Massage therapists often become experts in several massage modalities, all of which require unique techniques. These different modalities allow the massage therapists to attract more clients, customize therapy to clients' needs, and keep their day-to-day practice interesting.

Versatility also makes a therapist more attractive to employers. An increasing number of massage clinics, spas, and health care environments are looking for massage therapists. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report and U.S. News and World Report, massage therapist was ranked #53 in "100 Best Jobs" and #21 in "Best Healthcare Jobs". Projected employment growth between 2010 and 2020 is 20.1 percent.

So, it pays to diversify.

There are about 80 massage therapy styles to choose among, offering relaxation, relief, or healing. According to an American Massage Therapy Association survey, massage therapists offer an average of seven modalities.

Here are some of the more popular modalities.

Swedish Massage

The most common type of massage, involving effleurage, petrissage, friction, and tapotement on the topmost layers of muscles. Swedish massage relieves muscle tension and is relaxing and energizing. Aesthetic VideoSource offers a beautifully filmed, instructional DVD on this modality: Essentials of Swedish Massage. This award-winning DVD features Meade Steadman, a Jumozy instructor.

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage techniques apply pressure to deeper layers of muscle, tendons, and other tissues, to address chronically tense and contracted areas. The techniques are designed to release muscle and adhesions, increase range of motion, reset muscle memory, and reduce primary and secondary distortions. Aesthetic VideoSource has three comprehensive, instructional DVDs on this modality, for Deep Tissue Massage: Extremities, Pelvic Girdle, and Shoulder Girdle, all featuring Meade Steadman.

Chair Massage

The portability of chair massage accounts for its popularity among therapists as well as clients who seek it out at malls or conferences for a moment's reprieve. Chair massage allows practitioners to reach people beyond the spa or simply to avoid fixed overhead costs. Therapists can also incorporate whatever modality they prefer. Jumozy offers a comprehensive course on this modality, Full Body Chair Massage, which includes sections on different chairs, tools and setup, dealing with business attire, and marketing.

Thai Massage

Thai massage involves positioning the body into different therapeutic postures, stretching, compressing muscles, mobilizing joints, and acupressure. It addresses balance and structural corrections. Thai massage is a healing science that has been practiced thousands of years. The top recognized master of this modality outside of Thailand is Dr. Anthony James, CMT, ND, MDAM. His professional development and certification programs have set the standards in the U.S. He is also the instructor in the four-part The Ultimate Thai Massage Video instructional DVD series for the mat and table, produced by Aesthetic VideoSource.

Stone Massage

With stone massage, smooth stones are incorporated into a massage or placed on the body to provide the benefits of their inherent healing properties, as well as to apply heat or cold. Incorporating stones as massage tools is also easier on the therapist. Stones minimize injury to the hands, wrists, and elbows, and make the work less exhausting. Stone massage is also good for the bottom line and a way to personalize a massage and to differentiate a therapist's offerings. Jumozy offers Full Body Stone Massage, a comprehensive course that covers all aspects of this modality.

Reflexology

Reflexology applies pressure to reflexes on the hands or feet that are connected to various parts of the body. This pressure stimulates those body parts, as well as improves lymphatic drainage and circulation in the hands/feet, relaxing muscles and stimulating nerve connections. Jumozy offers two comprehensive reflexology courses, Comprehensive Reflexology for the Foot and Comprehensive Reflexology for the Hand as well as seven shorter reflexology courses focused on specific health complaints.

Pregnancy Massage,

Expectant moms experience unique physical and emotional changes that occur as a result of increased weight, shifting posture, and adjusting hormone levels. The soothing essence of massage can allow pregnant moms to unwind during this time.  It can also alleviate the resulting discomfort and other pregnancy-related symptoms. In Aesthetic VideoSource's Nurturing Pregnancy Massage Techniques I and Nurturing Pregnancy Massage Techniques II,  Meade Steadman demonstrates step-by-step how to provide therapeutic massage techniques that focus on the special needs of the mother to be as she goes through the different trimesters.

If you're a massage therapist interested in new modalities, the go-to instructor is Meade Steadman. A professional instructor and practicing LMT, Meade is the instructor of many Jumozy courses. He provides clear, engaging instruction and easy-to-follow steps in all his courses.

Meade Steadman is an instructor for the Myotherapy College of Utah and the Myotherapy Institute of Massage. In the classroom, he has taught Swedish, Sports, Acutherapy, Tai Chi, Hydrotherapy, Reflexology, Infant Massage, Pregnancy Massage, Contraindications, Chair Massage, Geriatric Massage, Specialized Spa Techniques, and Therapeutic Principles. He is also the featured expert in many award-winning instructional videos (produced by Aesthetic VideoSource) on various massage modalities.

Since 1996, he has owned and managed Tranquil Touch™ LLC in Salt Lake City, UT. He has been a guest lecturer at the University of Utah, and has published in A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology (4th Edition) and Massage and BodyWork Magazine.

Meade instructs and provides video demonstrations in the following Jumozy courses:

• Comprehensive Reflexology: The Foot
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Most individual state regulatory boards require continuing education for massage therapists to renew licensing. CE requirements vary by state.

Our massage therapy courses are valid in most states, either as an NCBTMB Approved Provider or as approved by the state board. You can check the licensing requirements for your state here, but always double check with your state regulatory board for information (in case there have been any changes) and city and county authorities as to local regulations. You are responsible for knowing the laws that apply to you.

The list of states requiring is growing. As of July 1, 2013, new Idaho requirements for licensing and continuing education go into effect.

For the few “hold outs,” the local legislatures periodically consider regulation. For example, in February, the Kansas legislature debated House Bill 2186 that would have set minimum training requirements and mandated licensing. However, it appears that bill did not pass.

Click on your state below to learn more about its CE requirements, if any:

Increasingly, more states and Canadian provinces are requiring massage therapists to take a minimum number of continuing education (CE) hours to maintain licensure. Professional organizations, such as the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) and American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), often require CE’s to maintain membership standing and organizational endorsement.

On one level, these requirements may seem yet another item on the ever-growing “to do” list: more hoops to jump, when you’re already busy with your practice and personal life. Are CE requirements just another bureaucratic layer, complicating your life?  Or is continuing education important?

According to the 2012 data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, there is a correlation with education to income. The more education you have, the more money you’re likely to make. That’s good motivation right there.

But I already graduated from a massage training program, you say. True, but education doesn’t stop there.  There are good reasons why.

Continuing education allows you to:

• Learn new modalities and techniques
• Expand your menu of service offerings
• Attract more clients and grow your business
• Grow your career opportunities
• Be more valuable to employers
• Stand out from the competition
• Customize your techniques to meet a client’s needs
• Stay current with the latest developments in massage therapy
• Fill in gaps in basic massage therapy training
• Provide clients with the best possible experience
• Increase your income
• Maintain licensure

Requirements vary for different state/province accrediting agencies and professional organizations. Requirements usually allow for learning new modalities and techniques. They may also cover business practices (such as record keeping and business management) for starting and maintain your practice, ethics and CPR, to aromatherapy, if incorporated into your practice.

https://www.jumozy.com/faq/state-requirements

Jumozy proudly announces its accreditation by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). As an Approved Provider, our clients can now receive continuing education (CE) credits for online courses incorporating footage from our award-winning videos.

Everyone agrees continuing education is critical. Jumozy, a division of Salon Channel, Inc. provides working professionals the means to learn new and advanced techniques, grow business opportunities, and tailor treatments to their clients’ needs. “Our mission since 1994 is to bring the classroom to our clients, on their schedule, at their convenience,” says Shirley Erickson Gorospe, president of Salon Channel, Inc. “With NCBTMB certification, our clients can now earn continuing education credits as well as learn new approaches and techniques.”