Tips And Steps In Becoming A Massage Therapist

By Christa Jarvis


As early as 2330 BC, a painting in the Tomb of the Physician depicts what is presumed to be a massage session, with two men appearing to have their hands and feet worked on by two other people. The Chinese compilation of medical wisdom and information, the Nei Jing, contains rubbing techniques and uses in thirty various chapters, and was composed in 722 BC. In 700 BC, the earliest known Chinese doctor Bian Que practiced medicinal massage.

Medical research has proven that the massage is not just some old timey sham therapy, but its many health benefits include pain relief, anxiety and stress relief, and reduction of depression, blood pressure, and heart rate. We know how much stress we often handle in the modern world, and we love to go to the spa or get a massage therapist Dover NH for the opportunity to forget the world and just relax. A booming business today when everyone seems to be needing a good rub every now and then, there are a lot of aspiring therapists as well. Here are a few tips you can use if you want to be a professional.

Your hands will not be the only thing you need in this field, but also your heart. You should be able to be empathetic and sensitive to the concerns of your client. Try going to the local spa and feel the experience. Observe the feel of how to do bedside manners and how sessions should go.

Choose an area of specialization. Like physicians, therapists also have different concentrations, depending on the end or purpose of your practice. Some will focus on repairing muscles, or reducing pain, or healing a physical ailment. Your style will also branch out from from one or two to more techniques once you mastered a couple or so.

If you want to specialize on the style that helps heal medical and physical ailments, you can choose clinical massaging. You should have a thorough comprehension of the human physiology and anatomy in order to be in this field. Sports massaging are created to help athletes play better and to assist healing when they are injured. For relaxation and healing, you may want to consider the deep tissue or Swedish technique.

Enroll in a massage school so you can get a training program. Most states require around six hundred hours of training if you want to get certified. Also, the duration of the completion of your program will depend on how many classes you are willing to take at the same time.

Enroll in a school that offers the programs you are most interested in. After completing your training, you will be taking an exam to get you certified and licensed. Not all states require licensing, and not all states legalize practice without a license, so better check the requirements of your jurisdiction.

Lastly, know if you want to go freelance or be employed. Self employed therapists often make more money as employed ones often have a lower salary range. However, it is also vital that if you are planning to set up your own business, be prepared to be challenged with expenses and difficulty in finding clients when you are still beginning.

According to the gate control theory, massages can stop nociception, stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, improve sleep, release endorphins and serotonin, and prevent scar tissue and fibrosis. These effects remain to be proven. However, the practice can make use of randomized controlled trials which can increase its credibility by displaying the reproducible therapeutic effects of massages.




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