These are grim times.  We hear grim tales of layoffs and their economic and psychological consequences on individuals and families.  The only upside we can think of is that perhaps it is during times of stress and hardship that massage therapy is viewed as a promising savior for all ills, imagined or not.  Investors love to talk about gold as being inflation-proof and no doubt business schools are busy preaching what they know best.  Massage therapy on the other hand Read More…

We have prepared and posted an article focusing on kinesiology on our main website. Kinesiology is the science related to “movement” and “human motion.” It is important as a consideration for massage therapists because the study of kinesiology considers the relationships between muscles and muscle groups and how breakdowns in this system affect the way a person may be able, or not able, to function physically. As a prospective student is reviewing potential massage schools, hopefully, they will be looking Read More…

We have added a profile and questionnaire response to our main website for Dr. Patricia Coe, an instructor and clinic supervisor at the National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, IL.  As a doctor of chiropractic and massage therapist, Dr. Coe provides a truly unique perspective about the practice of massage therapy as a component of a holistic approach to healing. As an instructor, Dr. Coe also provides excellent insights into the process of choosing a massage therapy career, selecting Read More…

We have just added a new article to our website which documents the history of massage therapy. The article traces massage from its earliest roots in Egypt and China, through Greek and Roman civilizations, and also reveals the massage “dark ages” when touch was taboo and massage was dormant in Western cultures. If you have an interest in understanding more about the sources and development of massge as a healing therapy you will find this article helpful.

We may all be familiar with Swedish massage or Chinese massage, but we could use a bit of “enlightenment” about Russian massage.  An article by David Helwig caught our attention.  He says the basic premise of Russian message is that it focuses more on the “physiology of a dysfunction rather than on anatomy as the principal guideline for treatment.” If we understand this correctly, the massage therapist looks at the injury and how this injury has brought about reduced mobility Read More…

You may be familiar with “Yahoo Answers.”  The way it works is anyone with a Yahoo account (Yahoo mail, Yahoo messenger) can log in and post a question about any subject.  People post their answers and earn credits.  We came across one question that asked where one could find a list of the top ranked massage therapy schools.  One person posted this answer: “Check out Utah College of Massage Therapy….they have an Arizona campus I believe…I went there. If you Read More…

The problem in looking for a school that offers massage therapy courses is that if it’s a large school with a few campuses spread out in the region, not all of its campuses offer massage therapy as a program.  Or you learn that the campus which offers it is too far from where you live.  If you live in Santa Barbara, California, count yourself lucky.  We did some research and came upon the Santa Barbara Business College in California.  It Read More…

I’m sure many of you can make an educated guess about what aromatherapy massage is.  It is similar to Swedish massage except it uses essential oils.  Aromatherapy massage helps the body absorb these essential oils through the skin.  Essential oils are a fascinating field of study; this industry has witnessed the remarkable growth of oil products, boosting the practice of massage therapy. The word aromatherapy was coined by a chemist – Rene Maurice Gattefosse in the 1920s.  He accidentally burned Read More…

Did you know that in addition to reputable massage schools, the Touch Research Institute in Florida is another possible organization that licensed massage therapists and students could consider for their continuing education plans? It is part of the University of Miami School of Medicine and was created in 1992 by Dr. Tiffany Field (Director of the Institute) with start-up funds provided by Johnson & Johnson. It is the first center in the world that is devoted exclusively to touch and Read More…

Massage schools offer courses dealing with the importance of massage on skin. These courses fall under the prerequisites of Anatomy and Physiology. One of the things a massage school student will learn is that skin is generally of three types:  oily (this skin condition occurs when there is an overproduction of sebum), dry (aging and environmental pollutants drag the moisture out of skin, making it dry) and sensitive (people with allergies or are exposed to too many chemicals at work Read More…

In our last post, we talked about a typical day for a massage business owner.  Today, we’ll look at a massage therapist who gives massages in a hospital.  Ms. Shirley Vanderbilt wrote an insightful article in the June-July 2000 issue of Massage and Body Work Magazine where she featured two massage therapists – Lynn Daniels and Cynthia Swan. Ms. Daniels starts her day at 7 in the morning and offers her services in Longmont United Hospital in Colorado.  Longmont is Read More…

We have to admit that we struggled for a few minutes about choosing an appropriate title for today’s blog.  Two reasons:  a massage session lasts an hour, so when people come out of the massage room feeling re-invigorated and more optimistic about the future, it’s really the 60 minutes spent under the healing hands of a massage therapist that make the difference.  But the intention for this blog was to describe “a day in the life of a massage therapist” Read More…

Chair massage – or seated massage – isn’t exactly a new trend.  The ancient Chinese discovered trigger points in the body with healing responses so when the practice spread to India and Japan, the trigger point treatment method included a type of seated massage. Chair massage started catching the world’s attention in the 1980s when an entrepreneur called David Palmer actively promoted it.  His first major break came when Apple Computer hired him to give chair massages to employees.  When Read More…

If you browse the curricula or course programs of some massage schools, you will find that course offerings are identical.  One reason is that massage schools prepare graduates for  certification and accreditation, so certain courses are obligatory.  For example, a review of a handful of massage schools show that students need to complete credits in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, massage therapies and in other subjects.  Majority of massage schools also offer courses in business ethics, administration and client assessment methods.  If Read More…

  Everyone agrees:  massage promotes rest and relaxation, and wellness.  Speak to anyone who has had a massage and you’ll hear only positive comments about their massage experience.  It is clearly the “go-to” method for de-stressing because it allows you to close your eyes and be oblivious to the troubles of the outside world – even for just an hour. As you complete your courses in massage school and prepare for your license, some of your instructors who will no Read More…

Overheard in a downtown cafe one day: “I’m booked for the next 3 months.  I’ve had to turn away clients and feel bad because I want to help them.” “I’ve just earned my license so I’m relatively new in the field.  The place I work for though has a steady stream of clients so I’m slowly building good client relationships.  The potential for repeat business is excellent.” When you graduate from massage school and earn your license, you gain experience Read More…

We have already written somewhat extensively about receiving financial aid for massage school. We won’t repeat what has been said but we’ll discuss things you should remember when applying for financial aid.  Ideally, the massage school you have chosen will have guidelines on their financial aid options. The key factor here is accreditation.  The massage school must be accredited by the State and offer a full massage therapy program covering about 500 hours of training for you to be able Read More…

Carl Sandburg had a beautiful quote about babies.  People say it many times and no doubt is written on congratulatory cards for new parents.  He said, “a baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.”  If you have an enduring love for babies, you can help them develop through the magic of touch and gentle massage.  You’ll be filled with pride knowing that the baby you’re touching will turn into a physically and emotionally balanced human being. At Read More…

You thought about law school a few times but your heart keeps saying “massage school is for me.”  If you’ve felt this emotion frequently, it’s probably because you’ve always felt deep inside that physical health and wellness is a concept you like to share and promote.  The desire to help others runs strong in your veins and massage therapy is certainly one channel that will get you closer to your goal. Well, if your decision is made, perhaps it’s time Read More…

By Courtney Slivka, LMT Modern society typically approaches the human body as dictated by recent scientific discoveries. Body parts and systems have very official names, functions, and positions within a human. However ancient traditions often had a different approach to understanding the human body. Learning about the history of bodywork is an important part of understanding its role in today’s modern world. Due to its significance, many massage schools incorporate a great deal of bodywork history into their curriculum. One Read More…