What does the massage therapist career typically involve? The type of work that is involved in massage therapy is to use the method of touch to manipulate the soft-tissue muscles of the body. This is done for a number of different reasons such as, to relieve painful conditions of the body due to illnesses, relaxing the fatigued and overworked muscles, reducing stress, treating injuries suffered through sports, etc., and promoting overall health. Most often, massage therapy is made use of for medical benefits and relaxation purposes.
There are several types of massage techniques you can specialize in, which are called modalities. There are around 80 of them to choose from. Some of them are, the Swedish massage, the deep tissue massage, reflexology, acupressure, the sports massage, and the neuromuscular massage. You can benefit from specializing in more than one type of modality, thus having an expertise in several different massage techniques. A massage session can range from a short, five to ten minutes, to as long as two hours, depending on what is being treated and the technique being used.
A massage therapist always works by an appointment system. Before actually performing the massage, the therapist conducts an interview in which all the details of the client are noted down, such as the medical history, and the expected results from the therapy session. Based on the interview results, the therapist will choose the technique that is best suited for the client, so as to avoid any harmful effects and to maximise the relief.
Developing a rapport with the client is very important in the massage therapy career, as this helps in making your clients feel comfortable, and also helps in developing a loyal clientele list.
Where do the massage therapists work? There are many private and public settings where a massage therapist can work, which include, for example, private offices, hospitals, nursing homes, fitness centers, sports medicine facilities, airports, shopping malls, and studios. Massage therapists may also visit clients' locations for service. They can opt to work full or part-time, depending on their conveniences.
Providing massages involves standing for long hours as well as physical exertion. Many times injuries are possible if proper care and technique are not used. Therefore, good technique, spacing massage schedules, proper exercise, and getting a regular massage, yourself, as a therapist, is very important.
The massage therapist career requires that therapists complete a formal education program and pass an examination. Most of the States also require a license to practice massage therapy. It is important to check the information on licensing requirements in the State where you plan to practice. A fee and periodic licensure renewal may also be required.
The therapist programs requires a high school diploma to apply. It involves, typically, 500 hours or more of study to complete. Subjects such as, anatomy, physiology, study of body mechanics and motion, ethics, business management, and practical massage training, are covered in the program.
Apart from the school qualifications, a massage therapist's role also requires strong communication skills, a friendly, and empathetic personality, to put clients at ease and be successful in the profession.
Where employment is concerned, a growing number of requirements are predicted for massage therapists in the coming years. Infact, a growth of about 19 percent of job opportunities, by 2018, is expected for this role, as more and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of massage therapy, across all age groups. More part time jobs are expected to be available for this job than full time.
The earnings can vary depending upon the time one can invest in, in this job. The earnings can be very attractive, ranging anywhere between $35,000 per year to, sometimes, $150,000 per year, or above, for more established therapists, depending upon the clientele list one has been able to build over the years. If you are an enterprising person, the massage therapist career can be very lucrative, especially if you consider private practice as an option.
What are the advantages of choosing massage therapy as a career option? One of the advantages of this career will be that there will be plenty of job flexibility. You can choose the time and the number of clients you want to see in a day or in a week. It can be a very rewarding career with a lot of job satisfaction. On top of all this, it comes with a very good pay packet.
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