| Many physicians have recommended people to | | | | and sometimes you are required to go in for an |
| try massage therapy for many years which just | | | | in-person interview. Several programs give the |
| happens to be nearly 2,400 years. The medical | | | | students great opportunities by providing them |
| benefits of "friction" were first noted by a Greek | | | | with services like post-graduate job placement |
| physician by the name Hippocrates. In this day | | | | and continuing educational services. You also have |
| and age, massage therapy is being used for | | | | the chance to choose between either going |
| various ways such as tending to painful ailments, | | | | through a full time or part-time program. |
| decompressing tired and overworked muscles, | | | | Once they have completed their training program, |
| reducing stress, rehabilitating sports injuries, and | | | | massage therapists have the option of taking the |
| promoting general health. Massage therapists | | | | national certification examination for therapeutic |
| accomplish these tasks by massaging a client's | | | | massage and bodywork. What is done is an exam |
| soft tissues so that they can improve the body's | | | | that is administered by the National Certification |
| blood circulation and remove waste products from | | | | Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork |
| the muscles. | | | | which by the way has its own personal eligibility |
| There are over 1,700 massage therapy post | | | | requirements. |
| secondary schools, college programs, and training | | | | This exam covers six different areas for general |
| programs throughout North America. Massage | | | | knowledge of the body systems. It also covers |
| therapy programs cover a wide variety of | | | | detailed knowledge of anatomy, physiology and |
| subjects which generally range from subjects | | | | kinesiology, pathology, therapeutic massage |
| such as anatomy, physiology, the study of organs | | | | assessment, therapeutic massage application, |
| and tissues, kinesiology the study of motion and | | | | professional standards, ethics, business and legal |
| body mechanics, business, ethics and they also | | | | practices. Because of the nature of massage |
| get the opportunity to have hands-on practice | | | | therapy, placement is limited and those who have |
| and try out their massage techniques. | | | | their own personal business tend to have the |
| The majority of programs require an application | | | | highest salaries. |