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What You Need To Know About The School Of Medical Massage

Author — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 11:01:02 +0000

A 2005 study showed that 12% of all Americans had a professional massage and that 45% loved it. They would rather go to a professional massage therapist than go to the doctor (although this practice is not encouraged). And this is shown in the rise of people wanting to become massage therapists (a term used more than masseuse). This has lead to the rise of all kinds of massage schools, from Shiatsu massage schools to the School of Medical Massage.

The Specifics

The School of Medical Massage has a beautiful website, but don’t let that fool you. It does exist as an actual bricks and mortar school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although Pennsylvania currently does not have any licensing requirements for massage therapists, the School of Medical Massage is a nationally accredited school. It is one of the schools recommended by the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals, national guild for massage therapists.

They don’t just let anybody into the School of Medical Massage. There are some requirements. You have to be at least eighteen years old and you have to have a high school diploma or GED. You also have to have a lot of money. It’s just as expensive going to the School of Medical Massage as it is to go to any other college or university. You need to check with the School itself about financial aid possibilities.

Other things you need in order to be allowed to attend are a physical from your doctor saying you are healthy enough to touch other people and three character references, two of which have to be from people not related to you. You also have to pass an admissions test and pay a $75 non-refundable admissions fee.

What Do You Learn?

At the School of Medical Massage, your courses tally up to over 700 hours of intense training. You learn about human anatomy, physiology, medical terms, insurance billing, therapist self-care, CPR, first aid, lymph node drainage (which massage can help) and massage techniques.

At the end of the program at The School of Medical Massage, you should be able to help diagnose a patient, help massage them and then fill out the insurance forms. Perhaps more importantly, you also learn enough to take on the national certification exams and learn what being a professional at anything is all about. There is a lot more learned than just massage at the School of Medical Massage.

What Do You Learn In The Best Massage Schools?

Author — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 10:39:40 +0000

There’s a lot more to being a professional masseuse than just knowing where to put your hands in order to help relive pain and induce relaxation. Did you know you also have to learn how to deal with health insurance companies, how to handle patients so they are comfortable with you and how to comply with different state and local laws covering the massage profession? The best massage schools will prepare you for all of this.

Not A Decision To Take Lightly

In order to discourage quacks, most states and countries require that professional masseuses take more than one national certification exam and renew it. They also have to comply with any local regulation laws making them legal to practice massage. You often have to have to go through a certain amount of hours of training, similar to a pilot having to fly a certain number of hours in order to be licensed. This is to instill customer confidence as well as keep them safe.

In order to discourage quacks and keep only serious, dedicated, professional-minded masseuses, the best massage schools make you pay up to $100 just for filling out an admissions application. For example, the School of Medical Massage charges a $75 non-refundable application fee.

It’s just as expensive and time intensive to learn medical massage at the best massage schools as it is any other profession. In the best massage schools, you need to have at least a high school diploma before you will be admitted. In some others, you need a college degree of some kind.

Classes Offered

When you enroll in the best massage schools, you have a long road of study before you. You will have many classes on anatomy and on how to run a business. You will learn proper hygiene procedures, customer relations and money management techniques. You will often learn about aromatherapy, musical therapy or chiropractic procedures.

And you will also learn about massage. You may be required to have a classmate massage you in order for you to get a better idea of what your future clients will be going through. In addition, you may decide to specialize in areas like sports massage or Shiatsu massage. The best massage schools will be able to help you with your specialization.

In the best massage schools, you also get extensive financial and business courses, even if you do not plan on setting up your own shop. You may change your mind someday.