What Does It Mean to Study Massage Therapy?
Massage therapists need special education in massage techniques and human anatomy to become licensed. Find out what you can learn in a massage therapy program.
Massage therapy studies provide students with the opportunity to learn a job skill that will also benefit them in their personal lives. Massage therapists use the power of a healing touch to improve the health and well being of their clients. Students who study massage therapy will take hands-on and book-based classes to learn about the human body and the way that soft-tissue muscles can be manipulated for healing. This education is generally a requirement for people seeking a career in massage therapy.
Massage Therapy Studies: Types of Degrees
Massage therapy as a career is regulated at the state level. It is regulated in most states but not in all states. The BLS reports that in 2009 42 states regulated massage therapy careers. A majority of these states require formal educational degrees for massage therapists. The types of degrees and requirements vary by state.
Examples of some of the types of degrees available for massage therapy students are:
- Certificate in Massage Therapy
- Diploma in Professional Massage Therapy
- Massage Therapist Associates Degree
- Bachelors Degree in Alternative Medicine with Massage Therapy Emphasis
- Masters or PhD in Nursing with Massage Therapy Specialty
A very common degree in this field is the certificate or diploma program received from an accredited massage therapy school. This is generally a 1-2 year program. Students who wish to go further in their careers, charge higher rates, or add massage therapy to other health studies are typically the students who choose to get advanced degrees in this field.
Massage Therapy Studies: Classes and Courses
Massage therapy studies include both hands-on classes in massage training and academic classes. The hands-on classes are the ones that teach the specifics of how to properly give a massage. The academic classes supplement this knowledge by providing students with the additional skills necessary for a career in massage therapy.
Hands-on classes that students may take include:
- General massage including Swedish massage and deep tissue massage
- Common modalities of massage such as acupressure and shiatsu
- Specialty areas such as pregnancy massage or sports massage
- Spa classes such as hydrotherapy and reflexology
Academic classes for massage therapy students include:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Kinesiology
- Body mechanics and motion studies
- Business management courses
- Ethics
Hands-on Experience for Massage Therapy Programs
In addition to the hands-on experience that students receive in the classroom, many schools and states require students to get hands-on massage therapy experience in the real world. Some of these requirements are very informal, merely asking students to complete a specified number of hours of massage therapy practice on anyone including friends and family. Other programs are much more formal, requiring internships working in day spas, hospitals and other settings where massage therapy is commonly used.
Skills Needed for Massage Therapy Education
How do you know if you're going to succeed in massage therapy school? Some of the skills that you need to do well in this area of education include:
- Comfort with the human body and emotions
- Outgoing personality and ability to make clients comfortable
- Flexibility in learning and adapting to different modalities
- Memorization skills for academic classes
Student with these skills who have a strong desire to heal others with the power of touch should find that massage therapy is a field that benefits them.
Kathryn Vercillo
Kathryn Vercillo is a full time freelance writer / blogger with nearly ten years of writing experience. She has authored two books and contributed to many other print publications. Previously Kathryn worked as the editor-in-chief of a small literary arts magazine and as the manager of a writing company that linked businesses with freelancers. Areas she has researched extensively include personal finance, real estate, travel, life-work balance and health and fitness.
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Massage Therapists • Bureau of Labor Statistics
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