Increased awareness around the world regarding the benefits of massage has boosted the careers of massage therapists. So — should you choose this career path?
Choose this path only when
- You are deeply interested in the various benefits of a quality massage therapy.
- You love to promote the overall health of people by giving massage.
What massage can do
Massage can contribute immensely to the physical and mental wellbeing of a person. Some of the ways in which massaging ensures wellness:
- Treating painful joints and muscles
- Minimizing stress and depression
- Healing sports-related injuries
- Relaxing tired muscles
- Improving cardiovascular health
- Managing the effects of dementia
- Relieving acute neck pain
- Lowering blood pressure
- Soothing post-operative pain
- Reducing aches of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis
- Eliminating nausea related to chemotherapy
- Ensuring better sleep
- Promoting relaxation
Your working area as a massage therapist
As a massage therapist — with the correct training and experience — you will be expected to:
- Communicate with clients to understand their expectations regarding massage more fully
- Know about any symptoms and the medical backgrounds of your clients
- Manipulate body points with soft tissues
- Knead muscles by applying gentle pressure
- Guide the client on how to improve their posture
- Inform them on how to achieve overall relaxation
Are you a reliable massage therapist?
You will be considered reliable if you:
- Hold a certificate from a recognized massage therapy organization
- Have graduated from an accredited massage therapy programme
- Possess liability insurance
- Know the local and state regulations
- Have taken additional training programmes across different courses of massage therapy
Essential qualities of a massage therapist
Ideally, to help a client get the best experience, you will:
- Listen to clients with patience, and have great communication skills overall
- Acquire in-depth knowledge of different massage techniques
- Be strong enough to create pressure through a series of movements
- Protect the privacy of your clients
- Be able to build the client’s trust
- Create a comfortable ambience for the ease of your clients
- Be an outstanding decision-maker
- Demonstrate time-management skills
Specialized areas of a massage therapist
A good massage therapist needs to specialize in various kinds of massage. Some of the common types:
- Deep Tissue Massage
- Swedish Massage
- Chair Massage
- Shiatsu
- Thai Massage
- Sports Massage
- Aromatherapy
- Hot Stone Massage
Major job-offering sectors
- Offices of chiropractors
- Fitness and recreational sports centres
- Tourist accommodation, including hotels and motels
- Personal care service providers
Working ambience
Both part-time and full-time openings exist for massage therapists.
Highly skilled professionals are recruited quickly
With people becoming more educated about massage, employment opportunities are expected to grow by 19% in the near future. As referrals are a significant part of generating revenue for massage therapists, an effective marketing and networking campaign is strongly recommended.
Massage courses for beginners offer an outstanding career option, enabling them to earn a lucrative salary. Today, almost 60% of massage professionals are self-employed — the remaining 40% work under employers.