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Medical Massage Certifications
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on
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How expensive are you talking about? And their are tons of medically orientated massage styles and modalities that dont cost an arm and leg in order to learn. Some of them are advertised on this site. I personally like to study from DVDs and books. An expensive book might cost anywhere from $75 to $200. DVDs about the same or less. Unless its a certification thats required in order for you to leagally do your work, I wouldn't bother.
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Permalink Reply by Carlos Maxwell on
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Thanks Gordon...I'm in Florida and the LMT success group offer a "medical massage cert" part of the course work is learning to read X-rays and MRIs and lots of info on billing insurance co.s for massage work. I am wanting to stay on the clinical side of MT work...I like this side of it. Ism just wondering if it's viable...course work is about$750
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Reading Xrays and MRIs, gawd.. NO NEED. I would suggest studying these two styles. If you learn both of them. There will be hardly anyone you cant cure or help dramatically.
One is www.myokinesthetic.com The other is www.britishsportstherapy.com You will fix people that have been to other professionals that can read MRIs and Xrays that could not help them. My suggestion only. Like Karate and Aikido. One is a hard style, the other, a soft style.
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Permalink Reply by Dawn Lewis on -
Hi Carlos - I will actually be teaching a medical massage technique course in FL the beginning of April. Let me know if you want more info.
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Hey Dawn...very interested please email me all the requisite info thank you
Dawn Lewis said:Hi Carlos - I will actually be teaching a medical massage technique course in FL the beginning of April. Let me know if you want more info.
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Permalink Reply by Dawn Lewis on
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I would love to Carlos, but I am not sure where to find your email. Can you email me at dawn_lewis@efullcircle.com? Then I can send you a description of the course, location, dates, etc.
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Permalink Reply by Neal Lyons on
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This is a great question that we get a lot. Massage is being accepted more and more now as a medical treatment, and many insurance companies are now allowing reimbursement for massage therapy. That said, many institutions started marketing their curriculum with a "medical massage" marketing approach. Is a medical massage curriculum truly that different? Is the certification truly worth that much more? This may be one that is more form over substance. Have a read at this article which may help explain and clarify the entire topic for you. We put this together after being flooded with so many similar questions like this.
http://www.massagetherapyschoolsinformation.com/medical-massage-the...
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Good morning Neal
Thank you so very much for the info... This has provided me with some great insight. I guess it comes to whether that specific piece of paper has potential to increase ones credentials thus possibly increasing potential revenue stream. I will have to look into the cost and course work...again thank you so very much
Carlos
Neal Lyons said:This is a great question that we get a lot. Massage is being accepted more and more now as a medical treatment, and many insurance companies are now allowing reimbursement for massage therapy. That said, many institutions started marketing their curriculum with a "medical massage" marketing approach. Is a medical massage curriculum truly that different? Is the certification truly worth that much more? This may be one that is more form over substance. Have a read at this article which may help explain and clarify the entire topic for you. We put this together after being flooded with so many similar questions like this.
http://www.massagetherapyschoolsinformation.com/medical-massage-the...
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You are most welcome Carlos. In our information/knowledge based society today, specialization (validated by credentials, letters, certs) goes a very long way
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Permalink Reply by Kay Warren on
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$750 isn't horrid. How long is the course? MRI & X-ray reading is very useful. I'm a medical & orthopedic massage therapist, and most of my clients have an extensive history of injuries or surgeries. I definitely want to see X-Rays or MRIs if they have them. Damage they don't even realize they have, that you need to work around, often shows up in an X-ray or MRI. One lady in particular asked if I could help her while we were with her and some other friends in public. I laid my hand gently on the back of her neck, NOTHING felt right. I said I wouldn't touch her without X-Rays. I was right. When I saw they X-Rays, I flatly refused to touch her until she had completely healed from the bone graft and fusion surgery they had planned, which could take anywhere from 6 months to 1 year. At 50 years old she had the most degenerated, fragile bone tissue I'd ever seen in an x-ray of anyone at any age. As medical therapists, we get people who have more potential to be damaged. Extra caution and training is definitely called for. I work with a DC, If I see something funny in an X-Ray or MRI, I consult with him to verify what I'm looking at, and to confirm my best course of action. Most X-Rays are pretty straight forward, but knowledge is always your best course of action and your best defense.
Courses I would recommend.... David Kent's anatomy class with cadavers. Go to FL and take Aaron Mattes' Active Isolated Stretching. Take Judith Walker Delaney's neuromuscular therapy series. Very high quality classes, and well worth the money, even if you don't choose to go the certification route. James Waslaski is also an excellent presenter.
On DVDs. Yes, they are in inexpensive way to get information. However, there is simply no substitute for a live class in this realm. Very often, someone taking the class has the condition that the class is about so you have a real patient rather than just a model on a TV screen. It is very useful to have TAs who use & practice it daily roaming around, helping you get it right. It is very useful to be partnered up with a live person, you can see what it feels like when something lets go. The instructor can answer your questions directly, with a live model who can give feedback. I use DVDs as a supplement, so I can go back over something for verification, but I always take the live class.
As for Certifications. Several people out there are offering certifications. When they put you on their practitioner list, they want you doing their stuff, so the public values their system. I have nearly 30 years in this field, and most of the people offering certification seem to want you to marry them. I have a lot of tools in my box, and good analytical skills. If I feel that another technique might better help my client, it's what I'm going to use. I'm not a purist in anyone's style. Back when they were offering a National Certification for Medical Massage, I took it. I'm not sure I'd do it again. Over the years, I've seen a lot of certifications come and go. I've seen a lot of styles and approaches come in & out of favor, and it leaves me jaded about going the certification route.
Now, that being said... If you decide to take Cranio-Sacral, take it from Upledger. They have top notch teachers, and there is often a study group nearby that will help you grow & develop your skill-set if you find yourself drawn to that kind of practice. If you are indeed drawn in that direction, Upledger certification is the only one worth having, but it's very specialized. They are very serious about their work, but they don't dis everybody else. There is no looking down your nose at other ideas and systems, and I respect that. Personally, I'm a deep tissue girl. It's difficult for me to "shift" on the fly into the state of being where you are most effective with Cranio-Sacral. But I'll tell you this, my respect for their work is immense, and should I ever break my wrists (again!) or have some other disability that severely limits my capacity to do the style of work I love, I'll shift over to Upledger's Cranio-Sacral, and Chickly's lymph drainage.
I know I've been really long-winded, but I hope this helps.
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