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Posted on: November 20, 2013

A massage therapy career is a great opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. Most of the world thinks that getting a professional massage is something frivolous that they can have done when they want to pamper themselves and want to relax. The reality is that most of the patients the therapist is going to see are actually getting a massage for medical reasons. The massage is a way to relive chronic pain.

Any individual who is interested in this type of career needs to go to school. There are quite a few schools that are willing to take a student's money, but then never teach the student anything useful. To avoid getting caught in a scam, the student needs to make sure that the school is accredited by the American Massage Therapy Association.

While they are at school the individual will learn all about different techniques and how and when they should be used. By the time the student has finished the program they will be able to not only be able to perform techniques that range from Swedish massages to sports massages. The student will also discover how the different techniques affect the physiology of the human body and when they should be utilized. The average program will include 300+ hours of instruction and the student will have a certificate of completion at the end of the program.

Before an individual can start working as a therapist, they are going to have to make sure that they are legally able to. Each state has it own rules and regulations regarding this field. The school the individual attends will make sure that they are certified in their home state; however, if the student ever moves out of state they might have to re-certify in order to be able to work in their new home state.

Once an individual is ready trained and certified, they need to let others know that they are ready to start working. If the area where they live is large enough to have a business, the therapist should try to get hired. Working at the facility, even for a short while will help the individual gain experience and start building a clientele.

If no facility is available the newly trained individual will have to freelance. The hardest part about freelancing is building a client base. Letting people know of your existence and services is the first step. Placing an advertisement in the local paper, handing out business cards, and creating a website is a good place to begin. Individuals should contact their local doctors and hospitals and let them know that they are available to assist with patients.

New techniques are always being explored and added in a Massage Therapy Career. It is very important that the individual stay in touch with other therapists and make an effort to attend conferences and workshops. This will insure that they are successful throughout their years as a message therapist.

 

 

 

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