Physical Therapy Schools|Benefits Of Massage Therapy Schools

Fulfillment is what most massage therapists find at work. Well, this does not really come as a surprise considering that massage therapy is now among the top careers in the world. Employment opportunities are plenty (with excellent chances to get a job abroad), work hours can be flexible (particularly if you are self-employed) and a high degree of satisfaction can come from clients who appreciate the service. So if you are looking for a new career, you might find your luck with massage courses.

A comprehensive course in massage therapy can arm you with all the information and skills necessary to start a career in this field. However, you need more than a certificate to really get going. For instance, the city or state where you will be practicing may require further training or examinations. Make sure to inquire about this before marketing your services or sending out resumes. In fact, it would be better to know about these requirements way in advance so you can choose a course carefully.

Another thing that would help you launch your career successfully aside from a massage diploma is membership in relevant and credible organizations. Look for massage therapists associations that can help you in your objectives. Aside from improving in your craft, they may help you find a job or clients and build your network. The thing is you shouldn't just stop at being on the receiving end of all goodwill. Try to be an asset to the organization too. Be pleasant to fellow members and supportive of projects.

Experience complements any massage certificate so get as much hands-on experience as you can. Expect that you won't be making much money during the first years of your career because you still need to gain experience. Include this as part of your training, an extension of the course perhaps, since using your hands is the best way to get better as a massage therapist. Get a lot of practice and ask for honest feedback from clients including family and friends who have tried your service.

The demand for qualified massage therapists is anticipated to grow in the coming years but competition will surely become more cutthroat. To survive the competition, you will need more than the things discussed above. Remember this: display a good attitude towards work and your clients. Look presentable and act professionally. In a job where a high level of personal contact is necessary, your attitude, more than your skills, can make or break you.

"Total Massage: Step-by-Step Massage Techniques to Relax Body and Mind" by Karen Smith is a straight forward book instructing basic massage through photo sequences and explanations of various massage strokes and techniques. Smith, a former professional dancer is a professionally qualified masseuse, aromatherapist, and reflexologist and runs her own Pilates studio in London. In this book, Smith has done a good job of introducing massage through her writing and the commissioned photography of Antonia Deutsch. I don't know if there is anything that really makes this stand out from all of the other massage books throughout the years, but if you want a basic book on massage, this is a good book for that.

Smith starts the book with an introduction on the importance of touch and what the book will cover. Then there is a short bit on touch and fragrance with information on essential oils and how to blend them. She also provides her reasons for why you should massage with oils, and then has a good little piece on preparing a massage. With these preliminaries taken care of, she goes into describing techniques such as effeurage, or "to skim over;" petrissage or "to knead;" kneading; wringing; thumb glides; thumb circling; cupping and hacking; feathering and stroking; and knuckling. Each of these descriptions is short and clear, and accompanied by photographs.

The next section of the book is titled a voyage around the body, and includes descriptions of different areas of the body and explanations of its importance and its connection with other body parts, as well as the benefits of massage for each area. These include the back; the neck and shoulders; the buttocks; the backs of the legs; the face; the head and scalp; the chest; the arms; the hands; the abdomen; the front of the legs; and the feet.

The next part, the sensual calendar, focuses on the influence the seasons have on people, and the types of massages that will support needs during each season. It's a fairly short section that has a couple of pages per season. The next section, the pleasures of water, has information on relaxing the mind and body, home spas, water therapies, and purifying and toning the skin.

The last portion of the book cover stress management through touch and touch and holistic vision. Each of these major sections is color coded by the margins of the book, making it easy to quickly find what you are looking for. If you are looking for a simple guide that illustrates the basics of massage and its role in a holistic approach to health and well-being, you will most likely find this book beneficial. It is not a text book on massage, as you might find if attending a massage school, but it was not meant to be. The book is meant for the reader who wants to learn a little more about massage and health. If that's what you are looking for, check out this book.

There's nothing more relaxing and rewarding than spending time at a day spa! Nonetheless, do you find yourself surprised at the number of different techniques available? Although someone at the spa can help you choose a particular one, it would be much better if you had an idea of what to expect from each one of these different massage approaches.

The primary goal for the various therapy techniques is to promote relaxation; yet each method offers its own unique approach to this goal. Here are some of the more common massage treatments being offered at most day spas so that you can learn what makes each one unique and different from another.

Swedish- Among all the massage techniques known, nothing is more utilized than the Swedish version. This is probably because most people find it more relaxing compared to the other treatments. It consists of 5 basic strokes; the effleurage or the sliding motion; petrissage, the kneading motion; tapotement or tapping; friction; and vibration.

Aromatherapy - Similar to other massage techniques, the goal for aromatherapy is total body relaxation. It is, however, achieved by using the two senses, touch and smell. This method utilizes essential oils that produce a relaxing scent. Most people claim that the combination of the two heightens the degree of relaxation.

Hot Stone- As the name implies, hot stone massage primarily uses hot basalt stones to relax the muscles. Each stone is placed at specific points of the body and with the combination of oil, heat of the stone, and the long, flowing strokes of the therapist, relaxation of the muscles can be achieved.

Deep Tissue - If your body is suffering from severe tension, such as after a physically intense workout, this is one massage that you should try to loosen up those cramping muscles. You do need to be aware that you may endure a little pain from this method as the pressure goes into superficial and deep-layer muscles. In fact, it is common to experience slight pain a day or two after the treatment. Many people find this kind of therapy well worth the initial temporary discomfort.

Thai - Think of this massage technique as an assisted yoga. The goal of this treatment is to promote relaxation by loosening your body's ligaments. This is achieved by a series of assisted compression and stretches as well as light pressure. Throughout the session, all you have to do is lie comfortably on a workout mat on the floor and let the therapist manipulate your body.

Shiatsu- Shiatsu is a Japanese form of massage brought to the West because of its therapeutic effects. During a shiatsu session, light pressure from the therapist's thumb will be applied on the energy meridians of your body. Unlike other types of therapy, you can be fully clothed during the session and no oil is used.

Reflexology- Also known as foot massage, this type of treatment is commonly done on both feet but can also be applied to the palms of both hands. Reflexology is actually a form of alternative medicine. Reflexologists believe that certain areas of the foot are connected to different organs in the body. Stimulating these areas is believed to improve the condition of these organs. There is not any medical study to back up these claims; however, there is little doubt that this is an effective way to relax the feet especially if you spend the whole day standing.

Since massage techniques vary quite a bit, hopefully this list will have given you some insight into which particular therapy may be best suited to the needs of your body. Relax and enjoy!

Sitting in a chair for hours every day? Ignoring your body's stiff joints and pains? Maybe it's time to listen to what your body is trying to tell you, and treat yourself to a therapeutic massage from your local massage center.

Pampering, full body massage has long been a mainstay of elaborate spas and exclusive resorts. But you don't have to check into a five-star hotel or visit a lavish salon to experience the restorative bliss of a therapeutic massage. By doing away with the extravagant overhead expenses, and concentrating instead on the different types of massage techniques, your local, licensed massage center can bring the cost of a Swedish massage well within your reach, and welcome you to the wonderful world of massage therapy.

If you've never had the pleasure of a professional massage before, a Swedish massage is the perfect starting point. Using five different types of motions to achieve your desired results, this type of full body massage can involve intense or gentle stroking, kneading, tapping, friction, and vibration, depending on your body's needs and physical condition. Whatever frequency and combination of actions works best for you, you'll walk away feeling relaxed and refreshed. In fact, the techniques employed with Swedish massage have been used for centuries to accomplish a host of health benefits, including:

• Pain reduction


• Relief from stiff and achy joints


• Stimulated lymph glands


• Improved function of injured areas


• Better circulation


• And more

For individuals with musculoskeletal disorders or chronic aches and pains, deep tissue massage can be a tremendous source of relief, but only when performed by a professionally licensed massage therapist. As the name suggests, this method of specialized massage pinpoints the regions located below the muscle surface, helping to manipulate and adjust the areas of tissue below. Done correctly by a trained therapist, the intense application of deep tissue massage techniques can help to heal specific areas of the body, including stressed muscles, fascia, joints, and more.

In addition to deep tissue and Swedish massage, many licensed massage therapists offer specialized treatment options for athletes and pregnant women. Whether you're a diehard distance runner, a recreational sports enthusiast, or a woman who's expecting a baby, it's important to pay attention to your body's condition at all times and take the proper steps to ensure your ongoing safety and health. By applying massage techniques that are tailored for your specific needs, a certified massage therapist can utilize sports massage and pregnancy massage help you decrease pain, swelling, and tension, so you can keep your body feeling its best.

Most massage therapists work by appointment only and can provide flexible hours to accommodate your busy schedule. So don't think for a minute that therapeutic massage is only for wealthy CEOs or pampered trophy wives. With less emphasis on the decor, and full focus on the results, your local massage therapist can help you start feeling better today.

The ankle bears the weight of our body making it highly prone to injuries. Indeed, one of the most common injuries to the human body is ankle injury, which can typically be sprains or strains, inflammation of the Achilles tendon or Achilles tendonitis and fractures.

There are many possible reasons for any of these problems from wearing improper or inappropriate footwear to overuse of the muscles in your ankle and trauma caused by accidents. Ankle injury can happen to you whether you are an athlete, a sales person required to stand for long hours in your job, or if you simply tripped while walking.

Ankle physical therapy helps manage pain, reduce inflammation, improve flexibility, and strengthen the muscles in your ankle. Ankle physical therapy begins with a thorough evaluation of your ankle injury. Your physical therapist will also review your medical history to find out if you have related problems such as arthritis or diabetes. To help diagnose your exact injury, your physical therapist will examine your gait by asking you to walk or run.

Your physical therapist will also check the range of movement and strength of your ankle as well the blood circulation and sensation in the injured area. Before proceeding with ankle physical therapy, your therapist will also have to look for possible misalignments and ligament injuries.

An effective ankle physical therapy incorporates several exercises that usually start with improving the range of your ankle's movements and then gradually moving into strengthening exercises with the use of weights and then finally performing exercises to improve your balance.

In addition to exercise programs, ankle physical therapy may also include massage and other techniques such as electrical stimulation, ankle joint mobilization, pulsed ultrasound therapy and fluidotherapy, which both makes use of heat to promote healing.

Your physical therapist will design an ankle physical therapy program tailored to your needs. Your doctor may also provide you with orthotics or an appliance to help in rehabilitating your ankle such as braces or shoe inserts. You will most likely have to give up or at least put on hold some of your activities whether it is work or playing a sport.

Your doctor will provide you with an exercise program that you can do at home even after you have completed your ankle physical therapy sessions. Your doctor will also educate you on how to prevent future injuries, which in ankle physical therapy is equally important to quick recovery.

If you work with children with autism you know you have to get to know each child's likes and dislikes when it comes to massage. A parent may inform you ahead of time if his/her child does not like a certain area massaged. Hopefully you will be given a document that will inform you of any important information you need to know about the autistic child you are about to give a massage to.

If you are a parent you know by trial and error what works and does not work for your child when you massage him or her to try to calm him/her down. Pass this information onto any person that will be working with your child to give your child the maximum benefit.

Children massage for kids with autism can start out with you and the child on a comfortable rug or mat. Have the child lay on his or her stomach. You can take a large exercise ball and slowly roll the ball over the child from head to toe. Use a firm push on the ball. Some days the child may want you to push harder down on the ball than others. Have the child roll over onto his/her back and roll the ball slowly over the child from head to toe again.

When some autistic children get over stimulated you should not touch them as this may cause them to get even more stimulated. You can tell if an autistic child is over stimulated when he/she claps his/her hands, jumps up and down, runs back and forth and may even make loud noises. Try to talk to the child using as few words as possible. You can have the child take deep breaths, sit on a rug and turn the lights down or completely off to settle him or her down. Once he or she is calm, you can massage his/her head. Use circular motions. You can take the palms of your hands and gently squeeze on his/her head if pressure is needed.

When the autistic child's body needs to be woke up, for example, to go to school, you can have the child lay on a rug or mat. Take your hands and have your palms up in the air. Gently drop each hand one at a time so that you are softly pounding on the child's body. Start from the shoulders all of the way down to the feet. Go up and down the body about eight times. This feels good to the child and wakes up the autistic child's muscles.

Another way you can use children's massage for kids is to use circular motions on the child's hands and feet to massage him or her. You can do this for about three minutes or until the child starts to fidget. You can move onto the next children's massage technique.

There are many different children's massage techniques you can use on the autistic child you are working with. You can test them by trial and error and once you know what is liked, you can make up a massage plan to use frequently.

NDT or Neurodevelopmental Theory and treatment is a functional approach to treating and handling clients with a neurological disorder. The approach is based on the understanding and philosophy that clients who have sustained a neurological insult have the ability to improve their posture and movement over a long and sustained period of time. This in turn leads to better positioning, breathing, improved functional mobility and a better quality of care.

Alignment of your body is vital to the execution of normal, functional movement. In order to have good alignment and posture, you must re-establish or re-set your body's biomechanical alignment. This includes:

· Which muscles are lengthened/shortened?

· Which non-contractile tissues (joints, ligaments) are tight/lax?

· A normal length-tension muscle relationship must be re-established

Therapists trained to provide NDT based treatment programs are able to offer extensive hands-on direct treatment programs in order to address and prevent overstretching of tissues/ligaments, guide soft tissue work, and abate the possibility of further dysfunction! As an NDT trained therapist you believe "The sooner you identify the problem, the sooner you can treat it!"

Treatment must be aimed at improving trunk stability and mobility with the ability to maintain a balance between flexion and extension. The need to maintain balance and to keep the rib cage stable will improve breathing and lung function vital to a recovering individuals overall health and well-being. Control at the trunk results in increased overall potential as seen by improved function of the arms, better quality walking, overall confidence in mobility, better voice quality and improved quality of respirations.

When providing a client with Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT), it is important to remember that normal function is an option! With an emphasis on early intervention from all disciplines who each develop and establish a baseline for how a client will perform a function, a recovery plan of care is established. With the introduction of normal movement patterns from the beginning of the injury and by putting tasks into the context of function with select, appropriate feedback to achieve carryover, recovery of function is attainable!

I do not know about you, but one of my dreams is to have a personal masseuse in my house, on call at any moment. Now whether that will ever happen? I do not know. And whether my wife would ever allow that is a different question. But besides massages just feeling great, what are some of the other benefits you can get from a massage or bodywork treatment. I am going to write about ten benefits that you can get from a body massage, although there are way more than just ten benefits.

1. Helps with back pains and range of motion - Have you ever hurt your back or neck in a car wreck? Therapists will use massage therapy to help relieve you of your pain.
2. Helps to decrease anxiety - Can you say, relax?
3. Helps muscles - If you are a person who works out normally or you are an athlete, than a massage can help your muscles recover quickly from a hard workout.
4. Improves Circulation - Massages can help blood flow, by allowing nutrients into your tissue.
5. Stretches tight muscles - Many times we get knots in our muscles, which can cause discomfort and pain, even headaches.
6. It's a pain killer - Helps release amino acids into the body
7. Reduces Swelling - Any time you experience an injury, bodywork treatment can help the swelling.
8. Improves Joints
9. Helps your immune system - We can all use a better immune system
10. Improves Skin Tissue - Can help with avoiding stretch marks

Those are just ten easy reasons why getting a massage once in awhile is important, and the list could go on. We live such busy lives, all of the stress and all of the wear and tear can really take a toll on our bodies, but if we just take the time to give our bodies a treat, we can live happier and healthier lives. Do you ever wonder why we are aging faster, it is because of stress, stress and stress. In fact stress can actually cause disease in our bodies. Massage therapy helps us to release the stress of our daily lives and promotes us to have better sleep, better energy and better focus.

My dad always used a term with me when I got hit by a pitch in baseball, he said, "walk it off, son." Now, I often tell people to 'walk it off" as a joke when I see them stub a toe or get hurt in some sort of way. But we can use that term in our daily lives, just switch out the word "walk" with "massage." Boss yelled at you today? Massage it off! Your son is learning how to play the drums? Massage it off! Family did not like your cooking? Massage it off! Do you catch my drift? Obviously we are not going to get some bodywork done whenever something bad happens, because we might be in the therapy room 24/7, but do not forget to give your body a little treat here and there.

A practice treats pain, promotes healing, and restores movement to patients. If you want to start a private practice, you must find an affordable way to maximize referrals, revenue and reimbursement. By maximizing profit, your practice can help you to reach the independence and freedom that you want and need. With every referral that visits your practice, you will become one step closer to a decrease in workload.

Physical therapy has been evolving as a profession over the last 50 years, bringing terms like "anatomy" to the field and leaving a stronger medical connection behind. Ties to a "doctoring" profession are great for practice publicity. Embracing recent changes, many professionals are excited about this change, while others remain apprehensive. Either way, the evolution into a practice is inevitable for many working in the field.

Before establishing a practice, you need to ask yourself why you became involved in the field. What were your hopes and dreams? What goals did you want to reach? What were the most important aspects of pursuing this profession? You also need to determine how a private practice will help you work towards the aspirations you have identified.

Success is where opportunity and preparation meet. You need to prepare a personal financial statement and find out how much you can afford to put into your practice. You need to identify your competitors and see if the area where your project is located is suitable and convenient to all. If there is a practice next door, for example, you may need to revamp your marketing approach.

Marketing the services of your physical therapy practice is an essential component of success. You have to believe in yourself to overcome obstacles and work through the many challenges that you may encounter on the way. Have your products and services advertised on media so that people may get to know and understand what you are doing at your practice; by doing this you will be drawing awareness to the public.

Train your staff members and hold frequent seminars to boost the success of your practice. Think about how confident you are right now. Do your staff members posses the skills and abilities necessary to create a positive practice experience? The better equipped your staff, the better your chances of running a successful physical therapy practice. Client satisfaction is a crucial part of any business, so be sure to include great customer relations as part of your practice. With time, your practice will find its place on the map and bring you to a new level within your own life as well.

Cold stone massage is a method of massage designed to bring clients stress relief and aid them in relaxation. This type of massage is also particularly effective at allowing the mind to release feelings of trauma and anxiety. Cold stone massage is often used to reduce swelling and inflammation, making it ideal for targeting sporting injuries. The cool stones, coupled with the soothing touch of a skilled massage therapist, helps to calm the body. While cold stone massage is an ancient form of massage, it wasn't until more recently that it came back into fashion.

While this form of massage is particularly soothing and effective, it's not meant for everyone. Clients with heart ailments, sensitivity to cold temperatures, and issues with skin inflammation should definitely avoid chilled stone massage therapy. Any client questioning whether or not this form of therapy is right for them should check with a doctor before receiving a treatment.

Rocks are utilized in massage because they possess special properties that uniquely enhance the therapy experience. For clients with anxiety issues, smooth marble rocks are often used to alleviate these symptoms. These types of chilled stones aid the mind in focusing on the body rather than continuing to dwell on mental stresses.

Chilled stone massage has also shown to be successful in aiding clients with sinus problems. To address these issues, chilled stones are placed on top of a cloth that is placed over the face to protect the skin. The cold temperatures emitting from these stones reduce sinus congestion and reduce painful nasal swelling.

Menstrual pain and bloating have also been alleviated with chilled stone massage. Smooth cold stones are strategically placed in the abdominal area. This aids in drawing swelling away from the uterus and can lessen discomfort.

One of the universal benefits of chilled stone therapy, regardless of personal ailments and conditions, is its ability to improve circulation. While this can specifically help those with circulation problems, improved circulation is something everyone can benefit from. Circulation is targeted when chilled marble stones are placed on specific locations over the body as a means of improving the overall circulation in the body. For those with problems with high blood pressure, cold stone massage also proven as an effective tool when working to lower it.

As indicated, one of the benefits of cold stone therapy is its ability to address sports injuries. Its well known that apply cold compresses to the body soothes inflammation in the joints and muscles. Chilled stone therapy is a more effective method of the classic cold compress as therapists can not only apply the stones more strategically but also use the rockss as tools to gently work the muscles. Tendinitis is a condition that's been shown to be relieved from this type of massage.

The benefits of cold stone therapy are numerous. The coolness of the stones have many healing properties and aside from the above conditions cold stone therapy can assist with, this form of massage also revitalizes energy levels. By relieving bloating and removing heat from them muscles with its cool properties, chilled stone massage therapy is definitely filled with benefits.