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The Different Skills That a Full-Fledged Massage Therapist Must Have

2015-09-23T10:00:38-04:00September 23rd, 2015|

The nature of the work of a typical massage therapist requires one to possess a slew of essential skills. Therapists manipulate a client’s musculature to help induce relaxation or improve mobility, and they do this by using a wide variety of techniques. Such techniques also aren’t a one-size-fits-all—each method should depend on the client’s reason for the visit, as well as the latter’s physical condition, age, and such.

That said, what skills does a full-fledged masseuse/masseur need to perform his/her job well? Here’s a quick rundown of the specific competencies.

[…]

Massage Therapy for Attention Deficit Disorder: Research Review

2015-07-30T20:41:55-04:00July 30th, 2015|

A literature review of complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments for children found that ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is one of the most commonly studied conditions, and that massage is one of the most commonly used CAM modalities (Snyder & Brown, 2012). According to the Mayo Clinic, ADHD “includes a combination of problems, such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.” The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has reported that there are 4.9 million children with ADHD in American schools. According to Dr. V.A. Harpin’s review of ADHD impacts over the […]

Tips for Creating an Elevator Pitch for your Massage Therapy Work

2015-07-23T20:41:16-04:00July 23rd, 2015|

Having basic marketing skills is essential to expanding any massage therapy practice. Succinctly delivering an “elevator pitch” is a key practice for gaining new clients. An elevator pitch is a compelling introduction that is short enough to deliver while ascending or descending floors in an elevator. The idea here is to create a polished, interesting statement that draws in listeners. Then, you can hand each listener a card and mention your new client special before the elevator doors open to the destination floor. Of course, there are many occasions outside of elevators where this pitch will come in handy—networking events, dinner […]

Massage in Grade Schools: Could it Help Fight Bullying?

2015-07-09T20:40:04-04:00July 9th, 2015|

In our massage training school, we teach adults how to treat and heal patients of all ages. Like students in all west coast massage schools, East West College students typically begin their massage training after high school. However, the success of in-school programs across the globe suggests that primary students can enjoy many benefits from learning about and practicing massage. Schools around the world are using student-to-student massage programs to reduce bullying, improve peer relationships, and increase focus. Read on to learn how international organizations are bringing massage to schools.

Primary Massage Training: School Programs from Around the World

Massage in Schools

The Massage […]

Massage Therapy Modalities: Structural Bodywork

2015-06-11T20:27:07-04:00June 11th, 2015|

In our series on massage modalities, we’ve covered Thai massage, trigger point therapy, and Tui Na. Today we’re looking at a different form of massage: Structural Bodywork. At its crux, structural bodywork explores and offsets imbalances within the body.

The mother of structural bodywork is Ida Rolf. Ida Rolf was a biochemist, yoga teacher, manual therapist, and sensorimotor educator who had a holistic vision of health. Her focus as a healer was to improve overall biochemical functioning, rather than treating certain systems. Rolf’s creation, Structural Integration, improves health by improving the human body’s structure in relation to gravity.
Within this […]

Client Populations: Working with Elderly Patients


2015-05-14T20:20:57-04:00May 14th, 2015|

Massage careers can take practitioners all over the world, to all manner of settings. However, when envisioning a post-massage certification career path, the common image is that of a healthy middle-aged person receiving a basic Swedish massage. Reality is much larger in scope. In this series we will be discussing how to work with different client populations- in all ages and stages of life. We kick things off with a discussion of geriatric massage, including its challenges, effective techniques, and benefits.

Challenges Massaging Elderly Clients

Elderly clients can often be intimidating to massage, due to their unique health conditions and physical needs. Older […]

How to Center Yourself Before Giving a Massage

2015-05-07T20:18:51-04:00May 7th, 2015|

Think back to when you were first dreaming of a career in massage. Perhaps you were contemplating getting a massage certificate, or eagerly flipping through pamphlets from massage schools in NYC or Oregon, dreaming of your future. One question that you may have asked yourself during this process—and a question massage therapists may ask throughout their career—is what constitutes the ideal massage?  Is it the perfect shiatsu technique, or being up-to-date on the latest trends? The ideal massage is not merely about a certain technique; it is rather grounded in how you show up in the space when giving a massage.

The […]

Fun Facts About the Human Hand

2015-04-17T22:46:38-04:00April 17th, 2015|

Anyone who has ever given or received a massage can appreciate the importance of hands in massage therapy. Those attending massage schools, in Portland or elsewhere, can easily recognize that hands are the massage therapist’s most useful tool to convey healing and connection to the client. Our hands can transmit a variety of emotions. They can be used to love and nurture, to heal, and much more.

Indeed, University of California Berkeley research conducted under Dr. Dacher Keltner has found that humans can convey emotions through touch alone more than half the time. Kelter’s experiment separated participants by […]

Spring Cleaning: Tips for Keeping a Sparkling Clean Massage Space

2015-04-10T22:45:21-04:00April 10th, 2015|

Creating a clean and clear massage space might not be the first thing you learned in massage therapy training, but it is a vital aspect of your practice. Clients are subconsciously affected by your massage space. While they may not realize it, a clean, organized, peaceful room free of distractions goes a long way toward putting your clients in a relaxed state. Having a spotless treatment room should rank high on your list of priorities.
Feeling stuck on where to start? Add regular tidying to your appointment book, begin a quarterly deep cleaning practice, and follow these spring-cleaning tips!

De-clutter.

• Start in the […]

Why Breathing is so Important During Massage

2015-04-03T22:44:20-04:00April 3rd, 2015|

Deep breathing supports and enhances the goals of massage therapy as taught in massage training school. Often called abdominal breathing or belly breathing, deep breathing promotes blood flow, increases the effectiveness of the lymphatic system, and supports organ detoxification. Moreover, abdominal breathing lowers your heart rate and blood pressure, and can be used at any time to decrease stress and tension. Deep breathing promotes physical relaxation, the goal of every massage client.

Implementing Deep Breathing into Massage Therapy

Teaching and modeling deep breathing for massage clients can benefit them on and off the table, potentially leading to a life of less pain and […]

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