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Tips for Creating an Elevator Pitch for your Massage Therapy Work

2015-07-23T20:41:16-04:00July 23rd, 2015|

Having basic marketing skills is essential to expanding any massage therapy practice. Succinctly delivering an “elevator pitch” is a key practice for gaining new clients. An elevator pitch is a compelling introduction that is short enough to deliver while ascending or descending floors in an elevator. The idea here is to create a polished, interesting statement that draws in listeners. Then, you can hand each listener a card and mention your new client special before the elevator doors open to the destination floor. Of course, there are many occasions outside of elevators where this pitch will come in handy—networking events, dinner […]

Oregon Legislative Update: Senate Bill 298 Signed into Law, Increasing Instruction Hours for Oregon LMT Licensure

2015-07-16T20:40:43-04:00July 16th, 2015|

In June 2015, the Oregon legislature passed Senate Bill 298, a new law related to massage therapy. The primary purpose of the bill was to increase the number of certified class hours required for Oregon licensure from 500 to 625.

The legislature passed this requirement to increase “portability and reciprocity” of Oregon massage therapy licenses. Prior to bill 298, Oregon required relatively few educational hours for massage licensing. Some states required the same number of hours. For example, every massage school in Michigan must deliver 500 hours of instruction, as the state license requires this minimum. Likewise with many other states’ massage […]

Massage in Grade Schools: Could it Help Fight Bullying?

2015-07-09T20:40:04-04:00July 9th, 2015|

In our massage training school, we teach adults how to treat and heal patients of all ages. Like students in all west coast massage schools, East West College students typically begin their massage training after high school. However, the success of in-school programs across the globe suggests that primary students can enjoy many benefits from learning about and practicing massage. Schools around the world are using student-to-student massage programs to reduce bullying, improve peer relationships, and increase focus. Read on to learn how international organizations are bringing massage to schools.

Primary Massage Training: School Programs from Around the World

Massage in Schools

The Massage […]

The Benefits of Volunteering Your Massage Therapy Services

2015-06-04T20:25:37-04:00June 4th, 2015|

Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.” LMTs have many opportunities to volunteer, from providing hospice massage to providing massage therapy for homeless youths. But why would you want to practice your craft for free, when you can get paid for it? Well, that’s a totally legitimate question. Read on to discover some of the many benefits massage therapists can enjoy from volunteer work.

Portland Massage Therapy School’s Top Benefits of Volunteering:

Volunteering Zaps Stagnation.

Every profession includes boredom from […]

Reflexology: Intro to this Massage Modality

2015-05-28T20:24:07-04:00May 28th, 2015|

Reflexology is an ancient manual healing method in which acupressure points on the feet, hands, and/or ears are compressed to alleviate pain and treat medical problems. Although there is little academic evidence that reflexology treats specific medical conditions beyond a placebo response, this ancient practice has been relieving pain and other stress-related conditions for thousands of years. Remember, a placebo brings healing about half of the time; 1 out of every 2 patients on a placebo see positive health results. As in many CAM therapies, many accredited massage schools offer reflexology courses because this healing modality […]

Why and How to Create a Massage Client Referral Program

2015-05-21T20:22:04-04:00May 21st, 2015|

Do you feel like your massage therapy career has plateaued? Are you looking for new clients to bring fresh life to your practice? Consider establishing a client referral program. Referral programs allow benefits for both the client and the massage therapist. For the therapist, it is an opportunity to enhance one’s income while growing a client base. Referral programs can bring the massage therapist thousands of dollars in new business. For the client, it is an opportunity to receive discounted or free massages through referrals, and to accumulate more massages at a discounted rate.

Client […]

Tui Na: Introduction to this Modality

2015-04-24T22:49:06-04:00April 24th, 2015|

West coast massage schools including East West College offer instruction in a variety of massage modalities. To give our readers insight into different types of massage, we have written on trigger point therapy, cranio-sacral therapy, and Thai massage. Today we’re looking into Tui Na, a Chinese form of manipulative therapy.

Introducing Tui Na: Ancient Chinese Massage Therapy

Tui Na features some manual methods found Western massage styles, but adds acupressure to remove blockages in muscles and energy pathways (called Meridians in Chinese medicine). This massage approach dates back thousands of years to ancient China. It may be used in tandem with acupuncture and […]

Fun Facts About the Human Hand

2015-04-17T22:46:38-04:00April 17th, 2015|

Anyone who has ever given or received a massage can appreciate the importance of hands in massage therapy. Those attending massage schools, in Portland or elsewhere, can easily recognize that hands are the massage therapist’s most useful tool to convey healing and connection to the client. Our hands can transmit a variety of emotions. They can be used to love and nurture, to heal, and much more.

Indeed, University of California Berkeley research conducted under Dr. Dacher Keltner has found that humans can convey emotions through touch alone more than half the time. Kelter’s experiment separated participants by […]

Spring Cleaning: Tips for Keeping a Sparkling Clean Massage Space

2015-04-10T22:45:21-04:00April 10th, 2015|

Creating a clean and clear massage space might not be the first thing you learned in massage therapy training, but it is a vital aspect of your practice. Clients are subconsciously affected by your massage space. While they may not realize it, a clean, organized, peaceful room free of distractions goes a long way toward putting your clients in a relaxed state. Having a spotless treatment room should rank high on your list of priorities.
Feeling stuck on where to start? Add regular tidying to your appointment book, begin a quarterly deep cleaning practice, and follow these spring-cleaning tips!

De-clutter.

• Start in the […]

Massage Therapy Modalities: Trigger Point Therapy

2015-03-27T21:45:14-04:00March 27th, 2015|

Muscle pain is one of the most common medical complaints, whether it’s chronic low back pain, or sore muscles from working in the garden. In fact, according to a recent AMTA survey, 30% of respondents have used massage therapy for pain relief. When working with clients who experience pain, it’s helpful to have many different strategies for helping them recover. Trigger point work is often an effective way of decreasing or eliminating pain. Our massage school in Portland, Oregon offers trigger point therapy as an elective course in our 800-hour massage therapy program. In this blog, we’re introducing […]

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