Why massage therapy program stands apart from other career opportunities?

Did you know that Massage Therapy is one of the fastest growing career fields? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected increase in employment of massage therapists from 2012 to 2022 is 23%, which is much faster than the average of 11% for all jobs. Individuals choose to pursue massage therapy for many reasons, including:

• Scheduling Flexibility: Most individuals want to have the scheduling flexibility to tend to their family, hobbies and be free to work when they want to, not when they are told to. Licensed massage therapists have that option if they decide to build their own practice, which some decide to do. Therefore, massage therapists are able to work as often and as long as they wish.
   
• Workplace Flexibility: As a massage therapist, massage therapists are able to choose from a variety of environments to work in such as medical spas, hospitals, private practices, spas, cruise ships and with sports teams, to name a few. Large companies such as Google hire massage therapists specifically for their employees to help with stress relief and to increase productivity.
   
• Job Satisfaction: Massage therapists are able to help their clients deal with various ailments, both physical and mental. Due to the nature of the job as well as the scheduling flexibility, massage therapists are satisfied with their occupation.

Finding a massage therapy program that fits your career goals is the first step to being successful in this career. While there are many massage therapy courses available nationwide, not all are properly accredited. For a quality, comprehensive education, consider enrolling in a massage therapy degree program such as the one offered by New York College of Health Professions.

Rising trend of holistic treatments in United States

The acceptance of holistic treatments has been rapidly spreading in the United States. Complementary therapies such as massage therapy and acupuncture are now being utilized to treat a variety of ailments including chronic pain, rehabilitation from strokes and cancer, depression and migraines.  Patients are treated in medical spas, hospitals, wellness centers and with private practitioners who often come to their home . Due to the lack of side effects, many patients prefer the natural treatments to the Western approach. Nonetheless, the combination of Western treatments with complementary therapies typically produce the best results for more serious ailments.

Physicians and Registered Nurses (RNs) are joining the holistic movement by educating themselves in complementary treatments. By being able to provide natural solutions to their patients, they are able to provide their patients with thorough, holistic care. Holistic Nursing programs consist of introductory courses of Traditional Chinese Medical principles in Nutrition, Physical Arts, Acupuncture, Herbalism as well as Asian and Western Bodywork to treat the patient, while still observing the principles of the Western approach.

One of the main principles of holistic modalities is to address the body as a whole, which helps promote, maintain and restore health throughout the physical, mental and emotional aspects of a patient. Depending on their place of employment, Registered Nurses can use various holistic modalities in their practice including aromatherapy, holistic nutrition, massage therapy and eastern nutrition. The best holistic nursing programs offer comprehensive courses exploring the various aspects of holistic nursing.

New York College of Health Professions offers a Continuing Education Holistic Nursing Program for RNs, which consists of a 412.5 clock-hour program and a supervised, 50 hour clinical internship over a time span of 4 terms. Open only to Registered Nurses, students learn to integrate holistic nursing theory with Oriental clinical assessment and diagnostic techniques. Some additional required courses are Introduction to the Fundamentals of Traditional Chinese Medicine, T’ai Chi Chuan, Asian Bodywork and the execution of holistic nursing theory to clinical practice. Graduates of this program are eligible to take the NCCAOM exam for National Certification in Asian Bodywork. Upon successful completion of the NCCAOM exam, the candidate is granted the title of Diplomate of Asian Bodywork.