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Medical Massage Training and Careers
Opportunities In Medical Massage Therapy and Therapeutic Massage
Find Massage Therapy Schools | Massage Therapy Career Resource Center
| | A results-oriented therapy, medical massage works toward resolving specific conditions that a physician has diagnosed in a patient. More a style than a set of techniques, medical massage therapy employs a variety of modalities and procedures to treat the particular areas of a patient's body suffering from injury or pain. Working hand-in-hand with physicians, medical massage therapists aim to achieve the best possible health outcomes for the patient. |
Medical Massage Career Overview
Medical massage therapists combine their medical massage training, experience and tuition to evaluate a patient's medical condition and decide on a path for treatment. The outcome-based nature of the therapy means that medical massage therapists focus on the particular injury or source of pain and apply specific treatments to help relieve the patient's condition.
Like other massage therapists, medical massage practitioners work in a variety of health care facilities, from clinics to physician's offices to wellness centers. While they might meet with some patients just a few times, other patients may require several weeks or months of therapeutic sessions to reach prescribed health goals.
Medical Massage Training and Education
What You'll Study in Medical Massage School
Programs for medical massage therapy training will vary somewhat from school to school. In general, though, you can expect course work for medical massage training to include the following:
- Anatomy and physiology
- Clinical massage therapy principles and modalities
- Kinesiology
- Hydrotherapy
- Pathology
- Professional ethics
- Business practices for medical massage therapists
- Clinical practicum
Average Length of Study
Depending on the program and your current level as a massage therapist, medical massage therapy training can involve 300 to 800 hours of combined classroom work and hands-on practice, which usually takes 12 to 18 months to complete. Some massage schools offer evening and weekend medical massage training classes to provide greater flexibility for working students and students with families.
Average Tuition
Tuition for medical massage therapy training programs ranges from $1,200 to $10,000. Most schools offer scholarships and financial aid to qualified applicants, as well as payment plans to help spread the cost over several months.
Medical Massage Therapy Certification
A majority of states require a license to practice as a massage therapist. The American Medical Massage Association (AMMA) offers a national certification exam to medical massage therapists who meet established criteria, which include completing at least 600 hours of supervised instruction at an accredited massage therapy school and passing a national certification exam.
Learn more about massage therapy certification.Medical Massage Therapy Career Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of massage therapists in general will grow at a rate of 19 percent through 2018. The ongoing wellness and alternative medicine trend to combine allopathic and natural health treatments to achieve overall wellness, along with the public's interest in natural healing alternatives, will be the chief source of growth for medical massage therapy jobs in the coming decade.
Medical Massage Therapy Salary
Massage therapists earn a median salary of $43,165, according to Salary.com. Overall, salaries for massage therapists range from $27,586 to $64,044, with experience, location and employer type all playing a role in influencing a massage therapist's income.
Is a Medical Massage Therapy Career Right for You?
A career in medical massage therapy requires a high level of collaboration when it comes to helping patients achieve wellness goals and comfort working one-on-one with patients in a quiet environment. Caring, communication and understanding basic business concepts to help you build your medical massage therapy practice are also essential to the job.
If you are interested in a medical massage therapy career, take a closer look at medical massage therapy training. Then choose the medical massage training program that meets your personal and professional needs.
American Health Source, 2011
American Medical Massage Association, 2011
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011
Medical Massage Practitioners of America, 2011
Salary.com, 2011
The Soma Institute, 2011
Where can I get training?
- Alabama
Cortiva Institute - Florida - Training in Pinellas Park, FL
- Arizona
- Cortiva Institute - Scottsdale - Scottsdale
- Cortiva Institute - Tucson - Tucson
- Arkansas
- Heritage College - Little Rock - Little Rock
- California
- Fremont College - Cerritos
- Fremont College - Los Angeles
- Ashland Institute of Massage - Training in Ashland, OR
- Colorado
- IntelliTec Medical Institute - Colorado Springs
- Heritage College - Denver - Denver
- Connecticut
- Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy - Westport - Westport
- Cortiva Institute - Boston - Training in Boston, MA
- Delaware
- Cortiva Institute - Pennsylvania - Training in King of Prussia, PA
- Cortiva Institute - Somerset School of Massage Therapy - Training in Wall Township, NJ
- District of Columbia
- National Massage Therapy Institute - Falls Church - Arlington/Falls Church, VA
- Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage - Arlington/Falls Church, VA
- Florida
- Florida College of Natural Health - Sarasota/Bradenton - Bradenton
- Sarasota School of Massage Therapy - Bradenton-Sarasota
- Heritage Institute - Fort Myers - Fort Myers
- Florida School of Massage - Gainesville
- Heritage Institute - Jacksonville - Jacksonville
- Southeastern College - Jacksonville - Jacksonville
- Florida College of Natural Health - Miami - Miami
- Florida College of Natural Health - Orlando - Orlando/Maitland
- Cortiva Institute - Florida - Pinellas Park
- Florida College of Natural Health - Fort Lauderdale - Pompano Beach
- Georgia
- Augusta School of Massage - Augusta - Evans
- Georgia Career Institute - Conyers
- Academy of Somatic Healing Arts - Norcross (Atlanta)
- Gwinnett College - Sandy Springs
- Cortiva Institute - Florida - Training in Pinellas Park, FL
- Idaho
- Cortiva Institute - Federal Way - Training in Federal Way, WA
- Cortiva Institute - Seattle - Training in Seattle, WA
- Illinois
- Cortiva Institute - Chicago - Chicago
- Sanford-Brown College - Collinsville - Collinsville
- Cortiva Institute - Crystal Lake/Chicago - Crystal Lake
- Cortiva Institute - Woodridge/Chicago - Woodridge
- Indiana
- Cortiva Institute - Chicago - Training in Chicago, IL
- Iowa
- Carlson College of Massage Therapy - Anamosa (Stone City)
- Cortiva Institute - Chicago - Training in Chicago, IL
- Kansas
- WellSpring School of Allied Health - Lawrence
- Heritage College - Kansas City - Training in Kansas City, MO
- WellSpring School of Allied Health - Training in Kansas City, MO
- Heritage College - Wichita - Wichita
- Maine
- New Hampshire Institute for Therapeutic Arts - Bridgton
- Cortiva Institute - Boston - Training in Boston, MA
- Maryland
- National Massage Therapy Institute - Falls Church - Arlington/Falls Church, VA
- Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage - Arlington/Falls Church, VA
- Cortiva Institute - Pennsylvania - Training in King of Prussia, PA
- Massachusetts
- Cortiva Institute - Boston - Watertown
- New Hampshire Institute for Therapeutic Arts - Training in New Hampshire or Maine
- Missouri
- Heritage College - Kansas City - Kansas City
- WellSpring School of Allied Health - Kansas City
- Montana
- Cortiva Institute - Federal Way - Training in Federal Way, WA
- Cortiva Institute - Seattle - Training in Seattle, WA
- Nevada
- The Bodhi Tree Center for Healing Arts - Carson City
- Northwest Health Careers - Las Vegas
- Cortiva Institute - Scottsdale - Training in Scottsdale, AZ
- New Hampshire
- New Hampshire Institute for Therapeutic Arts - Hudson - Hudson
- Cortiva Institute - Boston - Training in Boston, MA
- New Jersey
- Academy of Massage Therapy - Hackensack
- Cortiva Institute - Hoboken - Hoboken
- Barberio School of Massage Therapy - Linwood
- Cortiva Institute - Somerset School of Massage Therapy - Wall Township
- New Mexico
- Cortiva Institute - Scottsdale - Training in Scottsdale, AZ
- New York
- Cortiva Institute - Hoboken - Hoboken, NJ - 8 Minutes from NYC
- Finger Lakes School of Massage - NY - Ithaca
- Finger Lakes School of Massage - Mt Kisco
- New York College of Health Professions - New York
- New York College of Health Professions - New York
- New York College of Health Professions - New York
- New York College of Health Professions - Syosset, Long Island
- Academy of Massage Therapy - Training in Hackensack
- Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy - Westport - Training in Westport, CT
- Ohio
- Heritage College - Columbus - Columbus
- Oklahoma
- Heritage College - Oklahoma City - Oklahoma City
- Oregon
- Ashland Institute of Massage - Ashland
- Cortiva Institute - Federal Way - Training in Federal Way, WA
- Cortiva Institute - Seattle - Training in Seattle, WA
- Pennsylvania
- Cortiva Institute - Pennsylvania - King of Prussia
- Career Training Academy - Monroeville
- Career Training Academy - New Kensington
- Career Training Academy - Pittsburgh
- Rhode Island
- Cortiva Institute - Boston - Training in Boston, MA
- New Hampshire Institute for Therapeutic Arts - Hudson - Training in Hudson, New Hampshire
- South Carolina
- Cortiva Institute - Florida - Training in Pinellas Park, FL
- Tennessee
- Georgia Career Institute - McMinnville
- Georgia Career Institute - Murfreesboro
- Utah
- Cortiva Institute - Scottsdale - Training in Scottsdale, AZ
- Vermont
- Cortiva Institute - Boston - Training in Boston, MA
- New Hampshire Institute for Therapeutic Arts - Hudson - Training in Hudson, New Hampshire
- Virginia
- National Massage Therapy Institute - Falls Church - Arlington Area/Falls Church
- Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage - Arlington Area/Falls Church
- Blue Ridge School of Massage & Yoga - Blacksburg
- Virginia School of Massage - Charlottesville - Charlottesville
- Washington
- Cortiva Institute - Federal Way - Federal Way
- Port Townsend School of Massage - Port Townsend
- Cortiva Institute - Seattle - Seattle
- Northwest Academy for the Healing Arts - Seattle
- Wisconsin
- East-West Healing Arts Institute - Madison
- Cortiva Institute - Chicago - Training in Chicago, IL
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