Advanced Massage Techniques

Advanced massage techniques are types of massage therapy that require training and studies beyond the traditional 6-12 hour coursework. Some advanced techniques even require many years of training in order to practice.

Advanced training and studies in specialized therapies also make a massage therapist more marketable.

This is becoming more evident in the massage therapy industry as more therapists enter the workforce after massage school.

If a therapist is in private practice, advanced training gives him/her a more favorable reputation with physicians and other heath care personnel who may be referring their patients.

Why you might look for a therapist familiar with advanced therapies:

• You have a specific pain syndromes, medical condition or health issue. There are lots of massage therapy benefits for so many medical problems, and we are just now learning through studies and research how beneficial massage can truly can be for some of them.
• Your massage therapist uses her/his elbows. We are now seeing great benefits of using shaped massage stones in advanced stone massage. These are not only more comfortable for the client, but also easier on the therapists hands.
• Traditional medical treatments have failed or not helped as much as they could have. Not saying that massage is a "cure-all" or that it can help more than medicine, but sometimes, with a more relaxed atmosphere, we can "allow" healing to begin.
• You have a treatment that you loved in a foreign country. Some Ayervedic therapies, or Chinese / Japanese techniques can only be found when you return home by searching for therapists who have advanced studies, perhaps even learning from the original master of the technique.
• You have heard about a technique from a friend or family member. Many times, this is how therapists grow their practice of advanced techniques, through word of mouth. For instance, a massage therapist who practices cupping therapy for breast cancer patients with lymphedema, will likely develop a specialized practice working primarily with breast cancer patients after the word is passed about the success of the treatments.

These are some of the advanced massage techniques that therapists study:

• Advanced Face Massage teaches facial massage using stones (both hot and cold), Chinese facial massage, Ayurvedic facial massage, and Facial Reflexology.
• Structural Relief Therapy teaches how to massage to stops involuntary muscle contraction and increase range of motion.
• Advanced Stone Massage teaches techniques of stone massage using shaped massage stones for specific treatments of muscle pain syndromes.
• Advanced Breast Massage for Cancer Patients teaches how to work with breast cancer patients in various stages of the disease.
• Geothermal Therapy teaches how to use hot and cold massage stones in the same massage session.
• Advanced Myofascial Release  teaches how to release restrictions or trigger points within the fascia (connective tissue) which surround muscles and organs of the body.
• Oncology Massage teaches how to massage patients with various types of cancer and in various stages.
• Advanced Deep Tissue using Feet teaches how to use the feet to do the deep tissue work of a massage, and how to do it safely, even with the therapist in a chair.
• Advanced Deep Tissue using Massage Stones teaches how to incorporate shaped massage stones into the massage for deep muscle work.
• Neuromuscular Therapy teaches trigger point release techniques to release constriction and create normal blood flow.
• Elder massage - teaches how to massage older people in a hospital, assisted living, home, or hospice setting
  
• Orthopedic Massage teaches advanced massage techniques that integrate orthopedic assessments, (passive, active, resistive and special tests) along with myofascial release to facilitate an overall balance of the body resulting in pain free movement and greater mobility.

If a massage therapist works at a hospital, spa, clinic, or wellness center, they are more desirable as an employee if they have specialized, advanced training, as the employer is able to market to a whole different clientele by adding their services.

Another advantage of having a therapist who has studied these advanced massage techniques, is their knowledge...they've gone a step beyond learning the technique, by actually developing skills that allow them to effectively communicate the benefits of the therapy.

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