Massage Therapy School in Aurora, IL
Pure Health Physical Medicine, an Aurora practice, states that while people often think of massage as an anniversary or birthday treat, it can boost health. Their doctors (a D.O. and two chiropractors) frequently prescribe massage (https://getpurehealthnow.com/massage-therapy-aurora-purehealth). There’s plenty of evidence that the notion of massage as therapy is no longer in the fringe. The National University of Health Sciences, just down the road in Lombard, quotes research that 43% of adults who opted for massage in the recent past did so for health or medical reasons (https://www.nuhs.edu/).
In the Aurora area, one will find individual massage therapists who are very confident about what they have to offer — not just confident that it’s therapeutic, but confident of the particular ways in which it is. Massage and bodywork is a broad discipline. Massage therapists may choose to become experts in a limited set of modalities, designed for specific purposes. One will find massage therapists in the Aurora area allied with physical therapists, chiropractors, and sports professionals. One will also find them on their own, applying research-based techniques in their own private practices.
Fitness centers may also have in-house massage therapists. Signature Fitness, for example, boasts athletic training, group training, cardio fitness equipment — and signature massages.
The Aurora area also has its share of spas and salons. Even in these settings, there are people who are passionate about healing. The Kane County Chronicle featured an Elburn reflexologist and how she came to use reflexology in palliative care (https://www.kcchronicle.com/2018/01/14/reflexologist-in-elburn-provides-palliative-care/aqeaspx/). The location for her practice is given as Shear Image Salon and Spa.
Of course massage can be promoted as a treat – or as a social event! Calla Lily Salon and Day Spa, for example, incorporates massage into some of its spa parties: bridal showers, birthday parties, and girls’ day out. Heavenly Massage Day Spa exemplifies the blend of healthcare and indulgence that is so common in the spa industry today; the practice offers therapeutic massages like “back, shoulders, and neck” and postnatal massage. It also offers treats like massage with aromatherapy creams.
Awaken Massage and Skin Care brings yoga and Reiki, an energy modality, into the mix. This practice offers multiple therapeutic massages. They can even provide sinus massage as an add-on. They can also add services like a sugar foot scrub or paraffin hand treatment. Among the less common massages they offer is Esalen.
Popular Massage Schools Near Aurora
The College of DuPage offers its 750-hour program through the continuing education department. Techniques are taught over a three-session progression. Students have coursework in massage for prenatal and special populations. They have one term of clinic basics and one term of professional development clinic. The college touts its high MBLEx pass rate.
The National University of Health Sciences in Lombard provides its students with clinical experiences in an integrative health center. Massage therapy students learn anatomy and physiology in the same state-of-the-art lab the university’s graduate students use.
The School of Holistic Massage and Reflexology in Downers Grove offers a 600-hour massage therapy certification program. The 40-hour Level 1 reflexology course is offered to LMTs as continuing education and also available to other interested individuals.
The International Massage and Spa Academy in St. Charles offers a 600-hour program that can be completed in six months. This school also touts its high examination pass rate.
Employment and Self-Employment Options
A massage therapist doesn’t have to work for an established healthcare center to practice therapeutic massage. My Suburban Life profiled the Lombard massage therapist at the helm of Dynamic Massage Therapy (https://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2014/01/17/lombard-massage-therapist-strives-to-heal/af8byqi/). The massage therapist noted she had been referring clients to massage therapists in a past career as personal trainer and fitness instructor. She has pioneered her own signature bodywork technique. Comparing her new career to her old one, she said that giving instant pain relief was ultimately more gratifying. The article was written back in 2014, but Dynamic Massage Therapy continues to serve its clientele. A check-in in 2019 finds the business advertising precision pain relief and several other massage styles for special populations, among them, infant massage and geriatric massage.
In the world of therapeutic massage, earnings are highly variable. The median wage in the greater Chicago area was $22.01in 2017, but those at the 90th percentile made $35.61. For an entrepreneur, the earning potential is greater. LMT studios may price their massage sessions at well over $1 a minute; $100+ for a one-hour session is not unheard of. There may of course be significant business expenses (e.g. renting that dream studio). Ideally, education has depth and breadth; massage therapists can benefit from advanced training and certification in a specialty area and also from solid business coursework.
Those who prefer solid hours over high earning potential (or are just starting out) may find massage chains or franchises attractive. There are multiple franchises in the area. Elements Massage in Geneva has a 4.9 Google rating. Massage Envy – Naperville North has a 4.4 Google rating as does the Hand and Stone in Springbrook Prairie Pavilion.
Continuing Education
Continuing education courses help LMTs develop their specialty practices. This metropolitan area has a lot to offer. Body Kneads Massage Therapy in Peoria offers two oncology massage courses: a general oncology massage course and a course in massage for the chemotherapy infusion patient.
An LMT can go to Chicago for specialized continuing education like Zen Shiatsu training or trigger point therapy. The Chicago Center for Myofascial Pain Relief offers trigger point courses for different parts of the body; it also offers training in health conditions like fibromyalgia and frozen shoulder.