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Top Massage Therapy Schools

There are some great massage therapy schools and colleges as well as medical massage therapy schools all across the US and Canada where you can learn to be a massage therapist. Take a look and you will soon discover several exciting directions to consider when it comes to massage training. Just imagine learning the respected art of bodywork to become certified for a career in sports massage, medical massage, or myotherapy, just to name a few!

There are literally dozens of alternate forms of massage therapy taught today. What type of massage would you like to learn? The answer will help you find the best massage education for you.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ACCREDITED MASSAGE THERAPY SCHOOLS and COLLEGES

You can find certificate programs and accredited massage therapy degree programs offered across North America. Depending on prior experience and education, massage certification can take just a few weeks or months to obtain. Dedicated students can also earn massage therapy degrees, such as an Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Applied Sciences. Degrees in massage therapy can take approximately two to four years of study, including 500-800 clock hours of massage training.

BELOW ARE SOME OF THE ACCREDITED MASSAGE THERAPY COURSES AVAILABLE ON SchoolsGalore.com:

Aromatherapy Massage

When we think about learning massage therapy, many people envision a private room with a massage table in a luxury spa setting. We expect the masseuse to enhance the environment with soft music and soothing aromas that relax or invigorate the client. This familiar form of bodywork is known as aromatherapy massage, and has become quite a popular massage practice in today's hectic world.

Chinese Medical Massage

This ancient oriental method of bodywork is often called acupressure in the Western world. Training in Chinese medical massage (Tui Na) is based on the belief that the body's energy or qi (pronounced chee) can be blocked by stress or illness and these blockages can affect the joints, muscles, and internal organs. Chinese medical massage training can teach you how to apply firm pressure to certain meridians or zones along the body to release energy and allow qi to flow freely, thus relieving the complaint.

Cranial Sacral Therapy

A good education in cranial sacral therapy (CST) can teach you how to detect tension or stress in the cranium, spine and sacrum. You will learn how to release the flow of cerebrospinal fluids to the brain and nervous system. Sometimes called craniosacral therapy, this massage course is focused on learning to sense imbalances in the flow and motion of craniosacral rhythms and to gently massage the base of the skull (sacrum) to increase flow and balance the client's life energy.

Massage Therapy Certification

Practically anyone can get a massage therapy certificate in just a few months for quick entry into the workforce. Massage certificates are offered in one or more specific styles of bodywork, such as Swedish massage, myofascial release, or chair massage, for instance. A certificate from a massage school is a great start, but certified massage therapists must also be licensed in most states. You may also apply for national certification from the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB).

Medical Massage

Medical massage is often used in conjunction with traditional Western forms of healing to provide patients with the optimum probability for recovery. If your goal is to learn to be a medical massage therapist, a degree in medical massage can take two to four years to complete. Students may specialize in infant and prenatal massage, geriatric massage therapies, manual lymph drainage, and many other styles. Graduates are equipped with excellent credentials, as well as the experience and confidence needed for a career in medical massage therapy.

Myofascial Release

The body's fascia is a flexible netlike covering that surrounds and penetrates all the structures of the body, and the fascia can become restricted due to a physical injury, scarring or inflammation. Myofascial release training can show you how to use various techniques of palpation and massage to release fascial tension and allow the fascia to regain its pliability. Health care professionals may be certified to perform myofascial release therapy with about 20 hours of training.

Myotherapy

Reducing musculoskeletal pain is the focus of myotherapy training, and you can learn myotherapy during the course of a massage therapy degree program; or you may choose to learn myotherapy as a single massage certificate class. Also called trigger point therapy, the myotherapist applies pressure to specific points on the body to relieve knotted muscle tension. Once you have been properly trained in myotherapy, you may be eligible for membership in the International Myotherapy Association (IMA).

Shiatsu

Practically everyone has heard of shiatsu massage, and you will most likely learn to perform shiatsu as a part of good massage training. The technique of shiatsu massage is administered via the fingers, palms and thumbs with the goal of stimulating the immune system and releasing the body's natural healing power. The philosophy behind shiatsu massage training is to prevent illness and energy imbalances before they occur.

Somatic Education

Somatics education is an approach to mind/body integration that brings renewed control of the muscles through somatic exercises and the use of the voluntary motor system. Somatic training is closely aligned with massage education, but somatics considers the entire organism (soma), not just muscles and bones. By applying proper movement, posture, breathing, and certain bodywork exercises, the soma is brought to peaceful harmony. You can learn to live in your body with great awareness by combining somatic classes with your massage training.

Sports Massage

Another popular form of bodywork training would be sports massage education. Fitness instructors and athletic coaches will often learn sports massage techniques to provide athletes with every available advantage. This bodywork method is frequently used to warm and stretch muscles to prevent sports injuries; alternately, sports massage training can teach you to soothe and relax the athlete's tired muscles after a workout.

SOME HISTORY ABOUT MASSAGE THERAPY

The medical community has long known that deep tissue massage and other forms of therapeutic massage can be extremely beneficial toward the healing of injuries, as well as the prevention of future injuries. But, did you know that the use of massage therapy dates back more than 2,500 years? Perhaps the oldest form of natural healing, massage therapies were in use by Egyptians, Eastern Indians, Romans, Greeks, Chinese and Japanese before recorded history began.

The ancient art of massage was introduced to the Western population in the mid-1800s, and techniques were mainly based on Swedish massage methods. The use of massage therapy declined somewhat during the early part of the 20th century due to advances in traditional Western medicine, but interest blossomed once again during the 1970s, especially among those who practiced sports massage.

Today, massage therapy training is one of the most popular educational paths in the US and Canada. Modern medical practitioners and patients alike are seeking alternative healing methods that do not rely on drugs or surgery, making massage a very practical and desirable therapy. Today's students can be a part of the trend by getting excellent training from accredited massage therapy schools.

FIND TOP MASSAGE THERAPY SCHOOLS and COLLEGES

Select a program of interest from the menu above and search for accredited massage therapy schools in your area. You will soon have a list of massage schools to consider. Think about your goals for the future and request information from a few top choices to help you make a good decision. We also invite you to search our Natural Healing Schools Directory to find additional alternative healing programs in your area today.

ABOUT ACCREDITATION: Official accreditation is your assurance of a quality education. Except where noted, all schools, colleges, universities and online schools listed on SchoolsGalore.com have been fully accredited by professional accrediting organizations that are approved by The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) or The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or both.