How to Spot a Legit Massage Therapist

Is massage safe?

In doing research for blog topics I have an alert for massage inboxed to me daily. A lot of the articles are on bad apple massage therapists than do a little extra on the side and subsequently get caught. Just wanted to touch on some ways to tell if your massage therapist is legit or did they go to Crackerjack University.

In the state of Michigan it is not required to have a state license as of yet; the hearing is next month to start the long process of figuring that all out. What is required is that a massage therapist takes a course with a minimum of so many hours, 500 is the assumed amount from an approved school. There are a few schools that are legit and some fly by night schools that people should be aware of. In these courses we have to do lab work or clinical work plus anatomy and physiology. The 500 hour requirement is from the liability company that we as therapists have to carry. Much like doctors, if we break your arm we are held liable for you, hence the need for insurance. As a consumer what questions can you ask to insure your therapist is the real deal?

1. Where did you go to school?
2. What was the length of your training?
3. Who is your primary liability company?
4. How long have you been practicing?
5. Have you taken any extra courses since graduation?

Asking these questions a newer therapist maybe put off by them but it’s something a consumer can ask. In trusting your body with a massage therapist, I ask these questions when I was searching for a therapist, so do not feel intimidated.

Let me touch base on the questions to further explain them. The first one about where the schooling was obtained is important. No one school is more superior then another though a lot of people think Irene’s in Southfield is the best. They are a great school, I did not attend there, but several massage therapist friends have. If the school name sounds funny like Poppy’s Enrichment Academy (made up name), it might be something to question.

The length of training, this is important. Depending on school depends on the length of schooling. One school maybe 12 months and another maybe only 9 months but be leery of any school that rushes through in 4 months. There is no possible way to rush through the anatomy that fast without forgetting a bunch.

As for liability insurance ABMP (Associated Bodyworker’s and Massage Professionals) or AMTA (American Massage Therapy Association) are the only ones the national board will recognize.

Any continuing education courses taken are good but not required unless specializing in a certain massage like Lymphatic Drainage. Lymphatic Drainage is dealing with the lymph system that flushes toxins out of our bodies.

I know this is a lot of information to digest just wanted to blog about how to tell if your massage therapist is legit. There has been a lot of negative news lately about massage studios being shut down because of illegal activity so as an educator on massage therapy I feel obligated to inform anyone reading this blog.