Massage Hours Analysis

Introduction

In 1998 the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE) formed a task force in an effort to create a minimum curriculum standard for massage schools. The question the task force grappled with was, "how much training, and in what subjects, is necessary to turn out graduates that are competent in one modality, safe (no harm to public or selves), and marketable (able to get a job)." Although the task force never finished its project, CAMBS has been working on it since then. At almost every CAMBS meeting, school owners and managers have discussed and outlined the topics that at a minimum should be taught to every massage student. Currently CAMBS is trying to determine the length of time it takes to cover this specific material in a basic massage course.

The rationale for minimum education guidelines based on an analysis of needed content and actual hours necessary to transmit that content to the student is thought by CAMBS to provide the following benefits:

1. Costs to students are realistic, based on information actually needed to begin working as a massage technician.
2. Minimum standards guarantee a certain amount of accountability on the part of schools to turn out students who are competent in at least one modality, no danger to the public or themselves, and marketable.
3. Content-based curricula are founded on needs of student and school, rather than creating an artificial curriculum in an attempt to fill up the number of hours required by a round-number established before content and needs were analyzed.
4. Equalizes school accountability in implementing and assessing curricula while retaining the flexibility to address diverse learning needs.

Massage Therapy Titles; What is a Therapist?

The title massage therapist has no legal definition and sometimes means all things to all people.  However, massage schools have used some of the following terms to name their programs and the terms are in general use in the profession to define varying levels of practice and experience/skills.

Massage Non-professional or avocational

One who provides massage therapy for friends and family but is not in the business of providing massage therapy as a profession.  Such a person does not charge for services and generally does not carry professional liability insurance.

Massage Technician

Historically, this has been the terminology for an entry-level massagist, who hasusually learned one modality such as Swedish massage, reflexology, or acupressure.  May work in private practice on healthy people, to provide a relaxing massage, or may work at a facility such as a spa or resort, giving relaxing massages.  Sometimes works at beauty salons or for a chiropractor giving basic soft tissue massage.  May or may not have professional liability insurance.  Usually does not have enough training to do massage therapy, working with injuries, chronic pain, or other pathology.  May have as little as 100 hours of training.  There are still many cities that only require 100 hours of training for a massage permit.  There are many massagists in California who have only 100 hours of training and who have been taking care of their clients and providing a satisfying level of service for many years.  There is no evidence that  they need more training a long as they stick to working on basically healthy people and refer out when pathology arises.

The recent trend  in some cities (now that more jobs are available and the graduate at this level is less likely to be self employed) is to limit massage technicians to working under the supervision of another massage therapist, spa director, chiropractor, etc. since the supervisor supposedly has more knowledge and experience and can direct the technician safely.

Massage Practitioner

This title is used sometimes for entry-level massagists,  sometimes for massagists with more training than a technician who still are not at the level of providing therapy for pathology such as injuries, chronic pain, lymphedema disease, etc.  200-500 hours of training.  Many cities have increased their licensing requirements to this level.

Massage Therapist

The term “Massage Therapist” generally means that the therapist has more than the minimum amount of training, has learned several modalities, has more than the minimum amount of training in anatomy and physiology and pathology, may have training in adjunctive subjects such as movement training (tai chi, etc.).  They are qualified to work on their own without supervision, more likely to get continuing education and carry liability insurance, and are qualified to work with soft tissue injury and pain.  500 or more hours of training.  Cities that have been lobbied by the AMTA or that have parlor problems tend to increase licensing requirements to a minimum of 500 hours, even though there is no evidence that this makes the therapist safer or more competent as far as the public is concerned, and it certainly doesn't solve the parlor problem.

Holistic Health Practitioner

Also not a legal title, however is used in the profession to refer to a massage therapist with the maximum training available.  1000 hours of training.  Not necessary in very many cities for licensing; most therapists pursue this goal for their own satisfaction or to be a teacher in a massage school.

Possible Requirements

• Massage Intern 100 Hours
• Massage Practitioner 180 Hours
• Massage Therapist 250 Hours

Conclusion

When we define who the therapist is, we give the student and the school a clear goal. Now that we have defined the goal of the student we can look at the program and fulfillment of student expectation.

What is in a massage program?

Each school maintains a diverse and creative program that utilizes a variety of teaching methods.  However, the key elements or major categories remain the same.

In most programs the information is presented in the class designated as such and then repeated and expanded upon many times throughout the program.  For example; a school many spend 10 official hours on business and ethics but the information is expanded upon in future classes.  Therefore the categories become a minimum indication while the information is maximized throughout the program.

In some form each of these categories appear in most programs.  Therefore we can use them as a template for percentage requirements.

Theory, Practice and Professionalism  & Optional Clinic	68%
Anatomy and Physiology	15%
Business and Ethics	6%
Self  Care	4%
Contraindications Health and Safety	3%
Testing	4%

Clinics

Clinic should be an optional item.  The purpose is to provide the student more practice time on the public in a safe, supervised setting.  If a school should choose not to offer students a clinic or if the clinic is optional, the clinic percentage would be absorbed into the theory and practice categories.

It can be assumed that while the student is in the clinic, they are learning and using all learned techniques and requirements while increasing knowledge in the variables of real life and text book situations. Therefore for the purposes of the outline we will add Clinic into Theory, Practice and Professionalism.

100 Hours for Massage Practitioner Limited

180 Hours for Massage Practitioner

250 Hours for Massage Therapist

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© CAMBS, 2003, 8331 Sierra College Blvd. #210, Granite Bay, California 95746

Websmithing by Keith Eric Grant — keg@ramblemuse.com
Last Modified — 11 August 2003