Medical Massage Training

The definition of medical massage varies depending on the source. The lack of consensus on medical massage means that education called medical massage training varies greatly.

Medical Massage

• Medical massage might range from massage for a specific medical condition to massage billed to insurance companies, to a specific way of using massage techniques.

One Definition

• The Natural Healers ebsite states that medical massage is an orientation that distinguishes the massage from general relaxation massage and that medical massage is anatomically precise and patient specific. The site also lists medical massage training programs.

Standards

• In "An Open Letter to the Massage Profession From the American Medical Massage Association," the association acknowledges the controversy around medical massage and states "The AMMA does not seek to define medical massage for the massage community but rather seeks to establish definitions and guidelines for our membership."

More Training

• Medical massage training generally involves more in-depth anatomy and physiology training and more training in clinical massage practice.

Expert Insight

• The AMMA believes that medical massage will become defined by current and future legal definitions and by scientific and academic process.