Massage Therapy School in Davenport, IA
There’s a lot going on in the world of therapeutic massage in Davenport and the Quad Cities area. There is some healthcare presence. There are also many private studios. It’s not necessarily an either-or – there is a blurry line between the wellness industry and the healthcare industry, and one will find professionals with many credentials building their careers together.
Capri College notes opportunities for massage therapists working with people throughout the lifespan; infant/ prenatal massage and hospice massage are both included on their list of potential career opportunities. They also list chiropractic offices, healthcare organizations, salons, fitness spas, and hotel/ resort/ cruise ship as career options.
Massage Therapy Schools in Davenport and Quad Cities Area
Capri College-Davenport holds accreditation through the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and is an NCBTMB-assigned school; the latter facilitates the process of becoming Board Certified. The program introduces students to a wide range of massage and complementary modalities, including hot stone, Thai, infant massage, sports massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, and spa treatments, among others. Capri-College-Davenport is a school member of the American Massage Therapy Association. AMTA states that the program is 720 hours.
The Institute of Therapeutic Massage & Wellness offers a 650-hour program. The school touts the community service events that its students have the opportunity to participate in.
Educational Foundations
Iowa approves massage therapy schools which operate within its border. They must comprise at least 500 hours and include mandated curricular content. Mandated content includes anatomy and physiology, kinesiology, massage fundamentals, healthcare referrals, wellness and healthy lifestyle, business practices, and clinical practice, among other concepts. The wellness category can include topics like somatic movement, nutrition and herbal studies, hydrotherapy, and spa techniques.
Molina, Illinois and Rock Island, Illinois are a stone’s throw away and also part of the Quad Cities metro area. Illinois sets its program requirement higher: 600 hours. One will find schools in this area that exceeds 600 hours.
While licensure is the authority to practice, national certification through the National Certification of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork is an added distinction. It may signify expertise beyond the general level. Educational standards are a little higher.
Massage Therapy as Healthcare
One will find quite a few massage therapists sharing offices with healthcare professionals in the Quad Cities area.
Bettendorf Chiropractic Wellness Center has four LMTs listed; they have completed additional training in chiropractic assisting and are noted as chiropractic assistant/ LMT.
Natural Health Wellness Center of the Quad Cities (Bettendorf) also has a team of massage therapists. There’s acupuncture here, too.
Absolute Balance Chiropractic (Bettendorf) has a massage therapist onsite who, by virtue of advanced training, can support people with lymphedema and chronic edema. Lymphedema is a frequent after-effect of cancer treatment. This particular massage therapist has training in oncology massage as well.
Centered Therapies is another popular practice. The website lists four Licensed Massage Therapists plus an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse who provides integrative wellness services.
At least one small physical therapy office in Molina has a Licensed Massage Therapist on the team.
Massage therapy is among the services provided through Heartland Hospice Care.
Davenport/ Quad Cities Massage Practices
There are other practices in the area built around massage or on a combination of massage and spa or beauty services.
Bettendorf Massage Therapy has half a dozen massage therapists onboard; it touts the level of massage therapy training represented on its team.
Massage Envy-Davenport is popular with clients, boasting a 4.6 Google rating.
Self-Employed LMTs
Many LMTs are self-employed even if they are not solo. One business model has massage therapists and other wellness practitioners renting space and sharing some level of brand identity. Centered Therapies follows this model.
Integrated Functional Health (Bettendorf) is co-owned by a healthcare professional with dual credentials. He is both an RN and an LMT. There are a range of bodywork modalities here including Integrated Tapping Techniques and Manual Lymph Drainage. There’s also float therapy onsite. Integrated Functional Health was among the practices seeking to add to its team in 2019.
Davenport Asian Rejuvenation Wellness is a popular LMT-owned practice that has massage, yoga, and meditation. Among the offerings here, one finds auriculotherapy which is compared to reflexology or acupressure for the ear.
Two Rivers, also LMT-owned, has a fairly large team – seven massage therapists.
For many at least, a massage therapist career is about creating the type of job – and life – that feels right to them. The LMT behind Turning Leaf, a long-time massage therapist, expresses gratitude for being able to live her dream. Turning Leaf (Moline) is a small enterprise but one that will be expanding soon to include infrared sauna. It boasts a 5.0 Google rating. The studio’s “about page” lists an Office Manager, Director of Hospitality and Chief of Security, all of whom are canine and have expressed some interest in furthering their own training and becoming therapy dogs.
Davenport Massage Therapist Salary
The mean hourly wage for massage therapists in the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metropolitan area was $19.63 in 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is an area of the country where those at the high end are commanding high wages. The 2018 median was just $17.56 in the Davenport metro area, but between the 75th and 90th percentiles, the figure rose from $19.72 to $41.86. The 10th percentile figure was $8.96.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a location quotient of .97 for this area, a little above that of Iowa as a whole and near the national average.
Resources
The Iowa Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association is a professional resource and source of continuing education opportunities (http://ia.wp.amtamassage.org/). The Fall Convention included a presentation on medical massage.