Massage Therapy For Mental Health

Technology has improved numerous elements of society; unfortunately, our physical and mental health is not one of them. Computer work in particular causes many of us to sit hunched over a desk all day long, contending with aching shoulder, neck, back, and leg muscles as a result. Instead of suffering in silence, people are opting for professional help. Enter massage therapy.

Letting Loose

You may be familiar with massage therapy in the context of relaxing and rejuvenation, with the goal of stress reduction and increased energy levels. But that's only part of the holistic picture. Massage therapy is also used in the medical context to treat painful ailments, decompress tired and overworked muscles, rehabilitate sports injuries, and promote general health.

Here's how it works: Through massage, therapists manipulate clients' soft tissues to improve the body’s circulation and remove waste products from the muscles. Massage therapists can specialize in over 80 different types of massage, called modalities. Some of the more popular approaches include Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, reflexology, acupressure, sports massage, and neuromuscular massage.

Training to Unwind

There are roughly 1,300 massage therapy training programs throughout the country. About 300 of these are accredited by a state board or department of education-certified accrediting agency. Massage therapy training includes subjects such as anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, business, and ethics, as well as hands-on practice of massage techniques.

After completing massage therapy training, students may take one of two national certification exams administered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, leading to the Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCTMB) credential or the Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage (NCTM) credential.

These credentials must be renewed every four years. In order to retain certification, those with massage therapy training must perform at least 200 hours of therapeutic massage during the four-year period, and complete a minimum of 48 massage therapy continuing education units (CEUs).

Relaxing for a Living

In such a tense society, there will always be a need for massage therapy. Massage therapists held about 97,000 jobs in 2004; about two-thirds were self-employed. And, employment is expected to grow faster than average over the 2004-2014 period, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.