What do Massage Therapists do?
Massage Therapists use different massage techniques to help heal injuries, reduce stress, relieve pain, and promote overall health and wellness for their clients. Massage Therapists improve the overall wellness of their patients through the application of different manual techniques like manipulating muscles, soft tissues, connective tissues, and joints. There are over 80 types of massage techniques and typically Massage Therapists will specialize in more than one to suit the needs of their specific clients.
How much does a Massage Therapist make?
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for a Massage Therapist is around $41,420 per year or close to $20 per hour.
Where can a Massage Therapist work?
As a Massage Therapist you will be able to work in various different areas. Some Massage Therapists work for spas, some practice independently (freelance), and others work as a member of a healthcare team. Some locations where you could work as Massage Therapist are:
- Spas
- Resorts
- Clinics
- Integrative Health Environments
- Physician Offices
- Physical Therapy Offices
- Client’s Homes
- Massage Clinics
- Health Spas
What are some techniques Massage Therapists use?
There are over 80 types of massage techniques for Massage Therapists to choose from so as a Massage Therapist you can always keep learning and evolving your skillset. Swedish (stimulates circulation and involves five basic kneading strokes) and deep tissue (deep-tissue/muscle movements to manipulate the sub layer of muscle tissue) techniques are some very common types of massages that Massage Therapists are trained in. Some other kinds of popular massage techniques include:
- Sports Massage – performed on athletes to help warm body to help prevent/treat sports injuries.
- Prenatal – Massage that is performed on pregnant women to help relieve pregnancy discomforts (typically performed when woman is on her side)
- Acupressure – This ancient Eastern healing massage uses fingers to press key points on the surface of the skin to stimulate energy channels.
- Shiatsu – A Japanese style massage that concentrates on unblocking the flow of life energy and restoring body’s balance.
- Thai – Massage that works the entire body through a sequence of movements, similar to yoga, to improve circulation, flexibility, and energy levels.