Anything Positve to say about Massage Therapy???

KelticKell in New Holland, Pennsylvania said: I am in school to. My teacher said it will take a few years to build your client base, BUT it is among the highest paid part time jobs a person can have when you are making $40 or $50 per 1 hour massage with very little buisness overhead. I was told, if you want to work, you will find it.
I have had other small businesses and it is hard to find people willing to pay for a service but when they get a massage, if it's a good one, they will tell all of their friends...
I don't like listening to the whiners...never have. It takes a special kind of person to sell their services well.
You have to be confident, not everyone is good at it no matter how good their massage is...these types of people need to hook up with other partners and rent a space.

Yes it is great to earn $50 per hour. However, if you only do 2 a day - that is $100. You are not working an 8 hour day doing massage as most jobs do. If you work at a Spa - you do NOT earn $50 per hour. They may have you working 8 hours a day and jamming clients in non-stop...In this situation you will be making some good money - but you will be physically sick after only several months of this. Not to mention the burn out. Ask any Massage Envy (Spa) employee how much money they are really making on a weekly basis. Out of my class of 36 - 1 finished the program and graduated. She cannot make enough money to live on and is back to bartending.

I think theres alot of negativity around the proffesion because many people go into it with high expectations (I'm going to make $50 an hour!!) thanks to false advertisement of some schools. There are some really crappy schools out there just looking to make some bucks off the 'glamorous idea of a massage career'. Those schools usually don't teach you anything about proper body mechanics to keep you from burning out too early, nor do they teach anything about proper documentation or business management/marketing.
Shop for schools carefully and ask about their pass rates on licensing/certification exams. I picked my school because it had one of the highest pass rates in the area and because it offered cadavier labs (which I thought would be interesting and they were absolutely fascinating!) My school was a 20 month 750 hour program and it cost $9K and it included graduating with a certification in Craniosacral level 1(which made my 'fresh out of school' resume look a little less bare). They also watched our alignement while practicing like hawks and even inspected all of our thumbs. I have hypermobile thumbs and was given an alternative way to use them to protect my joints.

Basically, you need to know the reality of this proffesion before deciding its a good match for you. If your not a very physical person, this *is* a physically demanding job. Its also something that is considered a 'luxury' especially in this economic climate so you have to get creative and be even more agressive with your marketing to get people in the door.

I personally love the work. I'm love the challenge of figuring out which muscles are the culprit and I'm fascinated by how the human body works. But I'm also aware that I don't want it to be the sole source of my income, so I also teach yoga, dance, and am working on my bachelors in exercise science. If your looking for a quick job and think your going to make a killing, I would advise you to do a little more research 1s

Tina in Morristown, Tennessee said:
I see nothing negative, and will gladly take clients from unsatisfied therapists:) It's business 101 people!

Lol! Isn't that the truth?!

I agree with what you're saying. Most schools do sell people on making a great deal of money with a short time in school. In reality, your education never really ends. To continue, one should continue their education and learn from other therapists (everyone has a different style and technique).

I've been seeing many trade schools offering training within a few months with very little education (some don't even have hands on education!). Those people are pumped out like puppies from a puppy mill. The markets get saturated, and many clients new to massage go to them when they offer dirt cheap massages. They don't realize that many therapists that charge a bit more may also have a higher education and a little more business sense (you have to charge enough to cover your expenses and make some profit).

I've also seen some people that aren't comfortable working with certain clients (male/female, overweight, possibly dirty, etc). That should be one of the first considerations when choosing this career. If any of this bothers you, you might want to think twice.

I went to a very good school that trained students proper body mechanics, how to take care of yourself, anatomy, physiology, pathology, and hands on classes several times a week. We also had business and ethics classes, which all should be basic minimums for all students. We were able to customize our education with at least 160 hours of elective courses (I went for things from Shiatsu, sports massage, elder massage, and several more). Our course was at least 600 hours (some people took more or less classes, personal choice) completed in 12 months.

My main concern is that people come into massage thinking that its easy, and you can make lots of money in no time. As you mentioned, it can't be looked at as a sole source of income.

Tina in Morristown, Tennessee said: ...5th being that I would prefer to specialize in Geriatrics, which generally is not common in the Massage industry, & it sure beats doing hospice watching them die. ...

Geriatric massage is definitely increasing as a specialty...

and our Hospice here is begging for MTs to volunteer their services...

$0.02

Hollys in Florida said: Geriatric massage is definitely increasing as a specialty...and our Hospice here is begging for MTs to volunteer their services...$0.02

Again how are MTs supposed to make a living if they give their services away? I'm all for volunteer work but massage is too hard on my body to give it away for free.

I think that one of the problems is that no one sits down with these potential students and tells them the reality of the profession - certainly the colleges don't, because it might affect the enrolment numbers.

I have written extensively about this on my website whymassagetherapy.com/massage-therapy-careers-job.php

Another huge issue I noticed as an instructor and former college administrator is that most people coming into the profession have no head for business and they are so resistant to learning about it. In my experience, entrepreneurs aren't made, they're born, and some people just don't feel comfortable wearing those "shoes".(figuratively speaking) It takes an entrepreneurial spirit in this industry to really excel at a high level - this is where you'll see the high incomes that everyone wants but so few achieve.

You can have the best business development teacher you can get to teach these students, but some just don't get it. They will wonder why certain colleagues of theirs are making $80,000+ a year, while they scrape by at $20,000.

Sad and frustrating, but that's the way it is.

The oz of massage therapy has spoken! You couldnt of put it more bluntly! Unless you strike it lucky by playing lotto or blackjack, massage therapy will not bring u millions. As a matter of fact Its becoming more difficult to get a full time job as a massage therapist. Iam living proof. Good luck to you all out there.

Allie in Saint Louis, Missouri said: I'm a nurse. I've been a nurse for a year and I hate it. I enjoy my patients, but I hate.......

I hear you!!! I am a medical assistant and I had the intention of going to nursing school until I landed my first job in a multi doctor orthopedic office (surgeons). And i'll just second all of what Allie stated above. Nothing can be as bad as it is being in this situstion. I may not be a nurse, but in the practice I work in, I'm the next best thing...and it is terrible.

I'm starting Massage Therapy School this weekend and can't wait. It is my plan to start my own practice and I'm more excited than words can ever explain. I know it's what is best for me! Despite all the negative comments.

But I do thank you all for sharing as I have learned from you all!

good luck. do yourself a favor and keep your medical asst license for awhile. have a plan in case it doesnt work out.

mel3aa in Chicago, Illinois said: I am very surprised to find so much negativity about Massage Therapy on this forum. I am 2 months into a clinical massage therapy program in Chicago and I am loving it. From what I have heard (up until i came across this forum) that there are so many job opportunities, it's such a rewarding career, massage therapists love their jobs, etc. Now I am hearing completely the opposite. Maybe these people don't have the right outlook on the profession, got into it for the wrong reasons in the first place, did not go to a good school??? Anyone who has some POSITIVE stories about the Massage field I would love to hear!! Thank you!

i am a massage therapist in georgia and i love my job. it is very rewarding and sometimes chellenging. stay positive and keep up the good work.

I am just 5 weeks into school and it is a lot more challenging than I thought! I thought I knew how to "give a massage" till now. I am really learning what muscles I am touching and how it is helping the client, how to place my hands etc... I am enjoying it though--like you, I knew nursing was not for me.
One thing I have a tough time with so far is that our teacher really stresses us using proper body mechanics at all times. He is an ex athlete and it comes naturally to him. I am a 34 year old Mom and it is hard for me to remember to keep the right posture and move with the strokes, does anyone have any words of wisdom on this subject?

Good Luck With School, Let us know how you like it!

After 9 years in the industry I'm still a practicing massage therapist and love my work. It has taken a while for me to find a clinic that is "the right fit". I really enjoy working with a team of professionals, so that is my choice, and I accept that I won't become a millionaire working for someone else.

I realize that some day in to not too distant future I'll probably branch out and either open my own clinic (probably in a more rural area) or specialize in a therapy modality and teach continuing ed courses. It's just part of the monetization model that therapists don't think about - experts who teach can make a LOT of money - but you have t invest a lot of your time and energy to get to this level. If you're committed and develop a business mindset, you can do it.

It's a shame that people are so negative, but it happens if people go into a situation without having been told the reality, or refuse to hear it. Or, they just don't want to bother with the business aspect of the business.

And for Kell - I hope you know that your instructor is just trying to help you prevent injury. It may seem like he's picking on you, but my guess is that he isn't. Soon you will catch and correct your errors, but now you are in the process of training your body how a new posture should feel. And, physical fitness is a component of being a therapist, so you should learn everything you can from your instructor and remember that he was a newbie once, too. Have a great time at school.

Kell in New Holland, Pennsylvania said: I am just 5 weeks into school and it is a lot more challenging than I thought! I thought I knew how to "give a massage" till now. I am really learning what muscles I am touching and how it is helping the client, how to place my hands etc... I am enjoying it though--like you, I knew nursing was not for me.
One thing I have a tough time with so far is that our teacher really stresses us using proper body mechanics at all times. He is an ex athlete and it comes naturally to him. I am a 34 year old Mom and it is hard for me to remember to keep the right posture and move with the strokes, does anyone have any words of wisdom on this subject?

Good Luck With School, Let us know how you like it!

Glad to hear that school is going well. It is amazing when you get into the anatomy and physiology studies.
I know it may sound like nagging when the teacher goes into proper body mechanics, but it is intended to protect you. It's easier to use more leverage than muscle strength when adding pressure (deep tissue, etc). Many techniques are things that most of us grew up hearing (stand straight, keep your shoulders down, bend from your knees, etc). Some things seem difficult to follow at first, but the more you do it, the more it becomes natural. If you give a full body massage with poor body mechanics, the pain will tell you what happened.

Good luck in class.

I just started massage school about 5 weeks ago. It is very interesting I wish I would have chosen this career a year ago. It is hard though. My body is really starting to feel the stress of school and the massages themselves. I am starting to stress about the S.O.A.P. charting and noting, and the insurance part. It is really confusing. It's making me second guess about where I really want to work...
Does any one have any words of wisdom for this new student?

We are in the same boat,just having started 5 weeks ago...I don't know why they are teaching you massage and the insurance stuff together?? For now I would just focus on Massage. I know a little about billing/insurance from past experience with a home business & trust me, it's not that hard. Maybe you could pick up a business course or two after you get licensed & work a little under the umbrella of someone else's practice. If you can learn massage and all of the muscle groups and bones, you can pick up insurance, our teacher told me you can get a lot of coverage cheap because no one ever gets hurt through massage & they know we are not "rich" like they think doctors are.

Good Luck!

Kell

Thank you soo much for the information. It really makes me feel a little better. I'm so new to the world of "Massage." But I did take a few medical classes in P&A so I know all of the bones but none of the muscles. But I do kinda wish to own my own practice. And I did look up insurace for liability for myself. I found it at a cheap price of 79$ at a student price...
I'm just excited to finish even though I just started lol....

I got hurt on the job in Jan 1987.They couldnt find what was wrong with me for over 2 yrs. When MRI came available my lawyer faught with the insurance company to get a MRI.The MRI showed asevere central protusion at L4-L5.I did have back surgery that following month.Still having alot of pain my chiropracter suggested to me to see his massage therapist(RICH PHAIGH).I saw Rich 1hr a day,three days a week,for appr.three years.Rich does a technique called ONSEN.He gave me range of motion,broke massive scar tissue,got rid of headaches(24-7)AND IAM PAIN FREE EVERY SINCE. While he worked on me I picked his brain. He had told me he was a teacher at East-West college an that if I was serious about being a massage therapist I should attend EAST WEST,so I entered school that fall.I now give back to people in need of pain relief every day for almost 20 YEARS an wont change it for anything!!!!!!!!!! ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE MAKING "MASSAGE ENVY" MONEY, KEEP DOING MASSAGE ENVY MASSAGES - THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE.

YOU WANNA MAKE $50 PER MASSAGE? CHARGE $50 TO SOMEONE WHO CAN AFFORD $100 AND CONVINCE THEM IT'S WORTH $150 - THEY'LL THINK IT'S A STEAL! HOW DO YOU DO IT?? IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A GOOD, EVEN GREAT LIVING - THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX - IT'S NOT THAT HARD.

EDUCATE YOURSELF, MARKET YOURSELF, HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF.
YOU HAVE TO . . .
. . . SET YOURSELF APART!!

rawle in Vancouver, Washington said: I got hurt on the job in Jan 1987.They couldnt find what was wrong with me for over 2 yrs. When MRI came available my lawyer faught with the insurance company to get a MRI.The MRI showed asevere central protusion at L4-L5.I did have back surgery that following month.Still having alot of pain my chiropracter suggested to me to see his massage therapist(RICH PHAIGH).I saw Rich 1hr a day,three days a week,for appr.three years.Rich does a technique called ONSEN.He gave me range of motion,broke massive scar tissue,got rid of headaches(24-7)AND IAM PAIN FREE EVERY SINCE. While he worked on me I picked his brain. He had told me he was a teacher at East-West college an that if I was serious about being a massage therapist I should attend EAST WEST,so I entered school that fall.I now give back to people in need of pain relief every day for almost 20 YEARS an wont change it for anything!!!!!!!!!! ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Uh, OK. You had 1-surgery 2-chiropractic 3-three years to heal and 4-over 400 'massage' treatments. It took 3 whole years and over 400 treatments and you think the massage did the trick? Most ppl recover from back surgery in a year without any more treatments. Maybe the massage made you worse. Maybe it did nothing. I wouldn't tell that story too much. It's not convincing.

should never judge the amount of pain a person is in unless you are in their shoes.In some cases ignorance is bliss?

I hate reading these over emotional negative posts. I would rather hear something positive. I am no expert but I do feel like people have benefitted from body work, hence the popularity & new licensing laws. Call me crazy...

Whut? in Boston, Massachusetts said: Uh, OK. You had 1-surgery 2-chiropractic 3-three years to heal and 4-over 400 'massage' treatments. It took 3 whole years and over 400 treatments and you think the massage did the trick? Most ppl recover from back surgery in a year without any more treatments. Maybe the massage made you worse. Maybe it did nothing. I wouldn't tell that story too much. It's not convincing.

"Most People" may recover from Back Surgery. But they are NEVER the same. Range of motion is prob the most common factor and issue in trying to heal. It takes years for some to heal. If you are in school please stay in it cause you know nothing about back injuries and the healing processes to state things the way you did. I am afraid your ignorance was showing just a bit.

WhyMassageTherapy in Halifax, Nova Scotia said: After 9 years in the industry I'm still a practicing massage therapist and love my work. It has taken a while for me to find a clinic that is "the right fit". I really enjoy working with a team of professionals, so that is my choice, and I accept that I won't become a millionaire working for someone else.

I realize that some day in to not too distant future I'll probably branch out and either open my own clinic (probably in a more rural area) or specialize in a therapy modality and teach continuing ed courses. It's just part of the monetization model that therapists don't think about - experts who teach can make a LOT of money - but you have t invest a lot of your time and energy to get to this level. If you're committed and develop a business mindset, you can do it.

It's a shame that people are so negative, but it happens if people go into a situation without having been told the reality, or refuse to hear it. Or, they just don't want to bother with the business aspect of the business.

And for Kell - I hope you know that your instructor is just trying to help you prevent injury. It may seem like he's picking on you, but my guess is that he isn't. Soon you will catch and correct your errors, but now you are in the process of training your body how a new posture should feel. And, physical fitness is a component of being a therapist, so you should learn everything you can from your instructor and remember that he was a newbie once, too. Have a great time at school.

I am starting to show some improvement, after a lot of work! Thanks for the encouragement. The right way is usually the easier way, making massage less straining.

George Borg in Warren, Michigan said: Glad to hear that school is going well. It is amazing when you get into the anatomy and physiology studies.
I know it may sound like nagging when the teacher goes into proper body mechanics, but it is intended to protect you. It's easier to use more leverage than muscle strength when adding pressure (deep tissue, etc). Many techniques are things that most of us grew up hearing (stand straight, keep your shoulders down, bend from your knees, etc). Some things seem difficult to follow at first, but the more you do it, the more it becomes natural. If you give a full body massage with poor body mechanics, the pain will tell you what happened.

Good luck in class.

Thanks for the good advice & you are right about the pain!

Since anyone who challenges massage is censored, I will tell my own story.

I don't need to judge your pain because I suffered from debilitating pain for 5 years. I tried to kill myself twice because of it. I had surgery for L4-5-S1 herniation but it didn't relieve immediately. Then I tried all sorts of alternative treatments including massage. After 2 years I felt better.

A year ago the pain came back. I made an appt for chiro/acu/massage which was rescheduled a week later because of mold in the building. But 4 days after my appt date I felt 80% better. If I had kept my appt I would have said the treatment helped me.

I tried the same thing twice since then with the same result. I have compiled over 200 stories from others with similar results. I don't know what to do with them because no one will listen.

Go ahead and report this as abuse.

good,someone out there has learned the magic of therapeutic touch, looking forward to hearing more b=positive stories to come!

mirabella in Cliffside Park, New Jersey said: good,someone out there has learned the magic of therapeutic touch, looking forward to hearing more b=positive stories to come!

Are you serious?

Did you read my story?

Jim in Denver, Colorado said: Since anyone who challenges massage is censored, I will tell my own story.

I don't need to judge your pain because I suffered from debilitating pain for 5 years. I tried to kill myself twice because of it. I had surgery for L4-5-S1 herniation but it didn't relieve immediately. Then I tried all sorts of alternative treatments including massage. After 2 years I felt better.

A year ago the pain came back. I made an appt for chiro/acu/massage which was rescheduled a week later because of mold in the building. But 4 days after my appt date I felt 80% better. If I had kept my appt I would have said the treatment helped me.

I tried the same thing twice since then with the same result. I have compiled over 200 stories from others with similar results. I don't know what to do with them because no one will listen.

Go ahead and report this as abuse.

Jim,
I appreciate your frustration at dealing with such pain for so many years. When you say "I tried the same thing twice since then with the same result" what do you mean? You said you felt better before you recieved your chiro/acu/massage treatment, so what was it that you tried?
I've been a therapist for over 18 years and have worked on well over 12,000 people (sounds like a lot even when I say it but it's a fact). If I had 200 "negative" results, that would be less than 3% of my clients; I'd say that's pretty good (much better than medical industry statistics). I'm happy to say though that in my 18 years of practice, I've had less than a dozen clients who've complained of symptoms worsening, in which case I refer them out to the proper specialist. In many cases it is expected that symptoms of pain will increase before improving; massage and related therapies do not cure, they assist the body in it's own healing process.

I know most people on this site are LMT's but I am curious to know how much Clinic Administrators and Asst Administrators make per year....can anyone help me out?

You claim to have 200 similar stories. In the scope of things (millions of massages per year) that's not a lot. You can find 200 people that claim the world is flat if you really wanted to. I'm curious why your expending so much energy finding others to help you negate the benefits of massage and alternative treatments instead of trying to heal your pain. Bottom line: if it doesn't work for you - move on man!

Good Luck!

LMT's are the cause of their own problems, and the industry has taken advantage of that and they know they will forever be able to do so cause there will always be someone whose willing to work for peanuts. Fact is what this profession needs is some serious oversight and regulation, usually I'm not for goverment or types of controls, opting more often for people to sort out their own stuff, but in LMT's cases we've shown our concerns are for money and not the patients or clients were working on.

The LMT profession could really use a Union imagine if all LMT's across the US could unite and come together and agree on many of the core issues, pay, benefits, educations, etc not only would our field then flourish, we'd all have a heck of a lot more job opps.

mel3aa in Chicago, Illinois said: I am very surprised to find so much negativity about Massage Therapy on this forum. I am 2 months into a clinical massage therapy program in Chicago and I am loving it. From what I have heard (up until i came across this forum) that there are so many job opportunities, it's such a rewarding career, massage therapists love their jobs, etc. Now I am hearing completely the opposite. Maybe these people don't have the right outlook on the profession, got into it for the wrong reasons in the first place, did not go to a good school??? Anyone who has some POSITIVE stories about the Massage field I would love to hear!! Thank you!

The reason your hearing so many negative comments is due to the economy for one, second LMT's haven't had much of a job prospectus over the years. Its only in recent years that LMT's have begun to see our career field enter new realms such as healthcare. I am of the opinion that once the healthcare industry fully embraces MT as one of it's practices and equals then we will see a huge up tick in jobs, and people moving to LMT's for treatment.

Right now though LMT's are our own worst enemies, to many worry about what someone else is charging or about a new massage chain opening up, thus offering MT at a discounted rate. The only question I have is whose the massage nazy that sets the rates and price range for all LMTs? I for one think it's foolish to charge such a high rate that the avg person would have to save a days pay just to come see me, therfore only seeing me every blue moon forcing me to beat the bushes for business, I'd rather charge a reasonable rate and stay booked and not worry about when or if my bills will be paid, or having to have a 2nd job to make ends meet.

I don't know call me stupid it just makes more sense to me to go w/ the flow, cause once the medical field opens it's arms it will drive down prices anyways so you might as well get on board now.

For Jim - it is unfortunate that massage therapy didn't help you ... it is a great therapy, but doesn't work for everyone, and any ethical therapist would tell you as such if they were treating you and you didn't see any progress.

I stand by what my chiropractor told me when I graduated, and that is "massage will help about 80% of clients to a degree, 10% will get completely better, and the remaining 10% won't benefit at all." I hope that you find what works for you, and that you continue on your road to recovery, with or without massage therapy.

For DocMac22 - in Canada the medical profession has pretty much opened its arms to massage therapy, though our services are not covered by our health care system, we receive tons of referrals from physicians and other professionals. I am still busy even though I charge the standard rate in my city of $80.00/hour (though I take a lot less home) - I know that massage therapy services are worth it because of our profession's education, training and skill.

Unfortunately, in my neck of the woods, you get what you pay for, and if you only want to pay a bargain price, you're not going to get much in the way of service or treatment. And, these bargain places are now in hot water for hurting clients because of not taking health history information and for fraudulent billing.

Personally, I think that everyone within an association should have to charge within an acceptable range of prices, with therapists able to use their discretion if a client has financial concerns. I also think that a union would ensure that therapists are on board with certain standards, and that businesses with no vested interest in Massage Therapy (except to profit from it) can't take advantage of therapists by overworking and underpaying. This is why turnover is so high in some of these places. On the other hand, it has been noted among my peer group that therapists who lack skill often can't make a living by charging less, and therapists who are gifted can charge considerably more. In that respect, the playing field is leveled out ... without government or union intervention.

I guess that's my two cents worth for today.

I hear what Jim is saying and I agree. Therapists don't listen because the truth threatens their earning potential. Fusion, you may have 12,000 positive stories about massage but they stand up to scientific scrutiny like the rest. Massage has not been shown to heal any condition. Some people like massages, yes. But most pain conditions heal themselves given enough time. People mistakenly believe a treatment healed their pain when in fact it would have disappeared without it. That fact has been proven over and over. Therapists fall into the same belief trap.

My ethical problem with taking money for massage is this: Clients look to us for relaxation and healing, instead of trusting their bodies own abilities to heal themselves. Our industry promotes it. We could be instead educating our clients on techniques they can do for themselves that promote their own healing, without depending on someone else. It's like the old snake oil sellers who take money for bottles of potions that don't do a thing unless the purchaser believes in it. We have an ethical responsibility to inform our client of this fact. I have started informing my clients of this fact. Do you?

Mari in Portland, Oregon said: Sorry, no positive stories here. I hate it, and everyone I know either tolerates it or wants out. That's just the way it is for most people who try it. Half of all students don't become licensed, and 80% of the rest quit within 5-7 years. There's a reason that 90% of all people who go to massage school leave the profession. It's awful.

I believe that you are incorrect on your percentage of how many people who go to massage school leave the profession. Did you even do any research on this. What I have seen is that those who leave are young people who got into the field because they thought it was an easy way to make a lot of money and you don't have to go to school for long to get certified. You have to love the work to be a good massage therapist and you don't get into it for the money. One of the rewards of your work is you improve people health and well being. People are happy to see you and feel great when they leave. If you know your stuff and do a good job you are tipped well for your services. I have seen many young therapists who are just not into it. You do have to work hard and so many young people do not want to. They can also not want or like to work on certain types of people, you cannot be like that. Those who have left the field do not belong in it and I am sure they were not good massage therapist. There are too many bad therapists out there anyway. I am sure you are too young to know and appreciate this profession.

KelticKell in New Holland, Pennsylvania said: Just curious about what you mean by leech of others to make a profit? Do you mean working for a spa that charges a lot and then giving bad massages?

Speaking of burnout...
As far as body mechanics and massage go, I have been told that mie are a mess, my massages are good but my teacher is on me about stance constantly-any suggestions?

Just Confused & I am learning a lot from this forum.

Thank you!

You have to use your legs such as in lunges and squats and keep your back straight. Never hunch over your client, you will kill your back. Body mechanics are one of the most important issues in keeping your body healthy while massaging. Your strength comes from your legs especially when you are doing deep tissue. Also learn to use your elbows and forearms for deep tissue work, this will save your thumbs. You should warm your body up a bit, run in place for a couple of minutes and them stretch before massaging a client. This will keep you flexible and can prevent injury to yourself. Massage is very physical and if you don't use proper body mechanics you will be in pain and get burned out. I am 54 yrs. old and have to have excellent body mechanics so I won't have any pain after a long day at work. If you need any other tips please let me know. I have done many couple massages and worked with young massage therapist who have poor poor body mechanics and they are always hurting themselve to the point they cannot work for a few days and have to go to the doctors. Don't let this happen to you. You must take care of your own body for your sake as well as the clients in order to give a good massage. Good luck and I hope this has helped you. Linda,LMT

Turning leaf in Cambridge, Massachusetts said: I hear what Jim is saying and I agree. Therapists don't listen because the truth threatens their earning potential. Fusion, you may have 12,000 positive stories about massage but they stand up to scientific scrutiny like the rest. Massage has not been shown to heal any condition. Some people like massages, yes. But most pain conditions heal themselves given enough time. People mistakenly believe a treatment healed their pain when in fact it would have disappeared without it. That fact has been proven over and over. Therapists fall into the same belief trap.

My ethical problem with taking money for massage is this: Clients look to us for relaxation and healing, instead of trusting their bodies own abilities to heal themselves. Our industry promotes it. We could be instead educating our clients on techniques they can do for themselves that promote their own healing, without depending on someone else. It's like the old snake oil sellers who take money for bottles of potions that don't do a thing unless the purchaser believes in it. We have an ethical responsibility to inform our client of this fact. I have started informing my clients of this fact. Do you?

You have to realize while your body can heal itself massage will promote you to heal faster. Come on, how many clients and maybe even yourself have felt better after a good massage. I always send my clients home with self care information. I give them copies of stretches for their bodies and inform them how important it is for the body to be flexible. I inform them what to use for imflamation or and tight muscles. I share all my knowledge with my clients to keep their bodies injury free and healthy. Any good therapist does the same. I for one always have.Massage is not like the old snake oil and if you believe that then you should not be in this profession. Have you ever read any of the scientific research on massage? Hospitals & clinics employ us to

ABZ129 in Las Vegas, Nevada said: I heard the same lies before I was suckered into working at ME the first miserable year after school...LIES, ALL LIES! ME DOES USE THERAPISTS!
Clients dont tip like they should...if they did it would cost as much as going to a decent spa...YOU ONLY MAKE ABOUT $28,000 A YEAR TOTAL IF YOU WORK FULL TIME...INCLUDING TIP...ONLY IF YOU LET THEM WORK YOU LIKE A WORTHLESS DONKEY.
It was such a joke...we went around making hee-haw noises until the owner forced us to quit...Then I quit...
How can you even stand to look at yourself in the mirror, lying slave driver?

I totally agree with you. They also do not allow you to use any tools that could help save on your thumbs and hands. All they care about is the money you can make them and don't not care one bit about your health or well being. To them therapist come a dime a dozen and if they burn you out they can always find another sucker to work as a slave for them! They give you a set schedule and say you'll be paid a that of a lesser amount when you don't have a client but if that is at the beginning of your shift or at the end they have you come in later or tell you to leave early. Now if you want to leave early one day because you have nothing booked yet for the end of the day they won't let you if other therapist has an opening. It's a double standard. I even heard an owner of ME say the therapist are all a bunch of whiners. This was said because one girl hurt herself because of being overworked doing deep tissue. No, that don't really give a rat's about their therapist, however they do care about the front desk people because they shove memberships down the clients throat. They don't really care about the clients either, only their money. I would not recommend anyone working for a franchise, ME or Elements.

Limey in Maidenhead, United Kingdom said: Again how are MTs supposed to make a living if they give their services away? I'm all for volunteer work but massage is too hard on my body to give it away for free.

Well, you do have to take very good care of your body in this profession. You need to have excellent body mechanics while massaging and make sure you always stretch to stay flexible and get massages as much as you can. Volunteering can bring you new clientle. I am 56 and I do some volunteer, I keep in shape, have excellent body mechanics and am very flexible. You will not have a problem with volunteering your services on occassion if you take care of yourself. Some people just don't want to give their services away for free. To eaches own!

Fact is and the numbers are correct over 90% of those who enter Massage as a profession never end up practicing.

Though I see that changing in the next decade as more medical facilities are employing therapists and it's becoming more widely accepted as a way to care for one self and not just a perk.

In my area, it seems like about 80% of my former students started to practice after graduation, though the burnout rate is quite high within 3-5 years. Of the students who didn't end up practicing, it came as no surprise to me that they didn't, you could tell they just weren't into the job.

I do think that as more medical practices in the US start employing therapists that more people will stick with the profession, at least I hope the good ones stay.

To add to your comment about your students stayin in the profession during my program we had a business instructor who gave us the #'s which were put out by the National board that over 90+ percent never end up practicing.

Massage schools are part of the problem as well they only look at their bottom line. Like most college programs part of the acceptance into a particular field of study is an intervie process which helps then decide if someone is cut out for the field or not.

I've been to 3 diff massage schools trying to get enough hours so I can practice in any state, and each of those programs just allow anyone that pays. The current one I'm in now has half the class when asked why they chose massage all said they thought it was either easy or they didn't really know why they picked Massage school, that made me angry caus I know all will be out the field w/ in a year. Plus there were to many 18-20yr olds they have no idea what they want to do yet.

that's why i've previously stated LMT's are our own worst enemies. We want to tout were a professional field but yet we do everything w/ in our powere to prove otherwise. We want to be let into the med field but our schools are very weak and not intensive enough.

I have to say, I agree with this. Anyone who pays can attend school. I also find it odd that our teacher is not a teacher but a massage therapist with a sucessful practice. I respect his sucess in the field but he does not have ANY teaching credentials but has been teaching massage school for 5 years.

Kell in New Holland, Pennsylvania said: I have to say, I agree with this. Anyone who pays can attend school. I also find it odd that our teacher is not a teacher but a massage therapist with a sucessful practice. I respect his sucess in the field but he does not have ANY teaching credentials but has been teaching massage school for 5 years.

No they apparently don't have to have any creditials to teach massage except to be a massage therapist for a certain amount of time I am sure. I believe if they are a good teacher and massage therapist it doesn't really matter. You could get a teacher with creditials but not a very good massage therapist or teacher for that matter. So does it even make a diferrence? If it does then people should check the teachers out a the school they plan to attend before signing up I would say.

How about a teacher who was qualified to teach Anatomy and Physiology and/or Excercise Science and studies Massage as well.I don't see how that could be a bad thing. The maybe have the Massage Therapist help with the actual Massage Part. To me, that would make more sense.
Have you ever had the luxury of having a REALLY good teacher? The person I was answering said that he wants people to take Massage Therapy seriously. How about having us attend a real school, with real teachers, that might be a start! Then we wouldn't have the influx of the "get rich quick" 20 year olds clogging up the profession.

I hate to say this, but massage is still pretty much a joke in most parts of the US. Every now and then, I get clients that appreciate the skill or temporary pain relief and make me feel proud to be a therapist. But that does NOT happen often. Here, in northern Florida, most massage therapists practice prostitution (especially, during this recession). I have tried advertising in so many different ways, yet I still get the "Johns on the prowl". They don't even believe me when I say I don't offer "sensual or sexual" massage. They simply respond with "Well, I'm not a police officer". And, no, I'm not young and stupid. I am in my mid-30s and been dealing with this for 8 freakin' years!

So, I advise men and women to really consider all of your options before choosing such a career that sends MOST of it's graduates on a path to ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE!!!

Kell in New Holland, Pennsylvania said: How about a teacher who was qualified to teach Anatomy and Physiology and/or Excercise Science and studies Massage as well.I don't see how that could be a bad thing. The maybe have the Massage Therapist help with the actual Massage Part. To me, that would make more sense.
Have you ever had the luxury of having a REALLY good teacher? The person I was answering said that he wants people to take Massage Therapy seriously. How about having us attend a real school, with real teachers, that might be a start! Then we wouldn't have the influx of the "get rich quick" 20 year olds clogging up the profession.

I went to an acredited school for massage. This shcool has it's pros and cons as just about any shcool does, however I consider it a real school. These are trade schools not colleges if you wanted to go to college you should have for something else. You have to realize that if these schools became acutal colleges you would be paying far more for your education in this field and we all know we aren't going to get rich with this profession. You have to have your eyes wide open if you plan on being a massage therapist. Yes I had some fantastic teachers at my school who were great Anatomy, Physiology and massage teachers. A school would have to pay far more for all their teachers to be OFC certified and so would you. I don't know about you but I have school loans and as it's going to take me forever to pay them off. I am 56 years old and I am proud of my profession and I cannot be bothered by what some ignorant people may think about it. I love my work and couldn't be happier. I won't get rich but that is not my goal, I'm just happy to love what I do. I insist on keeping a positive outlook on my work and life in general. Most young people don't make it in this field because they aren't serious, some are looking for an easy way to make money and don't like to work hard, but it's not easy.You get what you put into it.

BrittShiv in Yulee, Florida said: I hate to say this, but massage is still pretty much a joke in most parts of the US. Every now and then, I get clients that appreciate the skill or temporary pain relief and make me feel proud to be a therapist. But that does NOT happen often. Here, in northern Florida, most massage therapists practice prostitution (especially, during this recession). I have tried advertising in so many different ways, yet I still get the "Johns on the prowl". They don't even believe me when I say I don't offer "sensual or sexual" massage. They simply respond with "Well, I'm not a police officer". And, no, I'm not young and stupid. I am in my mid-30s and been dealing with this for 8 freakin' years!

So, I advise men and women to really consider all of your options before choosing such a career that sends MOST of it's graduates on a path to ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE!!!

I am 56 years old and still have been propositioned by perverts also. However I get rid of them very quickly and always handle the sitiuation well. I will not allow the perverts get to me and ruin my love of the profession. I don't know what your goals are in this profession but you really need a positive attitude to succeed in anything you do! Focus on the positive and you'll be surprised how much better you'll do. This profession has it's own rewards you just have to appreciate them. I don't believe this profession is a path to nowhere. Don't look to others for appreciation find it within yourself. Appreciate the skills you have acquired to help heal people and make them feel better. You cannot not let others affect you in such a negative way and then spread that negativity to others. Maybe it's time you find something else to do with your life. Maybe where you live it's unindated with perverts but it's not as bad throughout the whole country. In every profession you'll have to deal types u would rather not,unfortunately ours are perverts!