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East West College of the Healing Arts

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So far East West College of the Healing Arts has created 189 blog entries.

Reflexology: Intro to this Massage Modality

2026-03-27T07:38:52-07:00March 23rd, 2026|

Updated March, 2026

Reflexology is a manual healing method in which points on the feet, hands, and/or ears are compressed to alleviate pain and treat medical problems. Although the mechanisms for how reflexology works in the body are not well established, this practice has been relieving pain and other stress-related conditions for decades. As with other CAM therapies, many accredited massage schools offer reflexology courses because this healing modality has brought relief to patients across the globe.

Massage therapists who add reflexology to their repertoire may serve spa clients or anyone looking to relax. This approach is […]

Integrative Care Massage for Common Health Challenges

2026-03-06T08:42:08-08:00March 6th, 2026|

While preparing for new massage careers, aspirant LMTs consider work settings, including spas, private practices, and hospitals/clinics with medical massage. Licensure for massage in Oregon requires LMTs to study practical application classes covering this information. Today we’re focusing on massage as part of integrative care, a burgeoning medical model that includes alternative healing approaches.

What is Integrative Care?

Healthcare in the United States is transforming from a biomedical approach to a biopsychosocial model. While traditional biomedical medicine solely addresses physical disease, biopsychosocial treatment also emphasizes the emotional, mental, and cultural facets of healthcare ( […]

How to become a Licensed Massage Therapist in the State of Oregon

2026-02-13T08:44:27-08:00February 13th, 2026|

Massage therapy training requirements vary state to state. Here in Oregon, massage schools must provide hundreds of hours of classes to each student, and those hours must fit into different categories of knowledge. As one of several massage schools in the Portland, Oregon area, we are careful to ensure our program meets the state’s requirements for becoming an LMT. If you’re looking into massage therapy training, it’s necessary to understand Oregon requirements for body workers in massage.

Portland, OR Massage School on State Massage Therapy Licensure Requirements

Here are the critical components of earning your massage therapy license in […]

Professional Boundaries: Practical Applications for Preventing Compassion Fatigue

2026-01-30T10:15:29-08:00January 27th, 2026|

Ethics are so fundamental to massage therapy that new LMTs must pass a jurisprudence exam on the legal boundaries of the profession. Moreover, to maintain their licensure, massage therapists must take ongoing massage therapy CE classes on ethics. Therapists rely on boundaries to create safety for all involved.

Without strong boundaries, massage therapists may find themselves exhausted due to taking on their clients’ problems. Clients may not feel safe enough to relax under the therapist’s healing touch. Ultimately, healthy boundaries create trust, the cornerstone of effective massage.

Let’s review the types of boundaries for massage therapists, as well as ideas on how LMTs […]

The Mechanics of Sports Massage: How Massage Promotes Recovery from Athletic Training

2026-01-07T09:16:03-08:00January 7th, 2026|

Post-exercise recovery is critical for athletes at all levels. Sports massage is a powerful tool for athletic recovery, as professional and amateur athletes know well. Dozens of professional athletes prioritize sports massage as a critical component of their recovery regime. Many athletes report increased muscular flexibility and agility post-massage. Recovering from hard workouts is another commonly-cited reason to include massage in recovery rituals. But what is the science behind sports massage and muscular revival? Today we’re taking a look at research on how massage therapy works to support athletic recovery. 

Sports Massage: Common Misconceptions

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Careers in Massage: Skyrocketing Projected Job Outlook for Medical Massage Therapists

2025-10-07T11:57:39-07:00October 7th, 2025|

As we discussed in a previous post, job outlook predictions are extremely rosy for massage therapists. What’s driving such strong numbers for employment growth in massage therapy? Today we’re unpacking the numbers by examining one subset of massage therapy: medical massage. 

What is Medical Massage?

Medical massage is massage therapy targeting health issues diagnosed by a doctor. (Mayo Clinic, n.d.). A medical LMT is a certified massage therapist who works closely with doctors and nurses to provide treatment for those affected by illness, injury, stress, and/or pain. Oftentimes, medical massage therapists work in hospital […]

Fungal Infections 101 for LMTs: How to Protect Yourself and Prevent the Spread of Disease

2025-09-10T10:21:50-07:00September 24th, 2025|

There are certain truths about life as a massage therapist that the public may not recognize, such as just how much of the job is doing laundry! Reducing the risk of disease transmission requires clean sheets for each client. Fungal diseases mandate that LMTs pay such attention to hygiene. Let’s define fungal diseases, understand how they are transmitted, review symptoms to watch out for, and outline how massage therapists can reduce or eliminate the risk of spreading fungal infections. 

What are Fungal Diseases?

Fungal diseases are caused by pathogenic members of the fungi family. There are over 300 pathogenic […]

Demand for Massage Therapists Projected to Boom in the Next Decade

2025-09-10T10:14:50-07:00September 10th, 2025|

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) anticipates that the demand for massage therapists will increase by 18% in the next decade. That rate is considered “much higher than the average” job growth for all careers (2025, Job Outlook). According to the bureau’s statistics, roughly 22,800 new positions for massage therapists will be created every year in the decade between 2023 and 2033.

To put those numbers in context, all other healthcare support jobs are projected to have a 12% growth in employment for the coming decade. The average for all occupations across the board is projected at […]

Triggerpoints vs “Knots”: Understanding Adhesions and How Massage Helps

2025-08-04T13:45:25-07:00August 4th, 2025|

Have you ever complained to your massage therapist about a knot, only to have them reply with words like adhesion or triggerpoint? Are all three words truly synonymous? Understanding such definitions can help us appreciate how these stuck spots are formed in the body, namely through muscular overload. Muscles can be overloaded through acute, sustained, and repetitive movements. After a primer on each, we’ll explore how massage therapy can provide relief, and invite you to experience tension release at our Portland school of massage’s […]

How Massage Can Assist PTSD & Trauma Healing

2025-07-09T10:13:43-07:00July 9th, 2025|

Exposure to frightening, shocking, and/or dangerous events such as combat, abuse, or disasters can result in the experience of trauma and development of Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). At any given time, about 24.4 million people are struggling with PTSD (McCafferty, 2016). While trauma is a universal experience, those with PTSD experience ongoing trauma reactions, leaving them feeling out of control and perpetually unsafe. Today we’re reviewing how individuals who have experienced trauma and PTSD can benefit from massage therapy.

How might the experience of trauma manifest in the mind/body? Here are a few common symptoms of PTSD:

Hypervigilance may show up as holding […]

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