What is Therapeutic Massage? |
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| The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA)
defines massage as;
"... a profession in which the practitioner applies manual techniques, and may apply adjunctive therapies, with the intention of positively affecting the health and well-being of the client." "Massage" is manual soft tissue manipulation, and includes holding, causing movement, and/or applying pressure to the body." "Therapy" is a series of actions aimed at achieving or increasing health and wellness." "Manual" means by use of hand or body. " |
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Massage Training |
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| Professional training in massage therapy
involves many levels of competency. The AMA recommends that massage
therapists be trained at a massage training institution that has been
accredited by the Commission of Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA) or
is a member of the AMTA Council of Schools. He/she should be a member of
a professional association with high standards for membership and/or be
Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCTMB). COMTA-accredited massage training programs require at least 500 hours of classroom instruction in anatomy and physiology, massage and technique, relationships with clients, and related subjects. AMTA Professional membership is limited to massage therapists who have demonstrated a level of skill and expertise through testing and/or education. In addition, all AMTA-member therapists must agree to abide by the AMTA Code of Ethics. |
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Massage Regulations
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| Thirty states and the District of Columbia currently regulate massage therapy: | |||
| Alabama Arkansas Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Hawaii Iowa Louisiana Maine Maryland Mississippi Missouri Nebraska New Hampshire New Jersey (Pending) |
New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oregon Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin |
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| The specifics of regulation, titling,
practices, and scopes of practice vary widely. Check with your local
state or community: in some states that do not regulate massage
therapists at the state level, municipalities have local ordinances that
affect massage therapists. A massage therapist should be able to document professional training in massage therapy at a massage training institution such as those accredited by the Commission of Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA) or is a member of the AMTA Council of Schools. He/she should be a member of a professional association with high standards for membership and/or be Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCTMB). COMTA-accredited massage training programs require a stringent course of study, including at least 500 hours of classroom instruction in anatomy and physiology, massage and technique, relationships with clients, plus related subjects. AMTA Professional membership is limited to massage therapists who have demonstrated a level of skill and expertise through testing and/or education. In addition, all AMTA-member therapists must agree to abide by the AMTA Code of Ethics. |
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Finding a
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| Every day there are more and more search
engines popping up, that specialize in finding massage therapists. Two
of the more reliable ones belong to The American Massage Therapy
Association (
AMTA Search and The Massage Therapy Association of Canada (Canadian
Search).
Massage Schools very often run student clinics where you can receive an excellent massage at discounted prices. Be sure to check which accrediting boards regulate them. |
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What Can Therapeutic
|
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| Massage therapy seeks to enhance the overall
health of the body by improving circulation, joint function, soft tissue
mobility/plasticity, and normalizing the body's ability to withstand
stress. As such, a number of problems, conditions, complaints, or the
general health status of individuals may be improved by the application
of therapeutic massage.
AMTA reports that massage patients have indicated improvement in the situations or conditions on the following list: |
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| Arthritis Asthma Carpal tunnel syndrome Chronic and acute pain Circulatory problems Gastrointestinal disorders (including spastic colon, colic and constipation) Headache |
Immune function disorders
Insomnia Myofascial pain Premature infants Reduced range of motion Sports injuries (including pulled or strained muscles and ligaments) Stress Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction |
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