Massage Therapy School in Dover, DE
For practitioners in Dover, Delaware and the surrounding areas, massage therapy is about creating the life they value. Their services – and the unique things they bring – are in the public eye. Local news sources feature articles about small businesses where massage therapists and other integrative practitioners work together to offer healing services.
Massage therapists who work in the Kent County area have access to big cities for occasional events, including those related to specialized massage practice. They can enjoy a quieter life in between.
Massage Therapy Schools in Dover and Vicinity
A Delaware student will need to complete a program that is at least 500 hours and meets the state’s curricular requirements. It must, for example, include 100 hours of anatomy and physiology. It will need to include at least 300 hours of theory and technique. Schools often go beyond the minimum. Requirements, notably, are higher across the border in Maryland.
Harris School of Business in Dover offers a career program in massage therapy. The program is 750 hours (www.harrisschool.edu / faqs about massage therapy training/). Kinesiology and Myology, Complementary Bodyworks, and Assessments and Special Populations are among the courses. The school holds accreditation through The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC).
The Academy of Massage and Bodywork down the road in Bear is also ACCSC-accredited. It has been assigned a testing code by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork; attending an assigned school can facilitate the process of achieving prestigious national board certification. The Academy of Massage and Bodywork offers a 600-hour curriculum. Students are introduced to a number of modalities, including sports massage, infant massage, and Ayuverdic approaches.
Massage Therapy Career Tracks
Massage is used for different purposes including relaxation and management of healthcare conditions. The Academy of Massage and Bodywork states that about 15% of massage therapists have healthcare services as their whole focus. They typically work with providers such as chiropractors or medical doctors. As for the majority, their primary role includes helping people relax, reduce stress, and be proactive with prevention.
Relaxation and wellness massage is common in spa settings. Salons are also a growing market for massage; some salons are adding services and fashioning themselves into day spas. Many massage therapists are self-employed. They may work out of a studio and/ or go onsite to bring services to clients.
There is some blurring with regard to setting. Clinical massage – even medical massage – is sometimes performed in spas. Medical massage is a term typically used for massage that is part of the treatment for a diagnosed condition; it is often used to refer to massage prescribed for injury. Body Mind and Soul, a popular Dover spa, offers medical massage among the services. The company notes that auto injury and work-related injury services can be reimbursed by third parties with doctor prescription. Medical massage can be performed for other conditions such as post-operative nodectomy but this type of service is self-pay in this location. Body Mind and Soul states that at their spa, medical massage is performed by massage therapists who hold national certification as well as state licensing.
Specialized Healthcare Practice
Massage therapists learn specialized techniques to help them support people with health conditions. A chiropractic office in Bear, for example, offers a bodywork modality called tapotement, which they state can help people breathe more deeply.
Delaware healthcare professionals are becoming more aware of the potential that massage has to help people with serious healthcare conditions. Among the areas of interest: cancer and survivorship. Professionals who have attended the Delaware Breast Cancer Update have learned about the use of integrative therapies to manage side effects. One massage modality that has been presented here is a less common one: the Spurgeon method, which can help women with post-treatment health issues. The Cape Gazette reported on the first Delaware massage therapist to utilize this method. This particular massage therapist is certified in lymphedema drainage, which can assist in the management of post-treatment edema; it is a relatively more common modality.
Dover residents aren’t going to want to travel to Baltimore or DC on a regular basis, but they may want to go for occasional events. Holistic Massage Learning Institute in Baltimore offers specialized courses that can be completed over the course of one to three days. One three-day event on the 2020 calendar includes medical Qi Gong and Chi Nei Tsang. Geriatric massage and Vedic Thai Yoga Massage are among the other intensives available.
Dover-Area Massage Studios
The following are among the popular spas and massage practices in the Dover area:
- Day Spa at the Marina (Blades/ Bridgeville)
- Body, Mind and Soul Day Spa (Dover)
- Heather’s Holistic Health (Dover)
- Be Well Massage and Skin Care (Dover)
Some facilities utilize professionals with diverse credentials that may encompass healthcare, beauty, movement, bodywork, and energetics. Heather’s Holistic Health has a medical aesthetician onboard. Services include infrared sauna, hypnotherapy, massage, energy work, and yoga and belly dancing classes. Massage styles includes Lomi Lomi and warm bamboo, among others.
Massage therapy teams may have different types of work relationships. Be Well was among those that sought to add to its team in 2019. Individuals would be self-employed. One thing that they would receive: a space to work in at a reasonable rate. Joining a community like this can mean added visibility.
Practitioners in the News:
- Inspirit Studios Offers Holistic Services to Area Residents
- Finding the Spirit in Wellness
- Capitol Station Picking Up Steam
- Massage Therapist Open in Milford
Resources
Delaware massage therapists may wish to become members of the American Massage Therapy Association and its Delaware Chapter. Associated Massage and Bodywork Professionals also provides career resources.