How do you learn massage therapy?

• Anatomy: This is about learning the parts of the body with a particular emphasis on the location, insertion points, and functions of the muscles. Understanding anatomy is crucial to the role of a massage therapist.

• Physiology: This is about learning how the systems of the body function together in healthy people and how massage therapy affects these systems. It is also learning how the body functions when something is wrong such as an illness or injury.

• Kinesiology: This is learning how the bodies and parts move. This helps massage therapists determine if a patient has the full range of motion on a body part or is having difficulties. This can help them to tailor the treatment that they provide to their clients.

  In addition to learning how to treat the body, there are many different types of massage techniques for a therapist to learn, including the following:

• Swedish massage: This is the most common type of massage. It combines long, gliding movements with kneading and friction. This is designed to improve blood flow and release tension. Swedish massage generally is a technique that uses light to moderate pressure along with brisk movement.

• Deep tissue: This technique uses deep and firm pressure along with slower movements to affect the inner layers of muscle and connective tissue to relieve pain. Deep tissue massage is designed to break up scar tissue that forms after injuries.

• Myofascial release: This technique focuses on stretching and manipulating body parts to release tension or tightness in the myofascial tissue which surrounds and supports muscles.

• Trigger-point therapy: This technique involves applying firm pressure to relieve "knots" or areas that have extreme tension

• Sports massage: This is a combination of the other techniques, and it is designed to meet the individual needs of each athlete. This includes helping them to recover from intensive workouts, maintaining their mobility, and recovering from injury.

• Pre- and postnatal massage: This is a technique that provides treatment while avoiding direct pressure on a pregnant woman's abdomen.

  • This requires an understanding of the structural and physiological changes that happen in expectant mothers before and after birth, including lower back pain and swollen feet or legs.

• Older adults: Clients over the age of sixty are more susceptible to arthritic pain and circulatory disorders. This can result in musculoskeletal pain and swelling. Massage therapy can help with these issues.

After completing your program, you will have to complete the practical requirements and pass the licensing exam. In some cases, massage school graduates take a specialized exam created by the state. In other cases, states require completion of the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx).

The MBLEx, which is administered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), is a hundred-question test that must be completed in just under two hours. Areas that are covered on the exam include ethics, client assessments, kinesiology, and the physiological effects of massage.