Massage is a truly amazing modality. It can help relieve your clients’ stress, assist them in recovering from injuries, and bring about muscular relaxation. Massage can also lower blood pressure, improve your clients’ circulation, assist in correcting posture…the list goes on.

As part of your time in massage school, you likely learned about a variety of different massage modalities. Depending on the client, you might use sports massage, deep tissue massage, Swedish massage, medical massage, or any number of other techniques. Some massage therapists use Rolfing to assist their clients, while others use pregnancy massage to assist a client who’s going through the process of carrying a child and giving birth. There are also a variety of integrative massage techniques that some massage therapists employ, including acupressure, moxa, reiki, and more.

If you’re like most massage therapists, you’re always looking for another tool to add to your client sessions. Every person who walks through your door is different, and the more approaches and modalities you have available to you, the better.

Aromatherapy is a technique that can be incorporated into your existence practice as a means of assisting your clients on their path to greater overall wellness. There are a lot of great things about aromatherapy. For one thing, it doesn’t require a ton of expensive tools, gizmos, or gadgets: you can get started on a small budget. It’s also easy to add to your existing arsenal of massage modalities. Plus, aromatherapy is something that’s useful for a wide range of clients. Overall, it’s a great area to explore to a bodywork and massage professional.

But at this point, you’re probably wondering: what exactly is aromatherapy? How does it work? And how can I incorporate it into my existing massage practice? Is there a lot to learn, or can I start with it right away?

We’ve put together this brief but comprehensive guide to aromatherapy to answer all of these questions and more. If you’re already familiar with aromatherapy, you can consider this part of your LMT review of techniques that you already use in your practice. And, maybe you’ll still learn something new!

Before we go any further, it’s important to keep in mind that some claims about essential oil healing properties are support by more research than others. And regardless of how much research there is out there about a particular essential oil, our intention here is not to advocate the use for any essential oils to treat any particular physical issues. Always remember your scope of practice as a massage therapist, and be sure to stay within it. While it’s interesting to learn more about the healing properties of essential oils, it may not fall within your scope of practice to use them for certain issues.

Alright, we’ve got that cleared up. Now, ready to get started? Let’s go!

What Is Aromatherapy?

First off, you might be asking: what exactly is aromatherapy?

To sum it up in brief: aromatherapy is the use of various plant oils to promote both physical and mental health and wellbeing. This can mean different things for different scenarios and environments. People have been using essential oils for centuries to bring about various physiological and psychological changes in the body, both in terms of their fragrance and physical properties. As a massage therapist, the opportunity exists to make use of both the olfactory qualities of essential oils (by exposing your clients to scents during a session) and their physical properties (by blending them with a carrier oil as part of the massage).

Aromatherapeutic oils can trigger certain brain activities when their scent is inhaled. We’re all familiar with this experience, after all. Think for a moment about how the smell of baking cookies makes you feel relaxed and at home. Similarly, odors can have a strong negative effect on the mind, such as when we smell something putrid that triggers revulsion, nausea, and so on. There’s no question: odor can have a powerful effect on us!

Meanwhile, various essential oils have been shown to have physical benefits as well when applied indirectly to the skin in combination with a carrier oil. We’ll discuss the physical properties of specific oils below.

The History of Aromatherapy

As is the case with many natural healing modalities, aromatherapy has been around for thousands of years. Of course, the term “aromatherapy” itself is relatively new, being a term that was coined for the first time by the French chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse in 1937. Gattefosse found that lavender oil helped to heal a burn he had suffered, a discovery that led to the use of various essential oils for healing throughout World War II.

Aromatherapy is different from some other forms of alternative medicine and various holistic modalities in that it doesn’t necessarily refer to a single tradition or technique. When we say “Chinese herbal medicine” or “acupuncture,” for example, we’re talking about a very specific lineage of healing that goes back thousands of years in a particular culture. With aromatherapy, though, things aren’t quite so easy to trace.

We know, for example, that the ancient Egyptians are likely to have been the first civilization to manage to extract oils from plants. They famously used various essential oils derived from cinnamon, clove, and other plants in order to embalm their dead. Of course, this isn’t exactly an aromatherapeutic use in the modern sense of the term. Meanwhile, the ancient Chinese are said to have used various aromas to enhance an individual’s mood. Similarly, Hippocrates — the ancient Greek father of modern medicine — is also claimed to have used something like aromatherapy in treating his patients.

How Does Aromatherapy Work?

When we talk about how aromatherapy works, there are two major pathways we need to consider. One is olfactory — that is, the effect that aromatherapeutic essential oils have on us via our sense of smell — and the other involves physical absorption through the skin.

First, let’s consider the olfactory route. This is what most people think of when they hear the word “aromatherapy.” This makes sense, of course, given the use of the root word “aroma.” That said, how exactly does this pathway work? What’s going on inside the body?

Our sense of smell is incredibly primitive, and cognitive scientists have determined that our olfactory sense is linked to some of the oldest, most primitive parts of our brain. This is why certain smells can trigger such strong responses in us, even if we’re not cognitively aware of them. We often also associate particular scents with specific memories, people, and places.

When we inhale air, we’re breathing in a mixture of many different molecules in addition to oxygen. The act of perceiving a specific scent, then, involves certain aromatic molecules entering our noses and stimulating special sensory nerves there, which scientists refer to as olfactory cells. These olfactory cells are able to recognize specific scents, as particular aromatic molecules will fit into receptors on these cells the same way that a key fits into a lock. Once we receive this stimulus, a nerve impulse is sent to the brain and ultimately into our limbic system. This is the primal part of the brain which is connected to our emotions, instincts, and drive for survival. Although these responses are still somewhat poorly understood, scientists believe that it’s the action of these nerve signals that can cause such powerful mood changes in us when we respond to particular smells.

What about absorption, then? Can essential oils have an impact on the body via physical contact? Indeed, they can. As mentioned above, lavender can aid in the healing of burns and wounds. It’s quite common for essential oils to have physical healing properties. For example:

• Clove essential oil can have an antiseptic effect, and is commonly used to combat oral infections.
• Eucalyptus oil has traditionally been used by Aborigines for a variety of problems, and experimenters in India are exploring the viability of using eucalyptus to combat staph infections.
• Citrus oils, including lemon oil, can repel bugs and stimulate lymphatic drainage.
• Oregano has been showing to have antifungal, antibacterial, and immunomodulating effects. It’s been used for everything from gastrointestinal problems to rheumatoid arthritis, and from allergies and sinus issues to athlete’s foot and warts.

How exactly does this work, though? Essentially, the molecules in various oils are so small that they’re able to penetrate the outer layer of the skin. From the epidermis, these molecules make their way down into the dermis and eventually to the body’s blood vessels. They’re then able to circulate throughout the body, thus having the above-mentioned effects in some cases.

Is There Evidence for Aromatherapy?

Some people are skeptical of whether or not aromatherapy actually “works.” Is it all in your head, or does it actually accomplish measurable goals when used with clients?

There are actually a number of studies which point to the efficacy of aromatherapy. One such study found that rose essential oil could relieve menstrual cramps, while another found aromatherapy to be useful for aiding in the relief of menopausal symptoms.

How Can I Get Started with Aromatherapy?

At this point, you have some understanding of what aromatherapy is, where it comes from, and how it can have a physical effect on the body (either via the nose or through the skin). But that being said, how exactly do you get started with aromatherapy as a massage therapist?

On the one hand, incorporating aromatherapy into a massage practice should be pretty easy. You just expose a client to certain scents by blending an essential oil into a carrier oil as part of your massage session. Not too complicated, right?

At the same time, though, the whole thing can feel a little overwhelming. There are so many essential oils out there. It can be tough trying to figure out which ones should be incorporated into your practice and which ones to leave out. Plus, trying to find an LMT review of particular essential oils can be a challenge, as aromatherapy isn’t exclusively used by massage therapists.

According to Massage Magazine, one of the best first steps you can take is delving deep into a couple of books on aromatherapy. Two excellent choices are Jean Valnet’s “The Practice of Aromatherapy,” along with “The Aromatherapy Workbook” by Shirley Price.

If you’re going to set aside time to read a couple of books, it can be helpful to take notes as you go. You can even take a more formal approach and create a kind of self-study course for yourself. It can be difficult to find the time to learn a new skill, especially when you’re busy running your massage practice and managing a long list of tasks from day to day. By setting up a reading schedule for yourself and creating some exercises to do — for example, writing summaries of chapters after you finish reading them in order to cement the information more firmly in your memory — you can ensure that you actually reach your goal of assimilating as much information about aromatherapy as possible.

Of course, there’s no reason to stop there. Reading a book can be a great way to pick up some basic information, and it will also give you a sense of whether or not aromatherapy is really something you’re interested in. If you discover that it’s particularly captivating and seems especially relevant for your practice, you can then dive in deeper by signing up for an online course. You might also consider dedicating some of your annual massage CEU requirements to attending an aromatherapy seminar. This can be a great way to dive in quickly and come away with definite strategies in mind that you can put into practice immediately.

Of course, you can also jump right in with something very simple and straightforward. Lavender oil, for example, is excellent for relaxation and can be blended with a carrier oil as part of your massage sessions.

Aromatherapy as Part of Your Massage Practice

As you can see, aromatherapy can be a valuable part of your massage therapy practice. Of course, if you’re spending time learning new techniques like aromatherapy, you may find yourself low on time for general LMT review and preparation for your upcoming massage exam. Don’t worry, though: Bamboo has you covered! We offer affordable, engaging, and highly effective test prep for the MBLEx exam. Want to learn more about what Bamboo has to offer? Click here!

The post Aromatherapy for Massage Therapists: The Definitive Guide appeared first on Bamboo.

As a massage therapist, you have a lot to think about. Running a massage business is time consuming — and, often times, more than a little hectic. You have advertising to think about, a social media account and website to manage, appointments to sort through, phone calls to return, records to keep, bills to pay…and then, of course, you have to actually give your clients a massage. While you were in massage school, you likely spent the vast majority of your time thinking about the mastery of specific techniques and learning everything you needed to know about human anatomy. And, it goes without saying, you also probably spent a good deal of time thinking about and studying for the massage therapy licensing exam. Without a doubt, these are important things to have on your mind while you’re getting your massage education.

If you’re like most massage therapists, you directed most of your focus after finishing school to all of the details of starting your massage business. Would you go to work for someone else? Would it be best to start small, or go all in? How would you get the word out? Should you focus on a particular specialty within the larger field of bodywork?

One thing that few massage therapists consider in advance, though, is massage therapy equipment. The fact of the matter is that the right equipment is essential to offering your clients the best massage sessions possible. Despite this, though, many massage therapists consider their equipment to be an afterthought. Or, even worse, they simply buy what’s cheapest without putting any thought into the long-term ramifications of those purchases. After all, cheap massage equipment will tend to break down faster, leading to the need to replace various items in a relatively short amount of time.

There’s also something to be said for what your equipment communicates to your clients. A massage therapy practice with high quality, functional equipment is going to feel better (more professional, more inviting, more relaxing, and so on) to your clients than one which is populated with cheap, rickety massage tables and scratchy sheets.

With all of this in mind, we’ve decided to put together a list of our favorite massage equipment. Below, you’ll find our top picks for the best in:

• Massage tables
• Massage lotions
• Massage oils
• Massage linens (including sheets and towels)

Maybe you haven’t launched your practice yet, and you’re still studying for the massage licensing exam. If so, consider this list a primer for your future massage equipment purchases. That said, if you’re already a practicing massage therapist, this list can give you a solid overview of the best equipment out there. When it comes time to replace something in your current practice, you’ll know where to look.

Ready to get started? Here we go!

The Best Massage Tables

Perhaps more than any other item in your massage therapy practice, your massage table is crucially important. The right table will make your work easier, reducing strain on your body over time. It will also be more comfortable for your clients, and will hold up to repeat use. On the flip side, a cheap, poorly designed massage table can result in a terrible client experience — not to mention the need to purchase a new table sooner than you’d think.

Simply put, your massage table should last you many, many years. It’s important to think of it as the largest investment you’re going to make (aside from purchasing a practice location, of course, if you opt to go that route at some point). For this reason, it’s important to think of the cost of a quality table as dispersed over the course of thousands of individual massage sessions. It’s not a bottle of massage oil, after all: you’re not going to use it up and need to purchase another one. That is, assuming you buy a table that’s high enough quality to last indefinitely.

Before we list our favorite tables, there are a few important things to consider. First off, it’s essential to understand that different tables are right for different practices. Are you looking to do a lot of on-site or in-home massage in addition to running a practice somewhere? If so, it probably makes sense to invest in the best portable table you can afford. Are you planning to stay in the same location for many years to come? In this case, a table with an electric lift might be the best choice.

It’s also worth thinking about your own body and your personal ergonomics when selecting a table. If you’re on the shorter side and have a limited reach, don’t choose a table that’s particularly tall and wide. The opposite is true, too, of course: tall massage therapists shouldn’t choose tiny, narrow tables.

With all of this in mind, here are our favorite massage tables.

Best Portable Massage Table: Earthlite Premium Portable Spirit Massage Table Package

You’ll be hard pressed to find a better portable massage table than this. For being such a strong table (it has a working load of 800 lbs.), it’s incredibly lightweight and portable. It’s also much better padded than the average portable massage table. It also looks sturdy to the casual observer, which is a huge plus. The last thing you want is for your clients to look at your portable table and question whether it’s going to hold their weight when they climb up onto it.

There are a lot of rickety, cheap, poorly designed portable massage tables out there. This one sets the standard for excellence.

Best Stationary Massage Table: Master Massage Laguna Stationary Massage Table

As sturdy as the Earthlite portable massage table is, a portable table will never have quite the same sturdy, grounded feel as a stationary table. If you’re not planning on doing mobile massage and don’t have the funds for an electric table, the Master Massage Laguna is an excellent choice for a stationary table.

The Laguna is extremely stable, and features a storage area just above ground level. It features a maximum working load of 1,000 lbs., mean

ing it will feel extremely sturdy even when you’re applying considerable pressure during a massage session.

If you want a reasonably priced, top quality stationary table, this is the one!

Best Electric Massage Table: Earthlite Ellora Electric Lift Massage Table

No matter how careful you are or how much effort you put into being conscientious about your posture, body mechanics, and so on, there’s no getting around it: being a massage therapist takes a toll on your body. But one of the best ways to ensure that you keep your own body in good health is to ensure that you’re always performing massage at an optimal height.

Different clients will have different morphologies. This means that even if you set your table at a height that works for you most of the time, there will inevitably be clients who are slightly larger or smaller than average. As a result, your body mechanics can be compromised.

Just as importantly, it can be extremely difficult for clients to climb up onto a massage table that’s set at a comfortable height for you to actually perform your massage techniques. Even if you provide clients with a step stool of some kind, there will inevitably be those who simply can’t climb up onto your table. Remember, many of the people who come to see you for massage therapy are in considerable amounts of discomfort. This means that even if it’s technically possible for a client to get up onto your table, it could be extremely painful for them to attempt. And, of course, some clients with disabilities will have issues getting up onto virtually any table that can’t be lowered quite close to the ground.

With all of this in mind, we highly recommend the Earthlite Ellora electric lift massage table as an electric massage table often. Its electric motor features a 600 lb. lift capacity, and it can be lowered all the way down to 18 inches. In fact, this Earthlite Ellora is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA compliant). This means that it’s an excellent choice when it comes to serving clients with disabilities. And while this table is quite expensive, the fact that it’s ADA compliant allows you to apply for an ADA tax credit. This tax credit could save you half the cost of the table come tax time.

Our Favorite Massage Lotions and Oils

No massage would be complete without the proper massage lotion or oil. For certain massage techniques, in fact, the right oil or lotion is an absolute necessity.

There are literally hundreds of options out there, and it can be difficult to know where to start when trying to pick a massage lotion or oil. That said, our picks below feature primarily organic ingredients and little to no scent. Some clients love heavily scented lotions or oils, of course — but it’s important to keep in mind that clients may have sensitive skin and/or sensitive senses of smell. There’s nothing worse than going to get a massage and ending up with a rash as a result of a heavily scented lotion with an ingredient that you’re allergic to.

When it comes to massage lotions, our favorite is Sacred Earth. This unscented massage lotion contains organic ingredients and a variety of herbs that help to lubricate, moisturize, calm, and soothe your clients. It’s also vegan, something that certain clients may be concerned about. Sacred Earth can be ordered in bulk, too, and is paraben and dimethicone free.

As far as oils go, we recommend coconut oil. This product is natural, has little to no scent, and is extremely soothing for your clients’ skin. Coconut oil also contains a number of purported health benefits and healing properties, including the ability to reduce acne, cut down on inflammation, and kill harmful microorganisms. We don’t recommend any particular brand or variety of coconut oil — simply try a brand and see how it works for you. If you prefer not to have to work with a solid oil (coconut oil is solid at room temperature), fractionated coconut oil is an option.

Top Quality Massage Linens

Have you ever spent the night in a cheap hotel? If so, you’ve likely experienced the displeasure of sleeping on rough, scratchy sheets and drying off after a shower with scratchy, stiff, itchy towels. These sorts of cheap linens literally communicate the opposite of luxury and comfort.

At your massage practice, you want clients to feel pampered. Your sheets should be soft and smooth to the touch, and any towels you use should be thick, soft, and gentle. Not only will cheap linens be uncomfortable for your clients — they’ll also fall apart quickly, and before you know it you’ll have to purchase new ones.

While some massage therapists opt for microfiber sheets for ultimate softness, we recommend cotton flannel sheets. Specifically, For Pro Premium Flannel Massage Sheets are an excellent choice. They offer an unparalleled level of softness, and do a better job at regulating body temperature than microfiber. In the summertime, flannel sheets will keep your clients cool. In the winter, they’ll help your clients stay warm on the table.

When it comes to selecting towels, we recommend looking for a balance of quality and affordability. You’ll be washing your towels constantly, which means that even the best towels will eventually start to stiffen and fall apart. Plus, your towels will be exposed to oil on a regular basis, making oil stains an issue. For this reason, white is an excellent color choice.

Massage Licensing Exam

Well, there you have it: our top picks for massage tables, lotions, oils, sheets, and towels. With the above items, you’ll be ready to offer your clients a top-notch massage session.

Of course, if you’ve just completed your massage education program, you’ll need to complete the massage licensing exam (or MBLEx exam) before you can begin your career journey. While the prospect of taking the MBLEx might feel overwhelming, we’ve got good news: Bamboo can help! We offer the best in massage licensing exam preparation, including custom tailored and adaptive practice exams with unlimited attempts and thousands of questions. Our massage exam prep services are easy to access and incredibly affordable. Ready to get started? Click here to sign up now!

The post Massage Therapy Equipment: The Best Lotions, Oils, Linens, & More appeared first on Bamboo.

As a massage therapist, there are a lot of tools at your disposal for helping your clients to feel better, experience a reduction in pain, and achieve greater levels of wellness. When a client comes to see you that’s suffered from sports-related injuries or needs enhanced recovery between sporting events, you turn to sports massage. Or, when a client is suffering from major muscle tightness, you might turn to deep tissue.

In addition to these more “conventional” approaches to massage, a variety of integrative massage techniques and alternative therapies are available to you as well. You might choose to attend school for something that lies outside the scope of practice of massage and obtain an extra certification in that field. Acupuncture is one example of a modality that falls into this category. Or, you may choose to further study that can be performed as part of your massage therapist licensure — for example, reiki or various forms of Asian massage.

Rolfing is an approach structural integration in the body that can be practiced once you’ve passed the massage licensing exam, or MBLEx. While Rolfing differentiates itself from other forms of deep tissue massage, many massage therapists who are unfamiliar with the technique lump it together with other approaches to bodywork. However, proponents of Rolfing claim that it has something unique to offer when it comes to realigning the body and allowing for healing.

Are you looking to learn more about Rolfing? Maybe you’re even considering taking a course so that you can add it to the range of services you’re able to offer to your clients. Either way, you’ve come to the right place!

In this guide, we’ll cover a range of topics on Rolfing, including:

• What Rolfing is
• The theory behind Rolfing
• The differences between Rolfing and massage
• A typical Rolfing session: The Ten-Series
• Options for receiving training and certification in Rolfing
• Rolfing and the massage licensing exam

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a good understanding of what Rolfing is, how it’s different from other forms of massage therapy, and what kind of licensure you’ll need in order to incorporate it into your massage practice. Ready to learn more? Here we go!

What Is Rolfing?

If you’re like most massage therapists, you’ve probably heard of Rolfing before. Maybe your massage education program even touched on it a bit. Or, perhaps you’ve met someone at a conference or workshop that practices Rolfing, or read an overview somewhere online at some point. Still, though, it’s not uncommon for most massage therapists to be fairly unfamiliar with this technique. So, what is Rolfing?

Rolfing is an approach to bodywork that seeks to reorganize the tissues of the body, particularly the connective tissue or fascia. It may sound a bit obvious to say that the whole body is connected by connective tissue, but it’s something that many of us take for granted. Certainly, there are bones, muscles, organs, and all sorts of other important structures in the body — but the fascia is what really holds it all together.

Rolfing was developed by Dr. Ida P. Rolf, a biochemist of the early to mid-20th century. Rolf was motivated by a desire to address health problems that both she and her children were suffering from, and felt that the readily available explanations of the day were insufficient to account for these problems. She spent many years studying and learning more about various systems of health and healing, including yoga, chiropractic, homeopathy, and more.

As part of her study of these various alternative health disciplines, Rolf noticed that they all had one thing in common: a focus on the proper alignment of the body so as to maximize its potential for healthy functioning. However, Rolf took this realization one step further. Rolf began to consider the way that gravity can affect our bodies, and the impact that gravity has on our alignment over time.

This led Rolf to wonder what sort of structural order in the body would allow it to become fully integrated in such a way as to function best? Gravity factored heavily into this consideration, too, because Rolf understood that gravity places constant force upon the body and offers resistance to our movements.

In seeking to address this, Rolf developed the technique that we now know as Rolfing. As Rolf said, “the body heals itself” spontaneously once it’s “working appropriately” and gravity can “flow through it” in the right way.

Dr. Rolf referred to her approach to bodywork as structural integration, and that term is often used as a synonym for Rolfing. This makes sense, of course: Rolfing is all about achieving the proper structural integration in the body. The way this integration is achieved is through manipulating the body’s soft tissue.

The Theory Behind Rolfing

So, now we understand in a general sense what Rolfing is, what it claims it can do, and how this is supposed to lead to better health. But how exactly is Rolfing supposed to work? What’s the theory behind Rolfing?

At the center of Rolfing is the idea that the myofascial tissues of the body are important to not just our posture and muscular system, but also to the way that the body and mind work together. Modern medicine doesn’t pay all that much attention to the connective tissue, at least not in the sense that Rolf intended. But according to the principles of Rolfing, manipulating the body’s soft tissue is central to our physical health and wellbeing.

To understand the theory behind Rolfing, it’s important to understand how a Rolfing practitioner looks at the body’s fascia. A massage therapist will tend to look at the body’s fascia as something that can be manipulated so as to reduce pain, improve the range of motion, and relieve tension.

If a massage therapist and a Rolfer were to work on the same client, they may end up performing many of the same techniques. However, the massage therapist is likely to only be thinking about relieving particular aches, pains, and tension in the client’s body. They might just be focused on the fact that the client has back pain, a stiff neck, or limited range of motion in their shoulder. Meanwhile, the Rolfer will be thinking about the relationship between whatever issue the client is presenting with and the overall structural alignment of the client’s entire body.

To sum up: Rolfing practitioners believe that structural integration is achieved through bodywork techniques which might overlap with some massage techniques, but which are being used in a different way. To understand more about what Rolfing actually looks like in practice, let’s take a look at a typical Rolfing session.

A Typical Rolfing Session

As it turns out, describing a “typical Rolfing session” is difficult. Why? Because Rolfing treatments are typically delivered in a series of ten sessions. Each session will have its own particular goals, resulting in the application of different techniques and a focus on different parts of the body. Rather than trying to some up what one session looks like, let’s take a look at the Ten-Series in its entirety.

The Ten-Series

Sessions 1-3 of the typical Rolfing series are sometimes called the “sleeve” sessions. The overall goal of these sessions is to help loosen the body and begin to integrate the most superficial layers of the fascia.

Session one in the series focuses on the chest and arms, and will sometimes move out to the neck, back, and upper legs. The second session pays more attention to the lower part of the body, particularly the feet and lower legs. In the third session, the focus is placed on the head, shoulders, and hips, and how they’re related to each other.

Sessions 4-7 of the Ten-Series are often called the “core” treatment sessions. These sessions focus on the area from the pelvis to the head, commonly referred to as the core of the body. There’s also some focus on the legs, given the leg’s role in providing stability to the core.

The fourth session focuses on the lower pelvis, the legs, and the arches of the feet. Session five addresses the abdomen and the lower back. Session six places its focus on the legs, lower back, and pelvis. Then, in session seven, the practitioner devotes their primary attention to the neck and head.

In sessions 8-10, the practitioner’s goal is “integration.” At this stage, the Rolfing practitioner will seek to combine all of the work they’ve done so far so as to achieve structural integration throughout the body. The goal is a fully integrated body by the end of the tenth session.

In the eighth and ninth sessions, the practitioner tends to focus on putting together and executing a plan on how to bring about structural integration in the body. The goal here is to create a unique treatment approach that will differ from one client to the next. In the last session, the practitioner focuses primarily on bringing about balance in the body.

Rolfing vs. Massage: What’s the Difference?

At this point, we’ve seen what Rolfing is, the history behind, the theory that underlies it, and what a typical Rolfing session looks like. So, how would we summarize the differences between Rolfing and massage?

At its core, Rolfing is structural integration. When someone is performing the techniques involved in Rolfing, they’re always working to achieve structural integration in the body. This holistic picture might be different from the approach taken in a bodywork session, when the massage therapist is focusing on a particular part of the body without considering how it might impact the “structural integration” of the body as a whole.

Of course, in another sense, massage therapy is holistic too. A typical massage therapist will take the musculature of the whole body into account when deciding on a course of treatment. Still, though, massage is focused on relieving tension and providing the client with relaxation, not on trying to integration the structure of the body together according to a particular theory of how the body should function.

Rolfing does involve deep tissue manipulation, and in this sense, it can look a lot like massage. Unlike deep tissue massage, though, Rolfing doesn’t only work at the deep tissue level. A Rolfing practitioner will apply varying levels of pressure depending on the technique they’re using, with different amounts of pressure used to target different layers of the body.

Rolfing Training Options and Rolfing Certification

Has your interest in Rolfing been piqued? Are you ready to incorporate Rolfing into your existing massage practice?

When it comes to Rolfing, you have a number of educational options available to you. In some massage therapy education programs, you can choose to focus on Rolfing as part of your coursework. However, if you’ve already completed massage school and are preparing for the massage licensing exam (or have already taken it), you’ll obviously need to seek out Rolfing educational opportunities elsewhere.

The Rolf Institute in Boulder, Colorado offers a variety of Rolfing training programs designed to fit the existing knowledge level of individual students. Students can sign up for the Institute’s Basic Rolfing Certification, designed for people with no previous experience in bodywork or massage, or the Regional Basic Rolfing Certification Program, designed to meet the needs of existing massage therapists who are looking to learn more about Rolfing.

In terms of certification and licensure, becoming a Rolfing practitioner in the United States usually involves obtaining licensure to work as a massage therapist in your state. These regulations vary from state to state, but in the vast majority of cases you’ll have to take the massage licensing exam in order to be eligible for licensure.

Massage Licensing Exam and Rolfing

Passing the massage licensing exam (or MBLEx) isn’t easy — but it’s something you’ll need to do in order to practice Rolfing in most U.S. states. With that in mind, you’ll want to make sure you take the right approach to studying for the MBLEx.

As a standardized test, it’s important to place a good portion of your study focus on taking MBLEx practice tests. These practice tests will allow you to prepare for the actual massage licensing exam much more thoroughly than simply reviewing the material that you’ll be tested on.

Here at Bamboo, we offer massage licensing exam practice tests at affordable prices. Our test prep materials are comprehensive, engaging, and customized to focus on the areas where you need help most. To learn more about Bamboo’s affordable practice test packages, click here.

The post Rolfing 101: Everything You Need to Know as a Massage Therapist appeared first on Bamboo.

As a massage therapist, you have the opportunity to work with all sorts of clients. Some of them come in due to chronic pain, including issues with their lower back, neck, shoulders, or other areas of the body. Other clients seek you out due to acute injury, and your job is to assist them in their recovery. Additionally, some clients need more specialized services such as sport massage. Across the board, though, you get to work with a wide range of individuals with unique needs. The ability to work with such a diverse client population is one of the best things about being a massage therapist, in fact. And nowhere is this truer than when you’re able to offer pregnancy massage to an expecting mother. It’s a common feature of a therapeutic session for any client that you’re attempting to offer them pain relief and/or assist them in recovering from some sort of injury or other discomfort. With pregnancy massage, though, you’re doing more than simply relieving someone’s aches and pains. You’re aiding in ushering a new life into this world. It’s a truly special experience, but it also carries with it a serious responsibility. If you’re going to offer prenatal massage to an expecting mom, you’ll need to ensure that you know what you’re doing.While some massage schools offer a little bit of training in pregnancy massage, it’s rarely something that a massage education program will cover in great detail. Of course, we still recommend as one of our massage study tips that you include some review of pregnancy massage-related material when studying for the MBLEx exam, as there will likely be at least one question on the test related to massage therapy offered to clients during pregnancy. That said, though, many graduates of the typical massage therapy program are still a bit unfamiliar with prenatal massage.

If you haven’t received professional training in prenatal massage and want to incorporate it into your therapeutic practice, we highly recommend seeking out specialized training and education in the area. There’s no substitute for professional training, and we won’t claim that the information offered in this article is enough to prepare you to offer this service to your clients as a massage professional. Instead, this guide is intended to give you an overview of pregnancy massage. Below, we’ll touch on the following topics:

• What is pregnancy massage?
• Benefits of pregnancy massage
• Special considerations for offering pregnancy massage
• Education for massage therapistsF
• Ethical considerations
• How to position the client
• Marketing yourself as a pregnancy massage therapist

Ready to learn more about pregnancy massage? Let’s get started!

What Is Pregnancy Massage?

Before we go any further, let’s take a moment to answer an obvious but important question: what exactly is pregnancy massage?

Also known as prenatal massage, pregnancy massage is quite similar to standard forms of massage: its goal is to aid in relaxation, reduce muscle soreness, improve circulation, and more. In addition to these common features of any massage session, though, pregnancy massage is especially suited to the needs of pregnant women. It involves considering certain contraindications, including areas of the body where lighter pressure will be needed. It focuses on specific areas that are particularly sore during pregnancy, such as parts of the back, neck, shoulders, and pelvis area. Additionally, it takes into account special table positioning considerations related to the particular stage of pregnancy that a client is in at the time of their session.

Pregnancy can be a difficult time, particularly for first time expecting mothers. Offering massage therapy to soon-to-be moms can be an incredibly rewarding experience. That said, it’s important to understand the benefits specific to this client population. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of this form of massage.

The Benefits of Pregnancy Massage

As a massage therapist, you’re probably already accustomed to describing the potential benefits of massage to both new and existing clients. However, prenatal massage carries with it some potential benefits that can be especially helpful for women experiencing the discomfort associated with the prenatal period.

Amongst the possible benefits associated with prenatal massage, clients may experience:

• A decrease in anxiety
• Improved ability to sleep
• Lower levels of stress hormones such as norepinephrine
• Reduction in pain in the back and legs
• Increases in hormones related to mood improvement such as dopamine and serotonin
• Reduced levels of cortisol
• Improved mood and energy
• Improved immune system response
• Reduced swelling, particularly in the joins
• Reduction of nerve pain associated with sciatica
• Lowered levels of muscular tension
• Relief from headaches
• Better oxygenation of muscles and soft tissues

Some of these items are particularly troublesome issues for expecting mothers. For example, many women experience difficulty sleeping during pregnancy. Lack of sleep can then cause dysregulation of stress hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine, leading to increased levels of stress in clients. Pregnancy is already a stressful and challenging experience in and of itself, and lack of sleep and hormonal changes can make this existing stress worse. Additionally, pregnant women offer suffer from pain in particular areas, such as sciatic pain. Prenatal massage can offer relief from this discomfort. Many pregnant women also find that they experience swelling in certain joints, often due to the uterus applying high levels of pressure on the blood vessels and thus disrupting the circulatory system.

Prenatal massage is capable of providing relief from all of the above issues and more. As you can see, offering this form of therapy to your clients means that you’ll be able to play a major role in assisting them with some of the challenges that they’ll inevitably experience. However, there are a number of special considerations to take into account when attempting to offer this type of massage therapy to clients. Let’s take a look at some of them below.

Special Considerations for Offering Pregnancy 

Massage

When it comes to massage therapy, you’ll recall from your educational program that certain client populations carry with them special considerations that you need to take into account when offering your services to that population. For example, elderly clients or clients suffering from acute injuries will carry with them different considerations than, say, a client seeking out sport massage.

When it comes to expecting mothers, there are a number of special considerations and contraindications that you’ll need to take into account. While we can’t cover all of them in depth in this blog article, we’ll touch on several of them here.

Frequency of Prenatal Massage

You likely already know from your education and/or experience as a massage therapist just how important of a role frequency plays in the effectiveness of massage therapy. If clients come to see you on a regular basis, they can expect significantly better results than clients who come to see you once a year (or even less, perhaps).

Sticking to a regular schedule is particularly important when it comes to prenatal massage. Both mother and baby will get the greatest benefit as a result of coming to see you on a regular basis. Women can experience a significant amount of pain and discomfort during pregnancy, and setting up a regular schedule with you is a great way for them to obtain relief from this discomfort on an ongoing basis.

When someone comes to see you for their first session as an expectant mother, it’s a good idea to spend some time educating them about the importance of scheduling regular sessions if they want to derive the maximum benefit from pregnancy massage. Of course, budgetary and time restraints may delimit the number of times that a client can come to see you. Generally speaking, though, more is usually better (within reason, of course).

Ethical Considerations

Being a massage therapist comes along with a whole host of ethical considerations. You learned about these during your massage therapy program, and they should be in the back of your mind on an ongoing basis as a practicing massage professional.

That said, you may find that your ethics are put to the test when it comes to working with pregnant clients. Many of your expecting clients will be having their first child, and going through pregnancy for the first time can be an anxiety inducing, difficult experience. It’s common for clients to have lots of questions related to their pregnancy. They may pose some of these questions to their doctor, of course; but, if they perceive you as an expert — particularly as a “medical expert” — there’s a good chance that they’ll put some of these questions to you, too.

client starts asking you questions related to their pregnancy, however, it’s important to inform them that assisting them with those questions and concerns is, unfortunately, outside your scope of practice as a massage professional. While it might be tempting to answer questions related to pregnancy when they’re posed to you — particularly if you’ve had a child yourself, and have been through the experience your client is asking about — it’s important to remember your scope of practice limitations as a massage therapist.

It’s also easy to go beyond the boundaries you’d normally set for clients when working with expecting mothers, as you can feel pulled to go the extra mile. As a client going through pregnancy comes to see you on a regular basis, you’ll see their baby developing — and you’ll also likely see the client experiencing greater levels of discomfort and impaired mobility. Before you know it, you could be going over the time limit on sessions or offering to work outside of your normal hours. It’s important to respect the professional boundaries that you’ve set for your practice, as self-care is an important part of being able to provide optimal care to your clients over the long haul.

How to Position a Client During Pregnancy Massage

Positioning is always an important consideration for any client. As a massage therapist, you can never take it for granted that a client can assume a certain position on the massage table. Depending on their level of pain or discomfort — or perhaps as a result of reduced mobility — you often have to find ways to work around limitations related to patient positioning.

That said, positioning is especially important with pregnant clients. You may need to have clients lie on their side in order to access their back appropriately, as lying prone may not be a possibility. Or, you may have to use special cushioning in order to assist in prone positioning. Remember, too, that the particular stage of pregnancy a client is currently experiencing has a lot to do with the sort of positioning you’ll need to do. For example, it’s typical to position clients on their side for massage from the second trimester onward.

Positioning isn’t just a consideration for your client, either. Keep in mind that if you’re not used to working with patients in special positioning (such as on their side), you may adopt certain techniques and habits that can contribute to wear and tear on your own body. Remember to stay aware of how you’re feeling during a session, and take care of your back, neck, shoulders, and joints.

Education for Massage Therapists

As we’ve mentioned above, there’s a lot to think about when offering massage therapy to pregnant clients. We can’t stress this point enough: if you haven’t received special training related to pregnancy massage, we highly recommend that you seek it out. There are many more things to consider when offering prenatal massage than just the items mentioned here, and it’s important to educate yourself extensively before you begin to work with this client population.

Marketing Yourself as a Pregnancy Massage Therapist

Once you’re properly trained and able to offer prenatal massage as part of your massage therapy practice, you may want to consider marketing yourself as providing this service. There are all sorts of options out there if you want to market your pregnancy massage services. You can tailor your online presence to mention prenatal massage frequently, focusing on SEO (search engine optimization) targeted as keywords related to prenatal and pregnancy massage. You can also look into partnering with local businesses, organizations, and services in order to reach expectant mothers. This includes doulas, prenatal yoga, obstetricians, Lamaze teachers, and more.

Massage Study Tips

The ability to offer prenatal massage is a major opportunity for new massage therapists. However, before you can practice massage of any form (prenatal or otherwise), you’ll need to pass the MBLEx exam. There are all sorts of massage study tips out there, but it can be hard to know which ones to follow.

Here at Bamboo, we offer the best in affordable MBLEx test review, massage study tips, and MBLEx practice tests. There’s no limit on the number of practice tests you can take, and our review courses are designed to provide you with the info you need to pass the MBLEx with flying colors. Ready to get started? Learn more about our pricing and sign up here!

The post Pregnancy Massage: A Massage Therapist’s Guide appeared first on Bamboo.

As a student of massage therapy, there’s a lot to learn. You have to master the fundamentals of human anatomy, understand how to incorporate various soft tissue manipulation techniques into a complete massage session, and learn how to perform a client intake and formulate a comprehensive treatment plan for each individual client. And these items only the scratch the surface of the amount of information you’ll need to delve into if you want to become a well-rounded, knowledgeable, and capable massage professional.

As part of your massage education, you’ll be exposed to a number of different techniques and approaches to massage. These can include things like Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, sports massage, and more. But in addition to these more standard forms of massage therapy, most massage education programs will also provide at least a cursory overview of alternative therapies. Complementary alternative medicine is something that many massage therapists find themselves interested in, and it’s not uncommon for clients to seek out integrative therapies such as acupuncture, reiki, moxibustion, and more in combination with the massage therapy they’re already receiving from you.

Some massage therapists take so much interest in these alternative therapies that they seek out an entirely separate course of education in them, which ultimately allows them to offer these services as fully integrative modalities in combination with massage therapy. Even if you don’t go this route, though, it’s important to understand what these therapies are, how they’re supposed to work, and what benefits they may or may not offer to your clients. You may not have the knowledge or qualifications to offer these services yourself, but many of your clients will seek them out as part of their individual health and healing journey. The more you understand about these integrative massage modalities, the better you’ll be able to communicate with your patients about the care they’re receiving.

Just as importantly, too, the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination, or MBLEx exam, contains test content related to complementary alternative medicine (CAM). This means that as part of the MBLEx review that you’ll need to do in preparing for the exam, you’ll want to ensure that you refresh your memory when it comes to these integrative massage modalities. While the MBLEx doesn’t generally contain detailed test, questions related to the actual application of these integrative techniques in a clinical setting, there is a chance that you’ll encounter definitional questions related to what these complementary alternative medicine therapies are and how they’re supposed to work. This makes it important to learn as much as you can about acupuncture, reiki, moxibustion, and other integrative techniques as part of your MBLEx review.

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at three common forms of complementary alternative medicine which are sometimes integrated with massage therapy: acupuncture, moxibustion, and reiki. Once we’ve looked at each of these integrative techniques individually, we’ll discuss the best way to review the content of the MBLEx exam — including the section that covers integrative massage techniques — so that you can prepare yourself for the licensing and certification process.

Ready to learn more about integrative massage modalities? Let’s get started.

Acupuncture

While many of us are at least familiar with the idea of acupuncture, we may not know much about the specifics. Understanding more about how acupuncture works and what issues it can help with will aid you in becoming a more informed practitioner of massage therapy.

Acupuncture as a health care modality has been around for many hundreds of years. At the most basic level, acupuncture involves inserting very thin needles through the surface of a person’s skin. These needles are placed at varying levels of depth and in specific locations (called “acupoints”) according to the treatment approach being taken by a particular practitioner. The needles are often left in place for an extended period of time, such as 20 to 30 minutes. Some practitioners use a relatively small number of needles in a given session, while others tend to use a larger number of needles on each patient. There are different schools of thought when it comes to acupuncture, each of which takes a somewhat different approach to diagnosing and treating patients.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture operates based on the principles of a kind of energetic anatomy. Traditional Chinese medicine understands the human body as comprised not only of physical material such as bones, muscles, blood, skin, organs, and so on, but also of an energetic life force known as “qi” (pronounced “chee”).

In the same way that the body’s physical systems must perform specific functions and operate in a certain way if a person is to experience a state of health, Chinese medicine argues that the body’s qi must be harmoniously balanced in order to achieve optimal health from an energetic standpoint. And since qi is considered to be foundational to the organization and structural integrity of the body’s physical systems, treating the body at the level of its qi will then purportedly have a healing effect on physical structures that are imbalanced or exhibiting signs of illness.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, acupuncture has been proven to help in cases of headache or migraine, knee pain, osteoarthritis, neck pain, and back pain.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization went much further in 2003 by claiming that acupuncture has been proven through controlled trials to be an effective treatment for a long list of diseases and symptoms, including (but not limited to):

• Allergic rhinitis
• Depression
• Dysmenorrhea
• Headache
• Hypertension
• Hypotension
• Low back pain
• Morning sickness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pain related to dentistry (including dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ)
• Postoperative pain
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Sciatica
• Sprain
• Stroke

…and many more.

As a massage therapist, you may encounter clients who have undergone or are currently opting to undergo acupuncture therapy in combination with massage therapy and other modalities. Acupuncture is commonly sought out by people experiencing various forms of chronic pain, including lower back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and so on. This isn’t surprising, given acupuncture’s reputation for being an effective means of reducing and controlling chronic pain caused by a variety of sources.

Some practitioners who are trained and licensed to perform both massage therapy and acupuncture will combine the two modalities into an integrative treatment approach. This can be particularly effective for certain patients. Proponents of combining acupuncture and massage often argue that each one provides something that the other lacks. Acupuncture allows the practitioner to pinpoint specific sources of pain, while massage gives the practitioner the opportunity to physically manipulate tissue in a way that acupuncture can’t. When combined, the results of such an integrative approach can be excellent.

Moxibustion

Moxibustion is often used in combination with acupuncture needles, and is generally considered to be subsumed under the banner of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. In other words, it’s less common to find someone using moxibustion who isn’t otherwise trained in the use of acupuncture and Chinese medicinal modalities.

What is moxibustion? Simply put, moxibustion involves the burning of dried herbs on or close to the skin’s surface. The herb commonly used for moxibustion is Chinese Mugwort, known by the Latin name Artemisia vulgaris. Mugwort can be rolled into moxa sticks (which look somewhat like incense sticks), made into cones that are then placed directly on the body, or used in a number of other forms.

As with the placement of acupuncture needles, moxibustion is done in accordance with Chinese medicinal theory. This means that moxibustion points are often selected based upon the location of specific acupoints. Moxibustion is also sometimes done along specific “channels” or “meridians” on the body, meaning imaginary lines that connect specific groups of acupoints. By burning moxa along these points, the practitioner’s aim is to reinvigorate the body’s qi and encourage its healthy flow through the body’s energetic channels, or “Jing Luo” in Chinese. A commonly held belief amongst Chinese medical practitioners is that disease is often directly connected to the stagnation of qi within the body, and moxa is capable of unblocking this stagnation and restoring normal patterns of qi flow.

Moxa is often used in combination with acupuncture, as moxibustion and acupuncture needles can serve complementary functions as part of an overall treatment strategy. Moxa is generally thought of as adding energy and warmth to the body, something that can be done in conjunction with the insertion of acupuncture needles for maximum effectiveness.

Reiki

Reiki is a healing technique of Japanese origin, commonly used to reduce stress, aid in relaxation, and promote healing.

Much like Chinese medicine, reiki operates according to the belief that the body is imbued with an energy or life force. The Japanese word for this energy is “ki,” and uses the same character as the Chinese word “qi.” The term “reiki” is comprised of this word, ki, in combination with “rei,” which is often translated as “spirit” or “soul.” “Reiki” is therefore often translated as “soul energy,” “spiritual energy,” or “miraculous energy.” Reiki as a healing art is attributed to Mikao Usui, who developed the therapy in 1922 and taught it to more than 2,000 people before passing away.

During a typical reiki session, the client will usually remain fully clothes and lie down on a massage table. The reiki practitioner then lays their hands on the client in various locations on the head, the front of the torso, and the back of the torso. There is generally no pressure used, and some practitioners will opt to perform reiki by holding their hands slightly away from the surface of the skin rather than making physical contact. Somatic sensations vary from person to person and session to session, with some people reporting feelings of warmth, relaxation, or calmness.

MBLEx Review

The integrative massage techniques we’ve covered here only represent a sampling of the totality of complementary alternative medicine. However, these techniques are commonly encountered in combination with massage therapy, and it’s not uncommon for clients to seek out these complementary therapies in addition to seeing you for massage therapy.

Perhaps after learning more about acupuncture, moxibustion, and reiki, and your interest has been sparked. Maybe you’re considering pursuing further education on one of these integrative massage techniques so that you can incorporate it into your daily massage practice. If so, that’s great! The more diversified your tool kit is as a massage therapist, the more options you’ll be able to offer to your clients when it comes to helping them on their journey towards health and healing. Studying alternative forms of therapy is also a great way to broaden your horizons as a massage therapist, as it will allow you to better understand where a client might be coming from in terms of their past experiences with various health practitioners.

That said, understanding as much as you can about acupuncture, reiki, moxibustion, and other integrative massage techniques is still important even if you’re not planning to pursue study of them for the sake of integrating them into your own practice. Why? Because these items can show up on the MBLEx test as part of the content you’ll need to know in order to obtain your license.

With this in mind, it’s important to ensure that you study for the MBLEx using an MBLEx review program that incorporate these topics into your study plan, along with everything else that will be covered on the test. If you’re looking for a comprehensive MBLEx review program that’s affordable, engaging, and highly effective, look no further than Bamboo! We offer an unlimited number of opportunities to take MBLEx practice tests — and practice tests are the best way to prepare for a standardized test like the MBLEx. Our MBLEx review also gives you the chance to review materials that you may have forgotten, ensuring that you have the opportunity to go through everything that might be covered on the exam before the day of the test.

Are you ready to get started with studying for the MBLEx? Click here to learn more about our affordable pricing.

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Note: Human trafficking is a serious matter. The National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) is available toll-free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If you see something, say something: call (888) 373-7888.

Have you ever driven past a massage parlor that looks more than a little seedy? Maybe the windows are blacked out or covered with curtains, or there’s a neon “open” sign out front that’s in disrepair. These types of massage parlors show up in strip malls and along the side of the road throughout the United States. For most of us — whether we’re massage consumers, massage students studying for the MBLEx, or massage professionals who have been in the industry for years — these kinds of places aren’t particularly appealing. Particularly as a consumer of massage, the unusually low prices coupled featured at such massage parlors coupled with their generally dingy appearance is far from inviting.

In our culture, it’s become common to offhandedly question whether these sorts of establishments might offer illicit services in addition to standard massage. As it turns out, many of them are indeed hubs for prostitution and human trafficking — something that has become a rampant problem in the massage industry here in the United States.

According to a new report from the Polaris Project, human trafficking is perhaps more prevalent than ever within the massage industry. According to their estimates, human trafficking-related massage revenue could total as much as $2.5 billion per year, spread across more than 9,000 illicit massage businesses nationwide.

Whether you’re a massage study who still needs to study for the MBLEx or a long time massage professional, it’s important to understand more about the impact of human trafficking on the massage profession. Thousands of women suffer at the hands of traffickers each year in the United States. Additionally, these sorts of illicit activities can shape the way that the public perceives massage therapy. Being educated when it comes to illicit massage is therefore not just a question of doing what’s right for the victims of trafficking, but also of working to ensure that the reputation of massage therapy isn’t further tarnished by illegal or questionable activity.

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at:

• What human trafficking is and how it relates to massage therapy
• The prevalence of human trafficking in massage therapy
• The impact of human trafficking on the massage profession
• What you can do to help

What Is Human Trafficking

Many of us have encountered the term “human trafficking,” but we may not be entirely certain about what it means. Simply put, human trafficking is a kind of modern day slavery.

Human trafficking involves so-called traffickers, individuals who actively engage in the illegal activity of using forceful, fraudulent, or otherwise deceptive behavior to compel victims of human trafficking to engage in sexual activities or other labor services.

The Polaris Project, a national organization aimed at disrupting human trafficking networks and eradicating the modern-day slavery that is human trafficking, has developed a classification system which identifies 25 different types of human trafficking in the United States. Not all of these types of trafficking involve sexual acts, as many are purely labor-based. For example, Polaris has found labor trafficking within the restaurant industry, the agricultural sector, and amongst domestic and homecare workers.

That said, much of the human trafficking identified by Polaris is indeed sexual in nature, and a significant portion of this sexually related trafficking is associated with illicit massage businesses. However, not all human trafficking within the massage industry involves sex acts. While many victims are indeed forced to offer various sexual services, others are compelled to work long hours for little to no pay in abysmal conditions.

Most of the women who are trafficked within the massage parlor industry are recent immigrants who have just come to the United States from countries such as China or South Korea. It’s common for these women to be under significant financial pressure. They may have had their plane ticket to the United States paid for with the understanding that they would work to pay it off; or, their families back home may be dependent upon their labor for subsistence. These women typically speak very little English — often none at all — and rarely have anything beyond a high school-level education. It’s also common for the victims of human trafficking within the massage industry to have children, and for the victims themselves to range in age anywhere from 30 years old to their late 50’s.

Generally speaking, these women are recruited through the use of fraud and misrepresentation by traffickers. These traffickers will advertise various positions at massage parlors using false information that tricks victims into believing that conditions and compensation will be better than they actually are. For example, traffickers will advertise available positions using fraudulent ads that conceal the sexual nature of the work, grossly exaggerate the pay, or make various promises about working conditions which are completely inaccurate.

Once victims arrive in the United States to work, they find that the promises made to them were completely untrue. Instead of being paid well and ask to perform reasonable job duties as would be in keeping with any other form of employment, women are made to work long hours for what is often less than minimum wage. Some women are paid nothing at all, and told that this is a standard arrangement.

It’s a common misconception that human trafficking in the massage industry involves physical force, kidnapping, or other extreme means of capture or detainment of women. On the contrary, this approach to compelling women to work in an illicit massage business is quite rare. Instead, traffickers rely on a combination of scare tactics, lies, shame, and other forms of manipulation that prey upon victims’ immigration status, lack of English knowledge, low level of education, shame, debt, and more. Victims are also often shuffled between businesses in different cities, thus preventing them from forming connections between one another and attempting to fight back against their traffickers.

The Prevalence Human Trafficking in Massage Therapy 

At the annual meeting of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) in 2015, a Human Trafficking Task Force (HT Task Force) was created to determine the prevalence of human trafficking in massage, identify how the FSMTB could work to fight human trafficking, and determine what individual member boards could to do combat human trafficking in massage.

This work culminated in a 2017 report from the (FSMTB). Amongst many other findings, the FSMTB report determined human trafficking isn’t just particularly prevalent when it comes to massage therapy. On top of this general prevalence, it also has a significant impact on the profession in a way that has been largely unexamined up until now. The FSMTB reports that while sex trafficking is more commonly associated with massage therapy, labor trafficking may be just as significant of an issue — despite the fact that labor trafficking receives significantly less media attention or legal action.

According to the FSMTB report, measuring the prevalence of human trafficking in the massage industry is inherently problematic. This is due to the fact that human traffickers use various means to conceal their illegal activity, thus making it very difficult to determine exactly how extensive the practice is throughout the United States. It’s not uncommon for the women providing massage services at illicit massage businesses to have either obtained faulty credentials, cheated to obtain their credentials, or to hold no license for practice whatsoever.

While coming up with an exact number is impossible, the current estimate put forward by Polaris has the total number of illicit massage businesses at somewhere between 6,000 and 9,000 nationwide. However, these numbers have been determined with the use of so-called “open source data,” or information that is openly available to anyone without any limitations on use. This includes the use of online review websites of illicit massage businesses to determine how many businesses may be operating in any particular area. Using these research techniques, Polaris has determined that the highest concentration of illicit massage businesses appears to be in California, Texas, Florida, New York, and New Jersey — unsurprisingly, all coastal states.

Aside from the difficulties associated with identifying human trafficking already mentioned, there are other reasons why the total number of illicit massage businesses nationwide may be underestimated in the reports from the FSMTB and Polaris. Firstly, the Trafficking Victim Protection Act — the most prominent and comprehensive trafficking law in the United States — defines sex trafficking as the inducement of a commercial sex act by “force, fraud, or coercion,” which may exclude certain instances of sex trafficking that fail to fit these specific qualifiers. Additionally, public misperceptions regarding the legality of such businesses and the motivations of the victims of trafficking can further contribute to underreporting when it comes to assembling these sorts of statistics.

The Impact of Human Trafficking on the Massage Profession

In their 2017 report, the FSMTB determined a number of ways in which human trafficking is impacting the massage profession as a whole.

Firstly, according the FSMTB, human trafficking puts massage therapists in danger. Aside from the actual dangers that are present for the victims of trafficking themselves, the prevalence of human trafficking in the massage profession has resulted in the general public association of massage therapy with prostitution and “happy endings.” As a result, this association can lead to a higher rate of harassment or intimidation being directed at massage therapists nationwide in a variety of settings.

Next, the FSMTB feels that reputations are compromised in a number of ways as a result of trafficking. For example, general public presumption of illegal activity being associated with massage can have a negative impact on legitimate businesses, schools, and individual massage therapists. Additionally, small businesses may find it harder to maintain a solid reputation than larger businesses, as people are more likely to associate illegal activity with a small business than with a larger one. Further, public perception of the severity of the problem could result in regulatory boards developing reputations for inadequately addressing what is an admittedly complex and challenging issue.

Additionally, the association of human trafficking in massage with certain ethnicities can lead to racial profiling and discrimination. This can bleed over into legitimate business and schools.

Lastly, the FSMTB has determined that illicit massage businesses contribute to the necessity of additional regulations, some of which can create an additional burden for legitimate massage businesses and practitioners. For example, application fees for licensing have increased as a means of deterring fraud. In the same vein, the costs associated with testing — including taking the MBLEx exam — have increased as a result of extra security measures which have become necessary. These security measures are necessary in order to prevent cheating, something that’s widespread amongst trafficking victims employed at illicit massage businesses. These higher fees are also needed in order to fund legal action and investigation. Further, both licensing requirements and general regulatory requirements are on the rise as a means of further distinguishing legitimate professionals from trafficking victims. Many of these regulatory requirements exist at multiple and overlapping levels.

A survey sent out by the FSMTB’s HT Task Force in 2016 to the Coalition of Massage Therapy Organizations was distributed to the members of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB), Alliance for Massage Therapy Education (AFMTE), Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), Massage Therapy Foundation, and other national massage organizations. The survey asked participants to offer their opinions as massage professionals regarding the impact of human trafficking on massage. Amongst the many responses, a trend emerged: the biggest impact of trafficking on massage is the way in which is negative affects public perception of massage therapy, resulting in the association of massage with prostitution.

What You Can Do to Help

The FSMTB’s HT Task Force has compiled a list of recommended actions that individual state member boards might take to help combat human trafficking. If you’re active in your state’s massage board, consider mentioning the HT Task Force’s findings.

However, there’s more that you can do to help as an individual. The Polaris Project recommends the following:

• Advocating for better regulation of massage businesses at the local level
• Calling out the press when they fail to protect the privacy of victims as part of their reporting
• Sharing what you’ve learned with others via social media, and calling out inappropriate jokes about “happy endings” using the hashtag #massageparlortrafficking

At the end of the day, one of the most important things you can do to fight human trafficking is to speak out when you see something suspicious. If you suspect that a business might be engaging in illicit activities, contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at (888) 373-7888.

The post Human Trafficking and Massage appeared first on Bamboo.

No matter your age, gender, or current level of fitness, it’s undeniable that maintaining a healthy weight is important. Here in the United States, though, the statistics show that it’s easier said than done.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2013-2014:

• More than 1 in 3 adults are overweight
• More than 1 in 3 adults are obese
• More than 2 in 3 adults are either overweight or obese
• About 8% of adults are “extremely” obese
• About 1 in 6 children (aged 2-19) are obese

To clarify the definition of each of these, the National Institute of Health defines normal weight as having a BMI (body mass index) of 18.5 to 24.9, overweight as a BMI of 25 to 29.9, obese as a BMI from 30-39.9, and extremely obese as a BMI of more than 40. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider children to be overweight if they’re at or above the 85th percentile of the CDC growth charts, and obese if they’re at or above the 95th percentile.

So, what’s the bottom line? More than 70% of the adult population in the United States is either overweight or obese. This means that a large number of massage clients suffer from excess bodyweight, something that can impact not only a person’s health but also their self-image, confidence, and overall mood.

When we think about the health issues that massage is capable of addressing, some of the things that come to mind include acute injuries, chronic muscle pain, structural problems, and so on. Typically, though, we don’t think of massage as a tool for weight loss or body contouring. You might therefore be surprised to hear about something called lypossage, a massage technique dedicated to reshaping the body, addressing cellulite, and reducing excess fat.

For many, the idea that massage therapy could actually have an impact on the physical appearance of the body might sound too good to be true. The proponents of lypossage, however, claim that it can do just that.

So, what exactly is lypossage? Does it have a place in your massage practice? If you’ve recently graduated from a massage program, you might not be familiar with lypossage. It’s not always included as a topic in massage school. And if you’re studying to take the MBLEx exam, it may not appear as part of your MBLEx test prep in 2018. As lypossage increases in popularity, though, the odds that clients will ask you about it are increasing. It’s therefore important to be informed about what lypossage is and how it works. Even if you don’t opt to include it as part of your massage practice, you’ll then be in a good position to offer your clients an informed and knowledgeable response if they ask you about lypossage.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at all of the basics when it comes to lypossage and body contouring. Below, we’ll cover:

• What cellulite is
• The definition of lypossage
• The creation and evolution of lypossage
• The lypossage protocol
• Potential benefits and limitations of lypossage

Ready to learn more about lypossage? Let’s get started.

What Is Cellulite?

Before we jump into a discussion of lypossage, it’s worth taking a moment to consider what exactly cellulite is. When people seek out lypossage, it’s often to address this stubborn cosmetic issue.

Our understanding of what cellulite is and what causes it has evolved somewhat over the years. Nowadays, cellulite is commonly understood to be a result of the stretching of fibrous bands underneath the skin. This stretching is what results in the dimple-like appearance of cellulite on the skin’s surface. As excess fat is able to press against the skin thanks to the stretched and uneven connective tissues, the resulting dimpling associated with cellulite becomes even more exaggerated in appearance.

The amount and specific appearance of cellulite on an individual is likely influenced by other factors besides weight and body fat content however. These other factors include things like a person’s age, the thickness of their skin, their genetics, and even their gender. There seems to be some agreement amongst researchers that connective tissue is largely governed by the presence, absence, and integrity of collagen, which in turn is dependent upon the amount of estrogen in the body. This then explains why cellulite is fairly uncommon in men, while it shows up in roughly 85% of women.

It’s not just the presence of estrogen in the female body that contributes to this, though: women also tend to have a collagen fiber network that’s less structurally sound than that of men. Consider the role of estrogen too in breaking down collagen in the cervix, thus allowing women to successfully give birth to an infant. Without the ability to break down collagen in a hurry, birth would be an impossibility. And considering that cellulite formation is a direct result of collagen breakdown, it’s easy to see why so many women can suffer from the appearance of cellulite on the skin surface.

It’s worth reiterating that excess weight is not the only contributing factor when it comes to cellulite formation. There are indeed many women who are at a healthy weight, but who still present with cellulite. Weight loss alone is thus oftentimes not enough to eliminate cellulite in an individual. And, sometimes, weight loss does very little to even reduce the appearance of cellulite.

What Is Lypossage?

While people commonly turn to skin creams and other products to address the presence of cellulite, many of these so-called remedies are ineffective. But what if there were a way to address and reduce the appearance of cellulite using massage therapy?

“Lypo,” more commonly written as “lipo,” is the Latin prefix meaning “fat.” We see it show up in the word “lipid,” a common term used in biology to refer to fats in the body. Many people are also familiar with the concept of “liposuction,” which involves the surgical removal of excess fat from the body.

Lypossage, then, is a massage technique designed to reduce the presence and appearance of body fat by addressing the body’s lymphatic system, circulatory system, muscle tone, skin tone, and more.

Lypossage: Creation and Evolution

We’ll look at how proponents of lypossage claim it works when we talk about the lypossage protocol below. First, though, let’s consider the creation and evolution of lypossage as a technique.

The personal generally credited with inventing and developing lypossage is Charles W. Wilstie III, B.S., LMT. In 1999, Wiltsie conducted a yearlong study of 100 female subjects as a licensed massage therapist in the state of Connecticut. As part of the development of the technique and in carrying out the study, Wiltsie adapted techniques from physical therapy and massage to develop a practice focused on body contouring. His goal was to determine whether the right physical therapy and massage techniques — including myofascial release, deep tissue massage, skin rolling, lymphatic massage, and more — could result in the reduction of both inches and cellulite in women.

As part of his work, Wiltsie selected techniques focused on improving muscular tone, working the lymphatic system, and increasing health circulation. The results of his study were quite astounding at the time: 95% of the women involved lost a measurable amount of inches around the abdomen and thighs, including an average loss of 1.5” per thigh and 7” in total (spread across 5 target areas) per study subject.

Since then, a Belgian university study on subjects treated with lypossage has demonstrated a reduction in LDL cholesterol, body mass, and cellulite. Lypossage is now used throughout the world by professionals in Europe, Mexico, Canada, and Asia, as well as throughout the United States.

The Lypossage Protocol

So, how exactly does lypossage work?

Generally speaking, lypossage is approached through a protocol developed by Wiltsie. The idea behind the protocol is address the excessive amount of interstitial fluid and congestion that exists due to the formation of cellulite. It’s thought that this congestion occurs due to lack of proper capillary flow, which results in both inadequate blood flow and lymphatic flow.

Lypossage treatment is targeted at three specific zones on the body:

• Zone 1: the lower part of the body, including the thighs, buttocks, lower abdomen, and hips. Lypossage in this area is intended to reduce inches, improve muscle and skin tone, and properly drain the lymphatic system.
• Zone 2: the back, chest, neck, upper abdomen, and arms. Again, the expected outcome of lypossage in this zone is inch reduction and improved lymphatic low.
• Zone 3: the head, face, and neck. Lypossage to this zone is generally aimed at improving the tone and appearance of the tissues.

Given the similar outcomes expected for treatment directed at zones 1 and 2, it makes sense that the therapeutic modalities used for these zones would also be similar. Techniques used for these zones include myofascial manipulation, compression, skin rolling, and more. Meanwhile, zone 3 techniques tend to incorporate deep tissue massage and a focus on lymphatic drainage around the neck and throat.

Lypossage: Benefits and Limitations

According to Wiltsie’s study and the results observed at the University of Ghent in Belgium, it would seem that lypossage is capable of delivering on some of its claims. Both of these studies would appear to indicate that lypossage can improve skin and muscle tone, reduce cellulite, cut down on the number of inches in a particular area (thus making a part of the body appear visibly slimmer), and even improve overall health markers such as LDL cholesterol.

However, it’s important to note that these studies were conducted over long periods of time. These are not overnight results. Whereas liposuction and other forms of surgical intervention can produce dramatic and near instantaneous results in the body, lypossage requires a significant amount of time in order to be effective. It must also be combined with a good diet, adequate water intake, a healthy amount of exercise, and all of the other things we’d typically associated with taking care of one’s health and wellbeing.

In other words, lypossage is not an overnight means of addressing excessive weight or cellulite, and it isn’t designed to work miracles. This makes sense when you think about it, of course. After all, it takes a significant amount of time for the body to accumulate additional weight, develop cellulite, lose muscle tone, and so on. It therefore takes a similar amount of time to gain muscle mass, lose weight, lower cholesterol, and more. This is true whether you’re talking about changes to one’s diet, the incorporation of a new exercise regimen into one’s daily routine, or the use of a technique such as lypossage to improve one’s appearance.

In any case, proponents of lypossage generally recommend approaching the modality as part of a holistic course of treatment. In other words, lypossage works best when combined with a healthy diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and so on. The better care your take of your body, the more effective lypossage is likely to be.

MBLEx Test Prep in 2018

As we mentioned in the introduction to this article, lypossage doesn’t always show up as part of a standard course of massage education or in some MBLEx test prep courses. That said, understanding what lypossage is and how it works is still important if you want to offer your clients a knowledgeable take on the advantages and disadvantages of the modality.

If you’re a recent massage graduate who’s looking to study for and pass the MBLEx, however, look no further than Bamboo. We offer the best MBLEx test prep in 2018! Our practice tests are up to date with the new 2018 MBLEx requirements, and we offer pricing levels to meet any budget. Click here to learn more.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Lypossage: Body Contouring and Cellulite Massage Treatments appeared first on Bamboo.

Striking out on a new career path isn’t easy. Regardless of what field or occupation you choose to go into, there are always challenges to overcome and hoops that you’ll need to jump through. This is especially true when the job in question involves specific educational and licensing requirements, as is the case with massage therapy.

Have you decided to become a massage therapist? Maybe you’re still in the process of researching schools and massage programs, and you’re trying to educate yourself about all of the requirements involved in becoming a professional bodyworker. Or, you might be finishing up school right now and feeling ready to get going with your new career.

In the vast majority of states here in the U.S., you’ll need to sit for the MBLEx exam before you can become a licensed massage therapist. Simply graduating from a massage therapy program isn’t enough in and of itself. Are you ready to take the exam, though?

Some massage therapy students assume that simply doing well in school and attempting to retain the information presented to them will be enough to achieve a high score on the MBLEx test. Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case. Without a dedicated MBLEx study guide (such as the FSMTB study guide) and an adequate amount of time spent with MBLEx practice tests, achieving a good score can be quite a challenge.

There are other things to consider besides simply studying for the test, though. For example: who administers the MBLEx? How do you sign up for it? What are the educational requirements associated with it? And then, of course, you’ll want to know if there are any particularly useful ways to study and prepare for the MBLEx. While the FSMTB study guide can be a helpful start, it’s not free, and it’s likely not enough to prepare you for the test on its own.

If you’re looking to have all of these questions answered, you’ve come to the right place! In this guide, we’ll cover:

• What the MBLEx exam is
• What the FSMTB is and how it works
• Educational requirements associated with the MBLEx test
• How to sign up for the MBLEx
• How to approach studying for the MBLEx
• What content to expect on the MBLEx test
• The important of MBLEx practice tests

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a good sense of everything you need to do in order to sign up for and pass the MBLEx. Let’s get started.

What Is the MBLEx Test?

In the United States, massage therapy is generally regulated at the state level by individual state licensing boards. In order to determine a massage therapist’s competency and ability to perform safe and effective massage therapy services, 44 U.S. states (along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) use what’s called the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination, or MBLEx test. The MBLEx is a nationally recognized exam, and demonstrates to your state’s massage licensing authority that you have mastery over the basic skills and knowledge required in order to be a massage therapist.

Some states such as New York and Hawaii administer their own, specialized licensing exam for bodyworkers. However, the MBLEx is by far the most widely used test in the country, and it generally transfers well from one state to another in the event that you move and need to relocate your practice.

Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards

Because the MBLEx is used by so many state massage therapy boards, the exam is actually put together and administered by a national entity rather than any one individual state. This organization is called the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, or FSMTB. The FSMTB was founded in 2005 with the aim of creating a standardized licensing exam that could be used all across the country for the sake of evaluating the competency of massage therapists. Following collaboration between leaders in the field of massage from 48 states, the MBLEx was eventually created.

As a result of the MBLEx, nearly all U.S. states have been able to make their requirements for licensure quite similar. Before the MBLEx existed, it was difficult for one state to hold its massage therapists to the same sort of quality standards as any other individual state, due to the fact that each state was using entirely different licensure requirements. Now, with the exception of a handful of states (such as Hawaii and New York), massage therapists have considerable mobility throughout the country if they decide that they want to move their practice somewhere else.

The FSMTB also offers its own MBLEx study guide. The FSMTB study guide can be a good place to start when you’re initially preparing for the exam. However, as we’ll see below, it’s important to also devote a considerable amount of your time to practice tests if you want to achieve the highest possible score on the MBLEx test.

MBLEx Educational Requirements

When it comes to your eligibility to sit for the MBLEx, things can vary somewhat from state to state. As of now, there isn’t a national organization that regulates all massage therapy programs nationwide. Instead, massage education programs are generally approved (or not) by the state licensing board in the state where they’re located.

As a result, the FSMTB MBLEx candidate handbook explains that in order to sit for the MBLEx test, a candidate must demonstrate that they either:

• Are enrolled in and are receiving education in an approved educational program which covers all of the MBLEx test’s subject areas, or
• Have graduated from an approved massage therapy program.

In this case, “approved” refers to whether or not the state massage licensing board (or other approval agency) where the school is located has recognized and approved the school’s education program.

Signing Up for the MBLEx

Before you can take the MBLEx, you’ll have to sign up to take the exam. In order to do this, you’ll need to submit an application through the FSMTB website. If you wish, it’s also possible to submit an application via standard mail.

In addition to submitting your application directly to the FSMTB, it’s also important to have your massage school forward a copy of your records to the FSMTB. This will allow the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards to verify that you have completed (or will complete) an approved massage therapy education program.

After the FSMTB has received your education information and application, they’ll begin to process your application. Once your application has been processed, you’ll receive an email notification from the FSMTB with an Authorization to Test. This Authorization to Test will include detailed information on how you can sign up for a testing time, day, and location. You’ll have 90 days from the time you receive your Authorization to Test to sit for the exam. Sitting for the MBLEx itself costs $195, which includes the cost of processing your application.

Studying for the MBLEx

Studying for a comprehensive standardized test like the MBLEx is a major task. It’s important that you acknowledge the amount of work you’ll need to do ahead of time, and that you dedicate an adequate amount of time to preparing for the exam.

There are two distinct approaches to studying for the MBLEx, and it’s a good idea to use both simultaneously rather than simply relying on one or the other. First, you’ll want to use a good MBLEx study guide to ensure that you’re prepared for the scope of content that the exam will cover. Additionally, though, it’s important to use MBLEx practice tests in order to review the material in question while also preparing yourself for the test’s format, time limit, and structure.

As mentioned above, the FSMTB study guide can be helpful when it comes to your initial preparation for the exam. Additionally, Bamboo offers a variety of review courses (in addition to our practice test offerings) that can help you take a deeper dive into certain massage-related topics.

We recommend starting out by reviewing the material on the exam, and then moving on to spending as much time as possible with practice tests. In order to ensure that you’re adequately reviewing the material that will be tested, though, it’s important to first understand exactly what’s covered on the MBLEx.

What’s Covered on the MBLEx?

The MBLEx is comprised of seven test sections, including:

• Anatomy and physiology
• Kinesiology
• Pathology, special populations, contraindications, and areas of caution
• Soft tissue techniques
• Client assessment, reassessment, and treatment plan formulation
• Ethics, laws, and boundaries in massage therapy
• Guidelines for professional practice

Up until July 2018, a section called “Massage & Bodywork Modalities, History, and Culture” was also present on the test. However, this section has now been removed, with some of its content being combined with other sections of the test. To learn more about the changes made to the MBLEx in July 2018, click here.

Each of the seven sections above contains content that falls under specific subtopics and subcategories. The subcategories include:

Anatomy and physiology

• Body system function and structure
• Tissue injury and repair
• Energetic anatomy concepts

Kinesiology

• Musculature: characteristics and components
• Proprioceptors and muscle contractions
• Muscles: fiber directions, actions, insertions, origins, attachments, locations
• Range of motion
• Joint structure and function

Special populations, areas of caution, pathology, contraindications

• Pathology overview
• Contraindications and areas of caution
• Special populations
• Medication classes

Techniques for soft tissue manipulation

• Physiological effects of soft tissue manipulation
• Touch and psychological benefits
• Soft tissue massage techniques
• Heat and cold in massage therapy
• Benefits of soft tissue massage for specific populations
• Overview of massage and bodywork modalities

Assessment, reassessment, and treatment plans

• Organizing massage therapy sessions
• Consulting with and evaluating clients
• Collecting client data
• Assessing clients’ posture
• Using palpation
• Checking range of motion
• Using clinical reasoning

Boundaries, laws, and ethics in massage therapy

• Foundations of ethical behavior
• Professional boundaries
• Violating code of ethics
• Therapeutic relationship
• Dual relationships
• Ethical principles
• Patient confidentiality
• Professional communication
• Scope of practice for massage
• Laws and regulations for massage
• Sexual misconduct

Professional practice guidelines

• Proper use and sanitization of massage supplies and equipment
• Hygienic conditions
• Sanitation and general cleanliness
• Safety
• Draping techniques
• Self-care
• Business practices for massage therapists
• Healthcare and business terminology

A good study guide will cover all of the topics above. Be sure that whatever guide you’re using — whether it’s the FSMTB study guide, or another guide — does a thorough job of reviewing each of these topics. The MBLEx is fairly evenly divided between each of these topic areas, meaning no one section of the test is dramatically larger than any other (with the “client assessment” section being the largest at 17%, and the “anatomy and physiology” section being the smallest at 11%).

The Importance of Practice Tests

Some massage therapy students assume that they can prepare for the MBLEx the same way that they prepared for exams in massage school. They read through their notes from school, review their textbooks, and use a study guide to go over the material that they think will be covered. Once all of this is done, they feel ready to sit for the actual test.

As it turns out, though, this is potentially a major mistake for many massage students. That’s because the MBLEx is an entirely different test from the exams that you took while you were in massage school.

As a standardized test, the MBLEx has more in common in some ways with the SAT, GRE, and other standardized exams than it does with the tests you took as part of your massage education (at least when it comes to formatting). For this reason, using the same techniques to study for the MBLEx that you used when studying for tests in school can produce less than optimal results.

Instead, we highly recommend using MBLEx practice tests in order to study for the exam. Research shows that practice tests are by far the most effective way to study for a standardized test like the MBLEx.

With Bamboo, studying for the MBLEx with practice tests has never been easier — or more affordable. Our practice tests are accessible on your mobile device, and testing opportunities are unlimited. Plus, your test questions are customized based on the areas you need the most help with. To learn more about Bamboo and our affordable pricing plans, click here.

The post What You Need Before Taking the MBLEx appeared first on Bamboo.

With that said, though, you may not know where to start. What sorts of things should you consider before you try to launch your own massage business? Is there anything about running a massage establishment that you should know? How should you budget for your new massage business, considering that you’ll already have various expenditures related to your license fee, seeking board of massage therapy approval, and other requirements laid out by your home state? When you give it some real thought, the idea of starting your own massage business can actually be a little overwhelming. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you think through the process beforehand. Launching a massage establishment is a huge undertaking, and it’s essential to ensure that you’ve considered all of the variables ahead of time before you dive in.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• Getting certified as a massage therapist
• Massage business plan
• Introduction
• Outlining your services and focus
• Choosing a name
• Determining your practice location
• Marketing ideas and market research
• Expenses and financial planning
• Day to day operations
• Conclusion

Ready to get started? Here we go!

Massage Therapy Certification

Before you can go any further, the first thing you’ll need to do is ensure that you’re certified as a massage therapist in your home state of practice. In the vast majority of states across the U.S., the most important first step towards licensure and approval by your state board of massage therapy involves passing the MBLEx exam. The MBLEx is a standardized test administered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, or FSMTB. The exam is designed to test your foundational knowledge of massage therapy and assess your capacity to competently offer massage services to clients.

To sign up to take the MBLEx, you’ll need to apply for a testing date via the FSMTB website. In order to register for testing, you’ll have to submit proof that you’ve completed an approved course of massage therapy education at an accredited school. If you’re unsure of whether or not your school meets the FSMTB’s standards, you can contact them with questions. Sitting for the MBLEx costs $195, and this fee includes the application fee associated with registering for the test. You’ll receive an Authorization to Test, or ATT, via email once you’ve applied to sit for the exam. With your ATT in hand, you can take the MBLEx in your area the next time it’s offered.

Don’t confuse the MBLEx test with the National Board Certification credential offered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, or NCBTMB. Up until 2014, the NCBTMB offered its own massage exam that could count for certification purposes in many U.S. states. As of 2014, however, this exam was discontinued and replaced by the  NCBTMB Board Certification Exam. This new exam confers the National Board Certified credential to massage therapists who sit for it and pass it. However, the exam is not intended to serve as a basis for licensure. Instead, the purpose of the new National Board Certified credential is to offer an additional level of qualification to massage therapists who are looking to stand out from the crowd. Passing the NCBTMB exam is not a requirement for licensure, whereas you’ll be required to pass the MBLEx in order to obtain your license in most states.

Once you’ve obtained your massage therapy certification, you can move on to planning the launch of your new massage business. The next step towards starting your own massage establishment involves putting together a business plan.

Putting Together a Business Plan

When starting a small business where you intend to be the only employee, it might feel like you can skip this step. How complicated can it be, after all? You’ll figure it out as you go along, right? Unfortunately, taking that approach can lead to major problems further on down the road. Even if you’re planning to start very small — perhaps only offering massage services part-time while maintaining another job in the meantime — it’s essential to create a detailed business plan ahead of time. Putting everything on paper will help you to organize your thoughts, and it’ll also bring some things to the fore that you may not have thought about otherwise.

When writing a business plan, it’s best to break things up into sections. The task can feel a little overwhelming if you jump in without an outline. If you tackle your business plan one part at a time, though, it’ll feel much more manageable. Here’s how we recommend dividing up your business plan. Keep in mind that you can move these sections around and add in additional information as you see fit.

Introduction

In the introductory section of your business plan, you’ll want to start by describing your massage practice and the goals that you hope to meet. Think both short-term and long-term here. It’s important to be realistic about your short-term goals, but don’t be afraid to set hefty long-term goals, too.

For example, you may set a goal to break even your first year and turn a profit your second year. Or, your long-term goal might be to build a practice with several other massage therapists working for you. Whatever the case may be, provide as much detail here as possible. Use concrete numbers wherever possible. Instead of saying that you want to earn a profit your second year, specify exactly how much of a profit you hope to generate.

Next, you’ll want to address the legal structure of your business. You might choose to operate as a sole proprietorship, an LLC, or even an S-corporation. Each form of business entity has its advantages and disadvantages when it comes to startup costs, complexity of organization, and tax implications. It’s a good idea to do some independent research and speak with an accountant to determine which business structure makes the most sense in combination with your particular goals.

Finally, go into some detail about what you bring to the table, both as a massage therapist and a business owner. Imagine that you’re trying to sell this idea to someone else. Convince them that you’re capable of success, both personally and professionally. If you have prior experience managing or running a business, mention it here. If there’s anything you took away from massage school that you intend to bring to bear on your new practice, this is a great place to talk about it. Don’t be afraid to draw from prior life experiences, too — both personal and professional.

Services and Focus

Depending on the length of your introductory section, you may want to combined your practice’s services and focus with the intro. If your introduction is particularly long, dedicating a separate section to your massage establishment’s services can help keep things clearer and easier to keep track of.

In this section, you’ll want to go into detail about exactly what services you intend to offer. Imagine that you’re a potential client who knows absolutely nothing about massage. What exactly is it that your massage establishment offers? Who are these services appropriate for? What potential benefits do they offer? What sets your business and services apart from similar businesses in the area? By clearly communicating all of this early on in your business plan, you’ll have an easier time with the market research and marketing section below.

Massage Business Name

Choosing a name for your massage establishment can be both fun and intimidating. It’s a huge decision, and it can be hard to know where to start.

In some cases, massage therapists simply use their own name for their massage business, rather than giving a name to their practice. There are some advantages to naming your business something other than your own personal name, though, particularly if your practice will have a very specific focus. For example, a practice focusing on sports massage might want to include “Sports Massage” as part of the business name. It can also help with your marketing efforts (see below) to include a place name as part of the name of your business, such as the name of your town (or, in the case of a big city, your area of town).

Before you spend any time or money promoting a name, make sure it’s actually available. Your state’s Secretary of State website should have a directory which includes all of the registered businesses in your state. You can search this directory using a couple of keywords from your proposed business name to ensure that another business with the same name doesn’t already exist.

Location of Your Massage Practice

Next up, it’s important to consider your business’s location. This can fit in with your massage establishment’s focus, services, and goals. Are you planning to run your business from home? If so, that will likely limit your ability to expand (unless you later move into a larger external space). Do you want to offer mobile, in-home massage services? That will have a direct impact on the type of financial planning and marketing you do. Are you thinking you want to rent out a room in a larger facility, or rent an entire building? This will bring added costs that you’ll need to account for.

Market Research and Marketing Strategy

The importance of marketing can’t be understated when it comes to launching a new business. Without proper marketing, the rest of your efforts will likely go to waste.

One of the biggest mistakes that new business owners make is the assumption that potential customers will somehow simply stumble upon you of their own accord. While this certainly happens now and again, the harsh reality is that most new clients will have to see and/or hear the name of your business many, many times before they actually consider making an appointment. The average person is exposed to thousands of ads on a regular basis, and will need to see an advertisement at least seven times before taking action. If you don’t devote time and energy to marketing, your potential customers likely won’t take notice of your new business.

To start with, it’s important to do a little bit of market research. How many other businesses are there in your area offering similar services? What are their price points? From there, you can identify your market and target clients. Who are your ideal clients? Where do they work? What kind of income do they earn? What places do they frequent? What websites do they visit, and how active are they on social media? What’s the total size of your market, and how does this impact your short- and long-term goals?

Next, go into some detail about how you plan to advertise your business. Will you incorporate both print and digital advertising? Can you incentivize existing clients to refer friends and family to you? What strategies are successful massage businesses in your area using to attract new customers?

Financial Planning and Expenses

As we mentioned above, it can be easy to gloss over the financial planning aspect of your business if it’s a particularly small or part-time endeavor. However, skipping this step isn’t a good idea. Even if your new massage business seems small enough to demand minimal resources, you’ll absolutely need to devote adequate time and space in the development of your business plan to discuss financial planning and expenses.

To begin with, touch on the amount of startup capital you have and where it’s coming from. How much startup funding do you have in total? How long can you run your business on those startup funds?

In order to answer that last question, you’ll need to put together a list of all of your initial expenses. Include one-time expenses, monthly bills (such as rent, internet, utilities, and so on), annual expenses (such as your license fees), and any other expenses associated with your business.

Then, break these expenses up into a monthly operating budget. Divide your annual expenses up into monthly chunks, and determine exactly how much per month you’ll need to earn in order to break even.

With all of this information in hand, you can put together a monthly cash flow estimate. What does cash flow look like from month to month? What’s your break-even number each month? When do you expect to start earning a monthly profit? Do you have a plan in place for how you’ll do your accounting?

Do your best to address potentially problematic financial scenarios in this section, too. Are there any backup sources of emergency capital that you could access? What if you decide that running a massage business isn’t for you, and you want to shift career paths?

Operations

An often overlooked aspect of starting a new massage business is how daily operations will be managed. It’s easy to simply think of running a massage business as a matter of simply providing massage services to clients. As many new business owners quickly find out, though, there’s a lot more than comes along with starting a massage establishment than simply offering massage sessions.

In this section of your business plan, take the time to discuss how much time you plan to devote to operational and administrative tasks. Will you be doing all of your own paperwork, appointment booking, and marketing? How much time can you afford to devote to these tasks each week, and where will you block off this time? Do you intend to hire anyone? If so, who and when?

Conclusion

Don’t just end your business plan arbitrarily with the last item in the operations section. Instead, take a moment to summarize your goals and how your plan will allow you to meet them. Read through your business plan a couple of times before writing this section, as it will help bring everything together in your mind. As you’re writing your conclusion, you may find that you want to make adjustments to some of the details outlined earlier in your business plan. Feel free to do this, and come back to the conclusion when you’re ready.

Launching Your Own Massage Therapy Business

Congratulations on making it this far! If you’ve put together your own business plan, you’re one step closer to starting your own massage therapy business. Remember, though, that obtaining certification in your state is an important first step. Bamboo offers MBLEx test prep materials and practice tests at affordable prices. If you’re planning to start your own massage business, the last thing you want to do is waste time studying the wrong test materials. Let Bamboo take the guesswork out of the process! Click here to learn more about our pricing and start studying today.

The post How to Start a Massage Therapy Establishment appeared first on Bamboo.

 In 2005, it’s estimated that massage therapy may have made for a $6 billion industry. Since then, it’s grown considerably. According to researchers and data from the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), massage is now estimated to be a $16 billion per year industry here in the United States alone. With around 350,000 massage therapists and students nationwide, roughly one in one hundred people is engaged in some way in the massage industry. Revenue and job growth has shifted as well. Over the past five years, revenue generated by alternative and complementary health practitioners (including massage therapist) increased by around 4%, while employment numbers went up by 3.3%. Consumer survey data indicates that as many as 59.5 million adult Americans — roughly 24% of the population here in the United States — got at least one massage. It’s clear that the massage industry is growing. Massage is gaining popularity amongst Americans, with an increasing number of people seeking out massage for a variety of reasons. At the same time, the number of massage therapists is inching upward from year to year, even as the industry grows and revenue increases. If you’re new to the field of massage and currently studying for the MBLEx massage exam, you might be wondering where the industry is headed. What can you expect in the future as a massage therapist? Will growth continue indefinitely? What do consumers want these days from their massage therapist? What are the primary reasons that people are seeking out massage? What’s the approximate demographic of the average massage therapist? Will employment continue to go up, or is there a chance that finding a job will be difficult?

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the major trends in the massage industry. Our goal will be to answer as many of your questions as possible about the future of massage. After this short read, you’ll have a better sense of some of the major trends in the industry. Ready to learn more? Let’s get started.

Massage Will Continue to Grow

Some massage therapists worry about industry growth. Newer massage therapists and current students are particularly concerned. When you’re just getting into a new industry and don’t have an established business in place, the thought of a shrinking industry can be frightening. Will people continue to come for massages in droves? Will the industry get bigger, or is there a bubble that’s about to burst? According to the AMTA, the massage industry shows no signs of slowing down when it comes to overall growth. As mentioned above, overall revenue industry wide grew by roughly 4% between 2012-2017. As of this year, the estimate is that revenue will continue to grow by at least 4% per year from now until 2022.  Further, the Bureau for Labor Statistics estimates that overall job growth will be much higher than average here in the United States. While the average growth rate across all occupations (in terms of employment levels) is around 7%, massage therapy is expected to grow by a staggering 26% by 2026. Part of this growth is attributed to the aging baby boomer generation, which will seek out an increasing amount of treatment from massage therapists in the years to come.

Massage Therapist Demographics

Job growth and increased revenue seem to be a given with massage in the coming years. But what about demographics amongst massage therapists? What is the average massage therapist like? Will you as an individual practitioner fit in with the current demographic, or will you stand out amongst your peers? In an industry survey from 2017, the AMTA found a number of interesting facts about who the average massage therapist is. According to AMTA data, the majority of massage therapists get into massage as a second career: it’s somewhat rare for someone to jump into massage straight out of high school or college as a first job. Nearly 90% of massage therapists are female, with men making up a small fraction of the workforce. Massage therapists are also predominantly middle aged: the median age for massage therapists is 46, with only 22% of practitioners nationwide being under 35 years old. Other data gives further insight into what it’s like to work in the massage profession. For example, the AMTA noted that the majority of massage therapists run a solo practice rather than working in a group setting. Additionally, the average number of hours worked per week came to 19.5 nationwide. Keep in mind that this number only refers to the actual number of hours dedicated to massage treatment, and doesn’t include other business-related tasks such as restocking supplies, marketing and advertising their massage business, dealing with insurance and scheduling, keeping up with accounting, and so on.

Additionally, massage therapists were charging an average of $72.13 per hour for massage. This number was up from $71.64 in 2016, and it’s expected to continue to inch up from year to year. Overall, massage therapists were earning roughly $58 per hour once all other work was factored in. One last interesting thing to note is the trend in work environments for massage professionals. While many people associate massage with a spa environment, only about 23% of therapists work in a spa or salon of some kind. Meanwhile, 44% of massage therapists reported that they perform at least some of their work in a client’s home, with another 42% performing some of their work in their own office (and 29% in their own home). This is in alignment with the data indicating that the majority of massage therapists are sole practitioners.

Why Clients Seek Out Massage Therapy

While it’s important to understand how things are trending within the massage profession in terms of job growth, revenue, and practitioner demographics, there’s another important question to address. With so many Americans seeking out massage each year, what is their primary motivation? Why are they going to get a massage? By understanding what clients are looking for, you can ensure that you’re offering services that line up with the needs and wants of the majority of massage clients. According to data from the National University of Health Sciences, fully 52% of people who recently received a massage did so for primarily medical reasons. The next most prevalent primary reason for receiving a massage was for the sake of relaxation and stress reduction, a response reported by 33% of people. 19% sought out massage for pain relief or pain management, 15% for general soreness, stiffness, or muscle spasm, 11% in order to recover from an injury or as part of a larger program of rehabilitation, another 11% as a “special indulgence” or simply in order to feel good, 5% for the sake of overall wellness and health, and only 1% for prenatal or pregnancy reasons.

This data is interesting to keep in mind if you’re beginning your career in massage. When studying for the massage licensing exam, consider how familiar you are with addressing each of these issues. Also, think about how you might like to direct your practice as part of the overall massage profession. A focus on prenatal massage, for example, will likely require a significant amount of marketing on your part in order to be viable and profitable. Meanwhile, specializing in medical massage and following a massage career path that places you in a medical environment could be a good move if you’re looking for a secure future and a predictable income.

State Licensing Requirement and Industry Acceptance Trends

Years ago, massage wasn’t regulated at all. With the founding of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) in 2005 and the establishment of the MBLEx massage licensing exam, things have changed considerably. According to the Bureau for Labor Statistics, an increasing number of states are expected to adopt licensure requirements in the coming years. As of now, 46 states (along with the District of Columbia) already regulate massage and/or offer voluntary state-level certification. The AMTA’s assumption is that some local municipalities may begin to regulate massage as well, in instances where the state fails to do so. As of now, the majority of states regulating massage require that those new to the profession sit for and pass the MBLEx massage licensing exam before they can begin practicing in that state.

With more and more states licensing massage, it’s estimated that the profession will become increasingly accepted as a useful complementary health modality by mainstream medical practitioners. As this begins to happen, the demand for massage therapy will increase even further. Of course, it’s worth remembering that limitations placed on clients by their insurance coverage could hinder the ability of certain segments of the population to obtain medical massage.

Trends in Massage Therapy and Health Care

Years ago, mainstream medical practitioners were suspicious of massage. Some of them considered it harmless at best, while others lumped it together with other alternative modalities (such as chiropractic treatment) as nothing more than a waste of their patients’ time and money. In recent years, though, this has changed dramatically. Part of the reason for the change is the number of Americans who have begun to broach the topic of massage with their doctor or another health care practitioner. According to the AMTA, as many as 50 million adult Americans had talked to their doctor about the potential benefits of massage at some point in the past year. That’s roughly 18% of the total population. Out of those 50 million Americans, 59% of them were referred to a therapist and/or had massage therapy recommended to them by their doctor. The statistics are similar amongst chiropractors and physical therapists, with 40% of chiropractors and 46% of physical therapists recommending a patient seek out massage following an inquiry from one of their patients.

Additionally, both massage therapists and clients want to see massage further integrated into the health care industry as a whole. According to survey data, around 64% of Americans said that they want their insurance to cover massage therapy. Meanwhile, virtually all massage therapists — some 97% — say that they believe massage ought to be considered part of the health care field.

What Do Client Want? Trends for 2018

 As a massage therapist, your job is to cater to the needs of your clients. Every client is different. Some come in with a sports related injury, while others might be suffering from chronic pain that’s been with them for years. Still others may have suffered an acute injury as the result of a car accident or something similar. And, of course, there are a large number of clients who simply want to de-stress with a massage every now and then.

The question is, what do your clients want from you as a massage professional?

First, clients appear to be demanding an increasing amount of personalization as part of their overall massage experience. The average client doesn’t want to receive the exact same massage that everyone else gets when they come into your office. When a client comes in, they feel that they should be able to describe their current condition — sometimes at great length — and then have you formulate a customized treatment strategy for their particular issue. As a result, you’ll need to ensure that you stay up to date on a wide variety of massage modalities and have the tools necessary to offer your clients what they want.

Additionally, clients are increasingly interested in preventative health care. While many clients will continue to come to see you for medical- and injury-related reasons, it’s becoming more and more common for people to seek out massage as a kind of preventative therapy. With this in mind, you should expect some clients to come to you with a generalized desire to simply “feel better” and “take care of themselves.” Knowing how to talk these clients through their experience, explaining to them the various benefits of massage therapy for their overall wellbeing, will help to ensure that they keep coming back as a repeat client for further preventative care.

The Future of Massage

 The massage profession is changing rapidly, but all signs currently indicate that things are looking good for massage therapists. More and more states will likely begin to regulate massage in the years to come, and existing regulations could grow more stringent. If you’re in a state which currently has no licensing requirements, it would be a good idea to brush up on the MBLEx massage licensing exam. Bamboo offers affordable study guides and practice tests to help prepare you for the massage exam, should you ever need to take it. Click here to learn more about Bamboo.

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