The Massage Therapy Program at Delta College in Covington offers you the chance to attend massage therapy school and train for a new, exciting career in a growing industry. You get the chance to work with your hands, which is an idea that excites and motivates many of our students. Massage Therapy classes in Covington are very hands-on so that you get real experience with your new skills.
Approximate completion time: Day-7.5months, Night 12 months.
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This program is designed to provide the student with the theory and the practice of a variety of recognized modalities and also prepares the student to successfully pass the state examination. The anatomy and physiology classes will inform students about the body and its functions related to massage. The modalities of massage classes will provide basic training techniques, theory related to the techniques, and many hours of hands-on experience. Other health care classes including herbology, stress management, nutrition, and many others will provide a complete, well-rounded health care background. As a professional massage therapist in the health care field, opportunities for employment are constantly being made available. Physical rehabilitation centers, chiropractic clinics, health clubs, resort spas, university athletic departments, beauty salons, corporate offices, hospitals, and private practices all reflect the growing demand for well-trained massage therapists.
See each topic below for more information about the potential of being a Massage Therapist.
Many physicians have been recommending massage therapy for nearly 2,400 years. The medical benefits of “friction” were first documented in Western culture by Greek physician Hippocrates around 400 B.C. Today, massage therapy is being used as a means of treating painful ailments, decompressing tired and overworked muscles, reducing stress, rehabilitating sports injuries, and promoting genera l health. This is accomplished by manipulating a client’s soft tissues in order to improve the body’s circulation and move waste product from the muscles.
While massage therapy is done for medical benefit, a massage can be given to simply relax or rejuvenate the person being massaged. It is important to note that this type of massage is not intended for a medical purpose and provides medical value only through general stress reduction and increased energy levels. Massage therapy, on the other hand, is practiced by thoroughly trained individuals who provide specialized care with their client’s medical health in mind.
Massage therapists can specialize in over 80 different types of massage, called modalities. Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, reflexology, acupressure, sports massage, and neuromuscular massage are just a few of the many approaches to massage therapy. Most massage therapists specialize in several modalities, which require different techniques. Some use exaggerated strokes ranging the length of a body part, while others use quick, percussion-like strokes with a cupped or closed hand. A massage can be as long as two hours or as short as five or ten minutes. Usually, the type of massage therapists give depends on the client’s needs and the client’s physical condition. For example, they use special techniques for elderly clients that they would not use for athletes, and they would use approaches for clients with injuries that would not be appropriate for clients seeking relaxation. There are also some forms of massage that are given solely to one type of client (for example, prenatal massage and infant massage).
Delta College’s Massage Therapy program in Covington, LA, will arm students with information and experience so that they can perform their job responsibilities with confidence and accuracy.
Massage therapists work in an array of settings both private and public: private offices, studios, hospitals, nursing homes, fitness centers, sports medicine facilities, airports, and shopping malls, for example. Some massage therapists also travel to clients’ homes or offices to provide a massage. It is not uncommon for full-time massage therapists to divide their time among several different settings, depending on the clients and locations scheduled.
Massage therapists held about 144,600 jobs in 2020. About two-thirds (38%) were self-employed. Of those self-employed, most owned their own business, and the rest worked as independent contractors. Others found employment in salons and spas, the offices of physicians and chiropractors, fitness and recreational sports centers, and hotels. About three-quarters of all massage therapists worked part time or had variable schedules, although many massage therapists who work 15-30 hours per week consider themselves to be full-time workers.
– Information taken from the Occupational Outlook Handbook Online (April 18, 2022)
Employment of massage therapists is projected to grow 32 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 23,300 openings for massage therapists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Massage is an increasingly popular technique for relaxation and reduction of stress. As workplaces try to distinguish themselves as employee-friendly, providing professional in-office, seated massages for employees is becoming a popular on-the-job benefit.
Increased interest in alternative medicine and holistic healing will mean increased opportunities for those skilled in massage therapy. Health care providers and medical insurance companies are beginning to recognize massage therapy as a legitimate treatment and preventative measure for several types of injuries and illnesses.
– Information taken from the Occupational Outlook Handbook Online (April 18, 2022)
The median annual wage for massage therapists was $46,910 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $24,450, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $77,600. Most massage therapists earn a combination of wages and tips and may receive free or discounted massages as a benefit.
– Information taken from the Occupational Outlook Handbook Online (April 18, 2022)
