Question about a career in Massage Therapy...?!

Question about a career in Massage Therapy...?

Hi everyone. I am currently just over halfway through Paramedic school ( I love emergency medicine and will be a good Medic but the shifts are long so you only have to work a couple of days a week!). Before Medic school, I had been thinking about a job in Massage Therapy. It is something I'm still very much interested in as I am a big believer in natural healing/relaxation. I've heard you can make really good money doing it. I was wondering if I could get some insight from you guys as to if it would be worth persuing, how much money can be made, what are the best techniques, and just general opinions on massage. Any Massage Therapists out there your advice would be great! (PS I live in Pennsylvania in the 'burgh area so I don't know what all education or anything I'll need.) Thanks soooo much!

The prerequisites I tell all prospective massage students is the following:

First, "You gotta have the want to". Meaning that you have to have the inner drive to want to help people. If you are going into it just to make money, look into other types of training, because you will burnout right away, because the true spirit of being an MT isn't wholly about making money. (Why did you decide to become a Paramedic? Think about it.)

Secondly, prepare to be a "professional student". When a client of yours asks to work on a certain muscle or asks you why a certain muscle hurts, if you don't know what you are talking about, you will at the least sound uninformed and at the worst, you will lose that client and will probably never get any others, because "people talk". Think about it, when you want to get recommendations, who do you talk to?

As you know, you can't fake it when you are working on or with the human body. (I am sure your Paramedic training has taught you that). Besides, there is too much mediocrity out there all ready.

Besides Anatomy & Physiology, you will also have to master massage theory, techniques, history, contraindications, physical assessment, as well as Business Law, Record Keeping, Ethics and Traditional Oriental Medicine concepts.

Then be tested upon all of the above by the school you are attending and in some states a National massage board.

If you are ready, willing and able to complete all of the above, then have at it !!