Massage Therapy

By Emily CarterPeriod 4

What I Know

Massage Therapy is used to help relax.

Massage Therapy is used to relive sore or injured muscles.

Massage Therapy is used to keep athletes muscles warm and limber in between events.

Oils and lotions are sometimes used to cause less friction between the masseuses hands and the clients skin.

Music is generally played during a massage.

What I Don’t Know

How much schooling is needed.

What the annual salary is.

Personality qualifications.

How competitive the industry is.

All of the different styles of massage and there benefits.

Definitions of Massage

Massage: Art or act of treating the body by rubbing, kneading, or the like to stimulate circulaiton, increase suppleness etc. ~Random House Dictionary of the English Language.

Massage: manipulation of tissues for remedial or hygienic purposes with the hand or other instrument. ~Webster’s Third New International Dictionary

Definitions of Therapy

Therapy: The treatment of any physical or mental disorder by medical or physical means, usually excluding surgery ~ Webster's New World Dictionary

Therapy: A physical treatment for curing or rehabilitating a patient or to overcome a physical defect, as by exercise, heat treatments, etc.

~ The Random House Dictionary of the English Language.

Time and Money

Massages are generally 60 min long and as a masseuse you can decide when u want to start in the morning and schedule clients around those times.

The annual salary ranges is any where from 10,700 to 72,800 a year.

SchoolingRequired Training: High School Diploma Massage Therapy School/Course

Some Secondary Schooling Programs require: Sciences (physiology, anatomy), Psychology, Humanities, and Business classes in high school.

Secondary Training takes as long as you want it to. You can do a quickie program or do a more extensive program. If you take a longer program then you can practice in in more states and cities.

23 out of the 50 stats don’t require any training to practice. Some cities are even more specific about how much training you need before being allowed to practice in city limits.

Emotional and Physical Requirements: To be successful

you need:

To be patient.

Have empathy

Be able to listen

To be able to consult with out creating tension for the client.

To be successful you need:

To have strong wrists and fingers

Have strong arms.

And for some of the styles you need strong legs (And arms)

Successful Business

•Strive for quality work with each client •Get involved in the community you practice in – become genuinely involved •Understand your ambition and goals •Maintain positive energy levels •Develop effective marketing and networking efforts •Value your local reputation – word of mouth can increase your clientele •Have a warm and friendly personality

On your own when developing a massage practice it can take anywhere from a few months to a few years to establish a successful business. Here are a few pointer to help grow your practice faster:

Benny Benny VaughnVaughn

He is a specialized sports massage therapist.

He works with Olympic and World Champion athletes in between their events to keep them loose, limber and ready for the next competition

Benny has been a massage therapist for over 34 years. He graduated from Florida University, College of Health and Human Performance.

"Professional self-esteem means looking at what we do with a high regard because what we do makes a difference in people's lives," ~Benny Vaughn

Interview with Chester Carter Licensed Massage

Therapist:What was massage therapy school like?

Intense, fun, challenging, happy, sad. It was a great time for growth and self awareness

What would you say is the most important quality needed to succeed at this profession?

Empathy, it helps to feel what your client is experiencing.

How many hours do you tend to work in a day?

10 to 12

Are there any personality traits that are necessary to succeed?

Patience.

What forms of massage are you trained in?

Swedish, Sports, and Medical Massage, Myofascial release, Cranio Sacral, Visceral Manipulation, etc.

Interview With Chester

Carter Continued:What made you decide to pursue massage therapy?

Nothing made me. I had an opportunity and the support of my family to train in a field that I had some basic talent and interest in and practice those skills professionally.

Do you find this a fulfilling and satisfying job?

Yes, Very much so. There are some aspects of running a business that are less than fulfilling.

Does this profession leave you plenty of room for family?

It can be challenging. You have to work at balancing you life and career when you become successful.

Where did you go to school to become a massage therapist?

Lakeside School of Massage Therapy, Milwaukee Wisconsin.

If you could go back would you still become a massage therapist?

Yes, but I might do some things differently

Articles:A President, His Masseuse and Her Blog

Dr. Dot a somewhat eccentric massage therapist visited the country of Georgia as the president’s personal masseuse for a week. Dr. Dot has a new style of massage that includes biting the clients back. An anti-President Saakashvili group has

been posting pictures of the President and Dr. Dot all over the capitol with the caption “Why?” Also

due to other pictures and video of Dr. Dot with famous groups such as Def Leopard, Rolling

Stones, Bruce Willis, Jay-Z, and Mariah Carey to name a few, the press in Georgia believe that there

was illicit activities during the presidents “massage” session. There is also speculation as to whether the president sent a plane to bring her to

Georgia or if she simply came as a request. By Robert Mackey

 

Benny Vaughn: Massage Therapists Should be Proud of What They Do

Massage therapy has spent years earning respect as a practical medical remedy. With Vaughn’s 32

years of experience in sports massage he is internationally recognized as an expert. Vaughn believes that when asked what you do for a living on should proudly look in the eyes of the person

you asked hand them a card and say I am a massage therapist. The field of massage has grown

and can only go up from here. By Karen Menehan

Feelings Before & After:Massage therapy is an

appealing career choice for me because I enjoy helping people relax, and the setting is positive and relaxing for both the masseuse and the client.

I have observed my father for years and there seems to be a great sense of accomplishment accompanied with this profession, and I need a job that is fulfilling.

I do not think that this would be a good profession for me. I do not have a personality that is compatible with a job that requires lots of patient and empathy.

I have lots of physical problems that would cause my career to be short lived if I were to pursue this. Strong wrists and fingers are essential wrists and fingers with loose joints will cause me to have to stop practicing after a few years.

Thanks For Listening!