Nowadays, massage therapy is an extension of physical therapy and goes along with the same educational standards as any medical therapist would. Meeting the requirements of national, local and state certification requires individuals to approve stringent training courses in an assortment of related subjects.

Despite the fact that there are numerous accredited schools that offer a complete message therapy education, the selections will not be simple. The benefits, naturally will be the acceptance by other medical practitioners, respect and trust of your future patients and acknowledgment by health insurers.

The Training

Over half of the states regulate the practice of massage. The requirements of the state all vary. Every one of them require at a minimum 500 hours of training as well as education and several require even more than that. There are some states that require national certification prior to a therapist being able to apply for state recognition. The national level of certification also requires at a minimum 500 hours of training in massage therapy education in an accredited school.

There must be included in the training at least 125 hours of physiology and anatomy, 200 hours of massage and/or bodywork application as well as theory, 40 hours of pathology, 10 hours of ethics as well as business and at a minimum 125 hours of related coursework. A practitioner with 500 hours of experience and training as well as knowledge of the required areas can also submit for review a personal portfolio of examination.

The national certification exam has a minimum of 160 questions that covers all of the required areas of massage therapy education. To maintain your good standing, a professional needs to be certified once every four years. Standards in the Canadian provinces will require a minimum of 2,000 hours.

Prior to choosing a school, a practitioner should determine on what the kind of massage that he or she wishes to specialize in. A general massage therapy education must include rehabilitation, pregnancy massage, sports injuries, pain relief and relaxation massage.

Be sure that the school you choose is fully accredited so that you can qualify for loans and grants. Massage therapy education tuition ranges from about $6-$17 per hour. The needed 500 hours typically runs from $5000-$9000.

Once you have graduated, there are numerous opportunities for seminars and workshops to maintain your massage therapy education and keeping up to date. When you understand the minimum that these educational and training requirements are that you need to complete, you will have a very good idea of what your competition will be like.

Other massage therapists in your area will have at least these levels of training plus contacts and experience. If all of these hours of massage therapy education as well as training sound interesting and exciting, you might have what it takes.