9781422274910

A massage therapist and instructor describes why she loves the field.

AN EVOLVING CAREER Muscle pain has existed for as long as humans have, somassage therapy in some form or another has actually been around since the dawn of recorded history. In fact, it’s one of the earliest forms of noninvasive medicine . The ancient Egyptians, for example, used hand and foot massages to promote health. The ancient Chinese used acupressure to improve health. Acupressure is the use of fingers, elbows, palms, feet, or special devices to apply pressure to meridians (or channels) in the body, which some believe if blocked, can cause illness or discomfort. And many early cultures believed that massages using herbs and oils could ease pain and help reduce stress. Today, we knowmassage therapy does both those things. Muscles can be very complex. Because a massage therapist cannot directly see howamassage affects themuscles, theymust rely completely on the patient’s

10 CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL: MASSAGE THERAPIST