Medical Massage

You can become a medical massage therapist by becoming certified through CEU classes. By taking continuing education classes given by massage professionals, you can start giving professional therapeutic massage instead of just relaxation massage.

If you are like most, you are wondering why you would do this. Why would you want to be certified as a medical massage therapist? What is in it for you? Isn't relaxation massage enough to attract clients and to make good money? After all, spas don't give medical massage to their clients.

These are good questions. They have good answers. First of all, you want to be certified through continuing education classes because you want to make more money than you are currently making. The good news is that you can be one of the highest paid massage therapists in the industry by learning medical massage! Yes, of all massage therapists, those with medical certification earn the most.

How would you like a job in a hospital instead of being stuck working in a spa? Since 2004, the hospitals hiring massage therapists has increased by one third. More and more hospitals are jumping on the band wagon and hiring massage therapists so chances are good that in the next ten years a hospital near you could hire massage therapists.

Another good reason is that competition is low in the field of massage therapists with medical certification. Most of the competition you encounter are massage in a box places and spas. Neither of these gives any type of massage involving medical treatment.

With medical certification you qualify to work in a hospital or a doctor's office, but you do not have to. If you already have your own practice, you can continue with it, but now you can earn more money by offering medical massage to clients who are hurting. Charge $20 more for an hour massage than you do for a relaxation massage. In some areas of the country, you can charge more and still be within the reasonable and customary charge for the service performed in the area of practice.

Licensed massage therapists who are certified in medical massage will get referrals from physicians who prescribe the specific services they believe will help the clients who are in pain. With a medical referral, you can bill a lot of insurance plans and get medical insurance compensation. Physicians will come to respect you as you help their patients, your clients, feel better.

If you want one of the jobs massage therapy offers, consider working as a massage therapist in a chiropractic office or in a rehabilitation clinic with physical therapists.

This type of position involves a lot of medical work and knowledge so you will need more than the basic relaxation massage techniques learned in your basic course at school. Study those muscles and the human skeleton model you worked with in class.

Pull out your massage school textbooks and read the anatomy and physiology sections again. Memorize what bones are where and what they do. Combine your knowledge of the bones with what muscles are where and what they do and you've got yourself a career that is not based on relaxation massage.

Sign up for those extra medical courses through your school now! Once they are completed, you can begin applying with various chiropractors, rehab clinics, and physical therapy clinics.

The pay will not be much at first, but once you have proven yourself, a good chiropractor or physician will recognize your value to his/her practice and give you a raise or other benefits such as working part time, freeing up time in your busy schedule to work your own private massage practice or continue your education.

The patients will become attached to you as you will work on them several times a week at first until their conditions start to improve.

This is typical of any medical provider who sees the same patients over and over. You will take delight in their progress, as they slowly heal of their injuries. Many will make full recoveries because of the time and energy you provided as you gave medical massage to them. This is one of the most rewarding jobs massage therapy can offer you.

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