9781422274910

CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL

PROVIDING RELIEF & RELAXATION MASSAGE THERAPIST

CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL

MASSAGE THERAPIST PROVIDING RELIEF & RELAXATION

CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL

CAR MECHANIC CHEF COSMETOLOGIST DOG GROOMER MASSAGE THERAPIST FARMER THE ARTS _________ PRESENTING YOURSELF

CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL

MASSAGE THERAPIST PROVIDING RELIEF & RELAXATION

Connor Syrewicz and Andrew Morkes

MASON CREST PHILADELPHIA MIAMI

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D Broomall, Pennsylvania 19008 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free) www.masoncrest.com

Copyright © 2020 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-4327-5

ISBN (series) 978-1-4222-4319-0 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-7491-0 Cataloging in Publication Data on file with the publisher.

Developed and Produced by National Highlights, Inc. Editor: Andrew Gance Interior and cover design: Jana Rade, impact studios Interior layout: Tara Raymo, CreativelyTara

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: The Benefits of Massage 7 CHAPTER 2: What Do Massage Therapists Do? 19 CHAPTER 3: Terms of the Trade 32 CHAPTER 4: Preparing for the Field and Making a Living 37 CHAPTER 5: Key Skills and Methods of Exploration 55 CHAPTER 6: Looking to the Future 65 Series Glossary of Key Terms 72 Further Reading & Internet Resources 75 Educational Video Links 76 Index 77 Author Biographies and Photo Credits 80

KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR:

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills.

SIDEBARS: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more! TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. RESEARCH PROJECTS: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. SERIES GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

fibromyalgia: widespread musculoskeletal pain that is accom- panied by fatigue, difficulty in sleeping, and other issues licensed: officially given permission by the government to practice in an occupation noninvasive medicine: a medical procedure or treatment that does not require an incision into the body rehabilitative: helping to restore to good condition spa: a business that is focused on health, relaxation, and beauty treatments, including massages and facials

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CHAPTER 1

THE BENEFITS OF MASSAGE

THE POWER OF MASSAGE THERAPY Anyone who has ever had a sore back can tell you how wonderful a massage feels. Massages can be very relaxing, but that is far from their only purpose. Some people need them for medical reasons. One formof massage therapy can help heal a serious injury, while other types can relieve stress. “It’s a profession in which I can help people,” Karen Spoolman explains. “Being a massage therapist is rewarding to me because I know I’m helping people. I’mmaking a real difference in their lives.” A massage therapist is someone who uses physical touch to manipulate the soft muscles under the skin. Common areas to have massaged are the

The Benefits of Massage 7

A massage room in a spa.

back, neck, shoulders, and legs. You may have heard someone talk about a torn, pulled, or sore muscle. An experienced massage therapist can help fix all these problems through multiple sessions of therapy (treatments that seek to relieve or heal an injury or other medical condition). Massage therapists work in many places, including spas , hospitals, medical offices, and fitness centers. Some even go to the homes or businesses of their clients to provide services. Some massage therapists use only their hands, while others might also use their elbows and feet. Still others use massage stick rollers, heated stones, ultrasound technology, and therapeutic lasers in their work. Heat, lotion, or oil may be used to make the massage even more effective. How each client is treated depends entirely on why they are getting the massage. As a licensed massage therapist with about twelve years of experience, Karen has learned plenty of different techniques. “The way you treat a sports injury is different

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MASSAGE THERAPIST

from how you treat an elderly patient with back problems,” she explains. “A goodmassage therapist needs to know the difference or someone can get hurt.” Although all massage therapists should know a little bit about every type of massage, some choose to specialize in a certain area. Karen, for example, is a rehabilitative massage therapist . She mostly works with patients who need massage therapy to help treat injuries. For example, a person who has been in a car crash might have whiplash—a muscular injury in the neck—and a special type of massage therapy will help heal this injury over time.

THE BENEFITS OF MASSAGE THERAPY

The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) reports that massage therapy has been medically proven to be effective for the following purposes: • Reducing cancer-related fatigue • Reducing low-back pain • Reducing symptoms associated with osteoarthritis of the knee • Reducing postoperative pain • Boosting the functioning of the body’s immune system • Decreasing the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the hands)

• Lowering high blood pressure • Reducing headache frequency

• Easing alcohol withdrawal symptoms • Decreasing pain in cancer patients • Reducing side effects of fibromyalgia

The Benefits of Massage 9

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

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feedback (thoughts on what they feel). “I’m not a doctor,” Karen says, “but I do sometimes feel like one. I have to be pretty thorough with what I know about a patient. I ask a lot of questions, and I take a lot of notes. By taking a patient’s [medical] history and discussing what he or she wants out of therapy, we can both decide what type of therapy is best.” Some of the firstmedical professionals to performa type of massage therapy were doctors. In the 1800s, doctors began to recognize that massage therapy helped a patient heal after an injury. Many injured patients were told to use some form of massage therapy in addition to other forms of physical therapy.

Acupressure is a popular form of massage therapy.

The Benefits of Massage 11

It wasn’t until the 1900s that massage therapy became respected as its own field. Schools began to open that trained massage therapists in how to perform massages effectively and safely. Today, massage therapists must pass a test in order to become licensed. “The test isn’t easy,” Karen explains. “It makes sense

MODALITIES

What do you imagine when you think of a massage? The truth is not all are the same. In fact, some types don’t even involve the massage therapist physically touching the body at all! Massages are sometimes named after their place of origin. For example, the Swedish massage was devel- oped in Sweden and involves kneading the muscles and rubbing them in long strokes

Hot-stone massage is just one type of therapy modality.

and circular motions. A hot-stone massage is named after the stones that are used to rub against the body, and they may be heated or cooled to enhance the experience. The premise behind hot-stone massage therapy is that the direct heat of the stones relaxes muscles, allowing the therapist access to deeper muscle layers. Depending on whom you ask, there are almost fifty different types, or modalities, of massage. If you ever go to a massage therapist, be sure to ask which modal- ities they are trained in, or check their website before your visit. You may be advised to find a therapist who can perform a specific modality for your needs.

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that it wouldn’t be, really, if you think about it. After all, you’ll be working on living human beings. You need to be able to prove you’re capable of doing the job, that you won’t hurt people instead of help them.” Each year, new techniques inmassage therapy are designed and discussed. “The human body is a very interesting thing,” Karen says. “Even though we know so much about it, there’s always more to learn. Over the years, we’ve learned that some forms of therapy work better than others. So massage therapy is always improving.” DECIDING TO BECOME A MASSAGE THERAPIST For Justin Harns, amassage therapist with twelve years of experience, choosing this career was a very personal decision. “When I was a teenager, I broke my ankle and couldn’t walk on it for several months while it was in a cast. After the cast was taken off, I needed to go to a physical therapist to strengthen the muscles that hadn’t been used.” Part of Justin’s physical therapy was seeing a massage therapist. From that point on, Justin knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. “I wanted to help other injured people get better,” he says. Justin started preparing to be a massage therapist while he was still in high school. He took every biology class he could to learn about human anatomy and physiology. He practiced giving his friends and family massages. Once Justin finally graduated, he immediately signed up for a training program to help himbecome amassage therapist. “In order to afford the classes, I had a part-time job at a gym that worked out well for me. I was able to learn even more about the human body while working.”

The Benefits of Massage 13

One way to learn more about massage therapy is to sign up for a session.

At the age of twenty, Justin completed training. Finding a job was easy for him because the field of massage therapy was growing at a fast rate. “I originally worked at a fitness center. I enjoyed my job, but I wasn’t paid as well as I would have liked. In order to earn the kind of pay I wanted to have, I would need to be more experienced.” Working at the fitness center allowed Justin to gain that experience. THE COLLEGE QUESTION “When I graduated from high school,” says Karen, “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be. I decided to wait to go to college.” For a student who already knows exactly what they want to do in life, earning a bachelor’s degree might be the right decision. However, college can be very expensive, and if you don’t know which degree you want to pursue, it can feel like a waste of money.

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