Things you should know before carving a career in Massage therapy

							Things you should know before carving a career in Massage therapy

Massage therapy clinics have become the haven where people stay during
weekends to get that much-needed relaxation. And with much publicity from
celebrities in Hollywood, it has become part of the American lifestyle.

With the onslaught of massage therapy clinics in the country, more and
more people are considering a career in it. After all, the pay not be as
high but people will be raking in a lot in tips for good service. In
fact, people who work in these clinics make their living out of these
tips. This is especially true if you are working in high end massage
therapy clinics in New York and in the Beverly Hills area.

But if you think that becoming a massage therapist is as easy as filling
up an application form, it’s not. In fact, before you start kneading and
massaging, you need to be first trained and certified. Because of the
popularity of massage therapy clinics in the country, therapists have
been regulated by the government. Unlike before when anyone can just work
as a massage therapists, now the industry is more discriminating.

So if you are thinking of getting yourself a career in massage therapy,
know first that it is not easy but not impossible too. Here are some of
the things that you should consider when you are determined to carve a
name for yourself in this fast-growing industry.

No federal regulation for the industry

Having just boomed in recent years, massage therapy is still not
regulated by federal laws. Only state laws are being used in this
industry right now. This means that when you go from one state to
another, different laws will apply. In fact, in Canada, only three states
have so far regulated the practice— Ontario, British Columbia and
Newfoundland. The other provinces have yet to formulate their own
regulations about the practice.

This can get confusing especially when you are looking for a career in
massage therapy outside your mother state. For instance in Canada,
massage therapists in the three provinces where it is regulated will
carry a professional title that will distinguish them from other pseudo
practitioners. Some will even have their own specialties similar to
medical doctors.

These specialties are taken from the kinds of massages that they have
expertise in: Acupressure, Hot Stone Massage, Thai Massage, Shiatsu,
Aromatherapy and a lot more. Some will of course have more than one
specialty but each should come with a certification. They should also
first have a license before they can be allowed to practice in that
particular area. This is attained when they have submitted all the
necessary requirements asked of them and have met the standards of the
state or the province’s regulatory board.

These regulating standards often include a specific number of years in
total training in any field or specialty. These training courses are not
the usual massage lessons that you foresee. Often, these lessons include
subjects similar to what medical doctors take: anatomy, pathology,
physiology and physical therapy. Because of these regulations, people who
already have a license can actually assess and treat health conditions
and injuries just like a doctor.

So before you apply, make sure that you know first the state regulations.
To know about them, you can go to massage therapy associations and
organizations in the state. Their websites will surely have the current
regulations prevailing in the area.