The benefits of massage therapy for cancer patients were communicated by an ABC affiliate serving Virginia, on March 5.

In “Cancer Patients Get Boost from Massage Therapy,” breast-cancer patient Sandy Briggs’ journey through chemotherapy—a journey on which she discovered massage—is detailed.
“After a successful lumpectomy, doctors told Briggs she’d need chemotherapy and it was at that time that she discovered massages at Rockingham Memorial Hospital’s Image Recovery Center,” the article noted.

“As a retired teacher, Briggs had read book after book about cancer, but never did she think massage therapy would play a role in her treatment … [b]ut the massages helped Briggs through her 7 months of treatment and she says now as a cancer survivor, life has so much more meaning.”

Read the article at www.whsv.com.

Finally… FREEDOM!

To be a professional. Thanks to CAMTC.

Moving to Los Angeles from New York in 2001, had me very excited about my career as a massage therapist. I had just completed two years of massage school in NY and was eager to embark on a new chapter in my life; one of professionalism and compassionate healing. I had envisioned a healthy balance of house calls, with perhaps one or two days per week in a health care setting to supplement my private practice.

 

This daydream came to a screeching halt soon after my arrival in L.A., upon learning that the licensing process was going to be much more complicated and dollar-consuming than I could have ever imagined. I quickly learned that in addition to a business permit, I would need to obtain a massage permit for each city or county in which I planned to treat clients. Each had its own set of fees, regulations, and level of scrutiny. (By ‘scrutiny’ I mean, a lack of respect as a health care provider.) The city of Los Angeles classifies massage therapy as ‘adult entertainment’ under the city zoning laws, and therefore by default, gives as much respect to massage therapists as it does prostitutes. This was a huge eye-opener, after coming from a state where massage licenses are granted by the Department of Education (the same entity which grants medical and teaching licenses). There are some cities in California that require nothing more than an application fee and your signature, without so much as a minimum education requirement! How’s that for professional standards?

 

I realized there would be no point in wasting my energy on wishing that things were different. I simply had to suck it up and choose one city to become licensed in, and accept the fact that I could only practice massage within that city. If I had a larger bank account at that time, I might have chosen to hold licenses in several cities so I could have a broader client base, but I simply could not afford it. Although I felt frustrated and limited within my profession, I conceded to the regulations set upon me and my peers. The house call aspect of my business was quickly hindered, since many of my prospective clients lived outside the geographical limits of my L.A. license. A weekly client of mine, who I used to treat in her L.A. office, asked me if I could come to her house to treat her husband. I had to decline because their home was (a mere 3 miles away) in Beverly Hills, and I did not hold a Beverly Hills massage license. And so it went…

 

I decided to shift gears a bit and rent space in a wellness center full-time, rather than try and navigate the restrictive house-call path. After some time, I began to feel comfortable and more confident as a well-respected bodyworker, establishing a nice following at the center. Then one day, in mid-session with a client who I’d been working with regularly to alleviate chronic sciatica pain, the door to my treatment room suddenly opened as I was momentarily blinded by a sharp beam of light from the vice officer’s flashlight. He demanded to know, “Is that person wearing underwear?” It took me a moment to comprehend what was happening, and another moment to compose myself, after realizing that he assumed something inappropriate was taking place. This was not the last time I would experience this degrading interaction in such a potentially professional setting.

 

It goes without saying, that I was feeling quite disheartened and disrespected as a therapist, when suddenly one day, the sun came out! In September 2008, Senate Bill 731 was passed, which resulted in the formation of the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC). I couldn’t believe my ears… I would finally be able to practice anywhere in the state of California once I obtained certification through CAMTC! The application process was simple, and I did not feel like I had to prove to law enforcement that I am NOT a prostitute. This is what I and my fellow massage therapists have been waiting for. With CAMTC statewide certification, we now have the right to practice our profession within the standards set by our fellow professionals, not by the city vice squad. My clients feel more confident knowing their safety is being overlooked by an entity suited to do so; a group of professionals who embody the professional standards required of one to call themselves a massage therapist. Certification renewal with CAMTC takes place every other year, as opposed to annually like most cities/counties. The application process is streamlined and simple to understand, and about half the price of what I was paying annually for renewal.

 

My faith in the integrity of this profession within the state of California has finally been restored. My CAMTC certification boasts much more credibility among my prospective clients than my city permit ever did. I am so proud of what our profession stands for and I display my CAMTC certificate on my office wall with an enormous amount of pride. For those of my fellow massage therapists who are considering CAMTC certification, I can’t recommend it strongly enough. It affords each of us the freedom we need to practice our profession, along with the respect we deserve as health care practitioners. Thank you CAMTC!

Over the past several years, research on massage therapy and bodywork has been conducted in isolated studies throughout the country. For the most part, these research studies are funded for the purpose of publishing the results in medical and similar style journals.

In other words, the promotion and facilitation of research on various massage therapy and bodywork modalities seems to be targeted at proving the validity of our profession to the wider allopathic and complementary medical communities. While this is a fine and respected endeavor, the positive results of these research studies are getting filed in medical journals and talked about in medical venues but fail to reach the people who could use it the most: massage therapists and consumers.

Why Should You Care?

Why should research and its results be important to massage therapists? Massage therapists educating themselves on research results are able to take that information and share it with their clients. Having that research knowledge gives us a logical platform to stand on when talking about the benefits of our work. Imagine showing your client, through research, that the very disorders and conditions they (or their loved ones) suffer from can be addressed through therapeutic touch. Think of the vast opportunities that will open up to reach a much wider audience.

Results of massage studies show valuable information on how therapeutic massage and bodywork can provide relief and healing to those suffering from chronic pain, emotional distress and various debilitating diseases and disorders. In other words, it gives all of us power behind our long-held beliefs that massage does impact the human body and psyche on so many levels.

Research Resources

Through the work of the Massage Therapy Foundation (MTF), information about proven benefits of massage has begun to trickle down to the national therapist community and a small percentage of the American population. The Massage Therapy Foundation has a research database of 4,800 records on massage research and projects. The institutions that have conducted some of these projects include:

Mayo Clinic
Boston Medical Center
Yale University
Children’s Memorial Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Harvard Medical School
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Touch Research Institute
The Touch Research Institute (TRI) has more than 100 studies on massage and its effects on several disorders and conditions including anorexia, bulimia, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Many results showed a decrease in stress, increase in immune function and decrease in pain created by the above conditions. The results of these studies are available to anyone by simply visiting the TRI Web site.

Call to Action

For massage therapists, understanding research study results is powerful in several ways. The knowledge makes you personally aware of how your profession is growing and expanding. It gives you something to share with new folks to build your practice. With this knowledge, you can further serve your existing clients as well.

So, the call to action is this: make a commitment today to developing your awareness of research studies and learn how you can personally support future studies. Learn where to access this information (such as the resources mentioned) and commit to reading and understanding a study each month. Then, find a way to communicate to existing and potential clients what you learned from the study.

One way you can do this is to find a piece of research that fits a specific disorder/disease connected with a support group. Once you thoroughly understand the research study, reach out to a local chapter of the support group and offer to speak on the information you have.

You can be the conduit between research and consumers. The valuable information you share can help those folks live with less pain and stress. Remember, because of our education in various sciences of the body, we have an easier time reading and disseminating medically written papers. We have the ability of taking the language of research and boiling it down into simple and understandable terms.

On a more personal note: I encourage you to support the Massage Therapy Foundation. Pledge a donation to help MTF continue its valuable work in supporting research and community outreach projects. Even a small annual donation of $20 will have an impact, so give what fits your budget. Visit MassageTherapyFoundation.org for instructions on donations and to discover how you can become personally involved as well.

Massage therapists may be good with their hands, but most also have a knack for business. You’re likely to work for yourself, and your success depends largely on how many clients you bring in, so you’ll need to market yourself well and develop a rapport with repeat customers. Many massage therapists work part time in several locations, including spas, hospitals, cruise ships, and sports centers.

Massage therapy uses touch to treat injuries, sooth tired or overworked muscles, reduce stress, and promote general health. Treatment comes in many varieties, including Swedish massage, deep-tissue massage, reflexology, and sports massage, and most therapists specialize in one or more. In most states, massage therapists need a license to practice.

The outlook:

As massage therapy becomes more popular, employment is expected to grow faster than average—19 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Labor Department. Although this industry certainly hasn’t been spared the wrath of the recession, more spas and massage clinic franchises are popping up to meet increased demand for massage services, creating new openings for therapists. Massage therapists held about 122,400 jobs in 2008, and more than half were self-employed. Many more practice massage therapy as a secondary source of income.

Of those who are self-employed, most own their own businesses or work as independent contractors. Others find employment in personal care services establishments, the offices of physicians and chiropractors, fitness and recreational sports centers, and hotels. Employment is concentrated in metropolitan areas, as well as resort and destination locales.

Money:

Massage therapists fare well considering you need only a license, not a degree. The median annual salary in 2009 was $35,230, and the median hourly wage was $16.94. Self-employed massage therapists with an established client base have the highest earnings.

Upward mobility:

Opportunities for advancement within this field are limited. Most massage therapists strive to gain more experience and more clients so they can increase their rates. Some become managers of their office or teach the trade, while others go into business for themselves.

Activity level:

High. Massage is physically demanding, so you may find yourself injured if you don’t use proper technique. Therapists sometimes suffer from repetitive-motion problems, as well as fatigue from standing for extended lengths of time.

Stress level:

Low, though some therapists worry about attracting enough clients to earn a living. The environments where massage therapists work are designed to sooth, with low lighting, candles, and calming music.

Education and preparation:

Most states require massage therapists to complete a formal education program and pass an examination to earn a license, but standards and requirements vary widely. Programs at colleges or universities usually require about 500 hours of study to complete.

To make clients feel comfortable and turn them into repeat customers, therapists benefit from strong communication skills and a friendly personality.

Real advice from real people about landing a job as a massage therapist:

Go to a quality massage school—You can find one at the American Massage Therapy Association’s website. Think about what type of massage you’d like to specialize in and which work environment—spa, hospital, or sports center, for example—you prefer. Find a massage therapist near you and ask questions about the job. Learn to market yourself so you can bring in clients. “Understand that it is a business, and you will have to build that business.” —Ron Precht, communications manager at the American Massage Therapy Association