Massage Therapy - Successfully!

Sometimes a client will benefit from self-care at home - either with the goal of decreasing their pain level, increasing their flexibility, or maybe just helping to relieve chronic tension in a specific area.

 Here are some resources for massage therapists who are looking for “handouts” to give to their clients.

• The book ‘Maintaining Body Balance Flexibility and Stability’ by Leon Chaitow not only helps massage therapists in their practice, but also has several handout sheets that can be photocopied (permission is given!) and sent home with clients.  A great resource for massage therapists!
• Massage Therapy Practice Website - This stretch index has several handouts that can be printed off and given to clients who are concerned with tension in the specific area: back of the neck, hip flexors, shoulders, etc.

A big question for many bodyworkers right now is whether home study courses are an acceptable means of continuing education for massage therapists. What about online massage classes? What about distance training with videos and books? What are the pros and cons of these types of education courses?

The Potential Benefits of Home Study Massage Classes:

• A greater audience potential
• Easier to attend a classes - especially for massage therapists in rural locations.
• Flexibility of time and scheduling the class.
• Access to a greater variety of techniques and specialties.
• Massage therapists can “sample” a specific technique for less before investing in a more expensive, hands-on workshop.

The Potential Downfalls of Massage Distance Courses:

• Massage therapists do not have expert teachers overseeing their techniques to be sure they are doing them properly and safely.
• Some massage techniques require advanced training to be safe.
• A massage therapist could feel ready to perform a massage speciality even when they are not and do not understand all the contraindications.
• The potential for misrepresentation about the massage therapists certification and knowledge.