefits as privately-employed persons.

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Job Outlook

Job growth for massage therapy is expected to grow by 19 percent between now and 2018. This is well above the national average of job growth across all industries. This increase is linked to rising demand for general massage services in spas and private clinic settings, although upcoming massage therapists can generally expect to only be able to work part time until a client base has been gathered. (BLS)

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Related Careers

• Medical Massage: The field of medical massage applies many of the principles of massage therapy to the medical profession by providing massage techniques to clients in order to relieve muscular stiffness, headaches, psychological disorders, and many other common medical conditions.
• Holistic Medicine: Massage therapy is often considered to be a part of the greater umbrella field of holistic medicine. In this field, special value is placed in alternative methods of medical healing, including using spices and herbs, massage therapy, acupuncture, and other techniques.
• Physical Therapy: Physical therapists work with victims of medical problems from the simplest fractured foot to amputation in order to get atrophied muscles back to normal working standards so that patients can function normally, or as close to normal as possible.

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