About Massage Therapists

Flexible work hours, good pay and the opportunity to help others are only a few of the reasons that you might choose a career in massage therapy. Because massage therapists spend their days improving the health and well-being of others, massage therapy can be an extremely rewarding career.

The Facts

• Massage therapists work at spas, chiropractic offices and doctor offices and even work independently from home. To become a massage therapist, you must complete a massage therapy educational program and take a national exam. In some states, a state exam is also required.
  Massage therapists often spend their days in darkened, candlelit rooms, mending sore or injured muscles and helping people to relax. Some specialize in a particular modality of massage, but many prefer to include a variety of massages in their work. Many massage therapists work by appointment only and enjoy setting their own hours.
  Since massage therapists are trained in different areas by different people, massage therapists use a variety of techniques. Some use long, gliding strokes, while others use tapotement, a short, percussion type stroke. Most massages last for around an hour, enabling the massage therapist to take on several clients during the course of a day.

Type

• Since massage therapy has been around for thousands of years, types of massages and massage therapists vary greatly. There are over 200 different kinds of massage, but most massage therapists usually include less than 10 of them in their practice. If a massage therapist refers to herself as a reflexologist, this means that she has had extra training in the area of reflexology (working with pressure points in the hands and feet). Some massage therapists specialize in sports or deep-tissue massage. Therapists with this specialty might work with sports teams and athletes. Swedish massage is the most popular type of massage and is generally used for relaxation purposes. A massage therapist who specializes in this area would most likely work at a spa or salon.
  Some massage therapists like to specialize in one area such as prenatal massage or infant massage. These types of massages use different equipment and different techniques than most other massages and require the massage therapist to take a different type of training.

Misconceptions

• In larger cities, the term "massage therapist" may refer to something other than a medical massage. Massage therapists often try to steer people away from the term "massage parlor" and the association that goes with that term. Massage therapists are not sex workers and do not enjoy being viewed as such. The National Massage Therapy Association does a good deal of work each year to disrupt misconceptions often formed about massage therapists and their work.

Identification

• Most states require massage therapists to post a copy of their massage therapy license in plain view in their offices or massage rooms. If you don't see a license posted for a massage therapist, you can ask for her license number or check with the state massage therapy board to find out if she is certified. Some massage therapists also like to post copies of their diplomas from massage therapy schools on the walls of their offices.

Function

• Massage therapists provide a number of different functions in society. In some cultures, massage therapists are looked upon as healers who provide a valuable service to the community or tribe. Massage therapists are considered healers, listeners, relaxation specialists, pain relievers and rehabilitation experts. While some people may come to a massage therapist for specific muscle problems, others come simply to feel the caring touch of another human being. Still others come to relax and talk out some of their problems while they unwind.