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Massage Therapy Degrees |
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March 21, 2005
by Gabby Hyman
Educationfactor Columnist
Massage therapists touch people's lives. They help restore people's health and emotional well-being while doing work that they love. Massage therapist salaries vary according to massage experience, level of schooling, and therapist work location. People pay between $40 and $100 for an hour of massage, depending upon the practitioner. You'll find successful massage therapists working in private practice, in concert with chiropractors, in hospitals, cruise ships, health spas, and in nursing homes.
The major schools in massage training expertise include Swedish, Shiatsu, Trager, acupressure, cranio-sacral, trigger point, neuromuscular, sports, and deep tissue massage.
Massage Schools Lead to Your Practitioner's Certificate
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the massage therapy industry will grow faster than average over the next decade. Each state in the union has its own educational, testing, and licensing requirements for massage therapists. To be eligible to take the certification exam from the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, massage therapists must have completed 500 hours of training and practical experience.
Schools also vary by curriculum and foundation requirements. For example, the Atlanta School of Massage requires graduates to have a working knowledge of neuromuscular therapy, anatomy, physiology, and range of motion testing. Many massage students take basic Swedish massage classes. They add other specializations after they graduate, receive certification, and begin their practice. Massage schools in most states offer basic and advanced certification programs as well as workshops and intensives in specialized techniques. Some massage therapists like to combine their modalities based on the needs of the patient. For example, a practitioner might offer Swedish to patients who seek relaxation. They could begin with Swedish, then move on to deep-tissue work to help patients heal from injuries.
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