Whether you are a certified massage therapist or an individual thinking about starting a new career, when seeking massage therapy continuing education, you should make sure that you are taking courses that are recognized by reputable professional organizations. The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) in the United States, for example, approves certain courses. They also provide resources for individuals who are choosing courses in massage therapy. Even in areas where you are not required by law to have massage therapy certification, this credential can be important when it comes to attracting clients.
Massage therapy is a practice that uses touch to ease pain, improve flexibility, and decrease joint stiffness. This kind of therapy is used by people who suffer from stress, who have recurring back pain, and who have circulation problems. Massage therapists are encouraged and often required to engage in massage therapy continuing education throughout the duration of their careers.
When you are looking for massage therapy continuing education, you should consider what would work best for your lifestyle. For example, if you work each weekday, you might want to consider courses that are held on evenings or weekends. If this is the route you decide to take, then you also should make sure that classes are easy for you to attend. If you have to travel too far after a day of work, you might be tempted to skip classes.
The teaching style of an instructor can impact your experience in massage therapy continuing education. For example, if you are the kind of person who likes to figure things out for yourself, you will probably want to take courses with an instructor who enables students to perform independent research. It can be hard to know about an instructor's style prior to taking courses with him or her. By reading a course syllabus and perhaps even sitting in on a class, you might get a sense of how he or she teaches.
For people with busy schedules, online courses might seem to be the best choice because they often offer the most flexible schedules and are the least expensive. Internet courses might be ideal for learning terminology and principles. When it comes to hands-on experience, however, you need to study in a traditional massage therapy classroom with a trained instructor. It is common, however, to find massage therapy continuing education that enables students to take some courses online and some on-campus.
