For many people, a career in massage is a dream come true! Healing others, calm work environments, and flexible hours—what’s not to love? Well, without proper self-care, injury can strike, debilitating therapists. As a leading Pacific Northwest massage school, we are dedicated to supporting all aspects of the massage therapy profession, including injury prevention. As it turns out, therapists are especially prone to injuries in the hand, wrist, and forearm areas. That’s not too surprising, since these are some of the most commonly used tools at a therapist’s disposal. However, the prevalence of forearm, wrist, and hand pain may surprise you. [...]

Can a strong living be made from massage therapy? Absolutely, as robust economic numbers from the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) demonstrate. Below, we review the rosy figures from the AMTA, including market projections, labor rates, and projected career earnings. Drawing from government statistics, clinical studies, and surveys of Licensed Massage Therapists (LMTs) as well as consumers, the AMTA sought to deliver a big-picture review of the massage profession in their recent “Massage Therapy Industry Fact Sheet.” For students currently completing massage therapist schooling, the news is very positive indeed. LMTs already in the middle of their massage careers can also [...]

While becoming a sports massage therapist may seem glamorous—think of traveling with a team! Being on the sidelines! Celebrating wins with your massage clients! —the ins and outs of sports massage therapy can be challenging. Let’s take a look at the more difficult aspects of a job in sports therapy. We’ll also review the career rewards that successful sports therapists enjoy. Sports Massage Therapy: An Introduction Sports massage therapists provide massage to athletes at all levels, and many different venues. Some therapists work with a team throughout the season to keep athletes in top condition. Others may contract work for certain [...]

What is Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage? Literally, the word Ashiatsu translates to “foot pressure.” In this type of massage, therapists deliver strokes through their feet, rather than their hands. Traditionally, the therapist stands over the massage table, with parallel bars overhead for support. Using their feet as well as their body weight, the therapist delivers consistent, deep, broad pressure. Benefits of Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage --Deep pressure without pointy elbows or thumbs. The broad surface of the foot decreases the sharpness clients sometimes experience with deep tissue work. --More power. As this type of massage utilizes the therapist’s body weight, it allows for [...]

Couples massage consists of concurrent massage sessions given to two people in the same room, with two massage therapists working simultaneously. The massage tables are typically arranged side-by-side. Therapists may select to intensify the shared aspect of the experience by carrying out similar strokes at the same time. Long, soothing strokes, such as in Swedish massage, are perfect for this tandem relaxation. Couples massage may be offered in spas, private massage practices, or in clients’ homes. Read on to learn benefits of couples massage, as well as marketing, pricing, and space considerations. Client Benefits of Couples Massage --Bonding. During massage, feel-good [...]

Will you please introduce yourself? I'm Cammie Toloui. I've been a photographer for most of my life, doing work for publications and shooting weddings, family portraits and events. Around the time I was turning 40, I decided I needed a change and I chose to study massage. I graduated from East West from the 801-hour program in 2010 and immediately started working in the clinic at school and did that (in addition to starting my own practice) for about a year. I rented a room with one of my former classmates and built up my business for about 2 years and [...]