Massage Therapy

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Recommended: A career in massage therapy essay

Massage therapists are trained to understand the body and must be able to apply the appropriate techniques needed to meet patients needs. This course of employment is fitting for someone who has good listening attributions and is able to understand the complexity of systems in the human body. Massage therapy has an allure for many as a result of flexible hours, a variety of customers, and the opportunity for self-employment. When done professionally, massage therapy can aid the body in proper healing. It was held in high value by the ancient Chinese.
Predating most of todays healing arts, the first known therapeutic therapy is from over 4,000 years ago. Dating back to as late as 2,700 B.C.E., “It [massage therapy] was first recorded as a therapeutic technique in the ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine treatise, The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine.” (Massage Therapist) Until the 1900s, massage therapy was not formally accepted as a healing art. Over the course of thousands of years the complexity of massage evolved and, in todays world massage therapy has been taken to a completely new level. With the integration of many techniques, practitioners are better able to meet the different health demands and needs of the population.
Therapy is meant to apply “focused, hands-on techniques to promote relaxation and increase circulation in the body’s soft tissues.” (Massage Therapist) The average amount of hands-on work is calculated at a fifteen hour work week. This fifteen hours does not, however, take into consideration the time that must be diligently spent on keeping records, scheduling, marketing or amassing the necessary supplies. In their work, massage therapists, sometimes called “body workers,” can perfor...

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...t all relaxation. It is physically demanding of the therapist and there are a few health risks involved with the overuse of hands and arms. A career of such complexity should not be taken lightly. Much motivation and manual dexterity is required. Massage therapy is becoming a very respected substitute to the medicine of todays world. Many people are becoming weary of seeing their physicians and of taking the prescribed medications that have horrible side effects. Massage Therapy is a rising career in today’s economy and will continue to rise in popularity and demand.

Works Cited

“Massage Therapist” http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/86/Massage_Therapist 18 November 2013

“Industry Fact Sheet” http://www.amtamassage.org/infocenter/economic_industry-fact-sheet.html#MTcareer 9 December 2013

Occupational Guidance [United States] Finney Company 2004

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