Massage Therapy Schools in Green Bay, WI
Massage. It’s about relaxation, but it’s also about healthcare. Green Bay’s Blue Sky School of Professional Massage & Therapeutic Bodywork notes that medical professions are increasingly recognizing the power of massage to complement their work. The list of includes chiropractors, physical therapists, and medical doctors, among others.
For confirmation, one can look to local businesses. At Orthopedic & Spine Therapy, massage therapy is practiced alongside physical therapy. The website includes a list of conditions that massage may aid in managing. The list is long (https://www.ostpt.com/our-services/); it includes sciatica, fibromyalgia, depression, carpal tunnel syndrome, pregnancy-related discomfort, and even headaches.
Advantage Chiropractic of Green Bay states that they have a massage therapist on site to assist in ameliorating pain.
The Door County Daily News reported that the Door County Medical Center in Sturgeon Bay was expanding to offer more services, including massage therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy (doorcountydailynews.com/ news). The Door County Medical Center Rehab Services webpage states that massage therapy is offered at three locations (www.dcmedical.org/ medical services /rehab services); the other sites are Algoma Rehab and The Women’s Center sports massage.
Inspirit Physical Therapy Associates has two physical therapists (one dually credentialed as an athletic trainer), plus a massage therapist, and a reflexologist. (Reflexology is a bodywork technique practiced on the feet but thought to influence physical conditions throughout the body.)
Massage is often practiced at private massage studios. These, too, may have a therapeutic focus.
Massage Therapy Schools in Green Bay
Bodywork professionals must hold licensing unless they practice only exempted modalities like reflexology. Massage therapy education is the foundation.
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College offers a technical diploma. The American Massage Therapy Association lists the program hours as 722. Students take college composition and diversity studies in addition to discipline-specific coursework. They earn 28 credits. The curriculum includes two anatomy courses and one kinesthesiology course. Students take a course in specialized techniques which addresses chronic pain, mother-baby massage, and end-of-life massage, among other approaches; spa techniques are also addressed. Students spend time learning the trade in the student clinic.
Blue Sky School of Professional Massage & Therapeutic Bodywork is approved by the Wisconsin Educational Approval Program. It is also an assigned school of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. The school currently has three program options. The fundamentals program is 681 hours. The medical intensive includes coursework designed to make the massage therapist more adept at client assessment and better prepared to practice in cooperation with healthcare professionals; it is 850 hours. A third option adds Kinesio Taping, a technique useful for sports massage as well as rehabilitation; it also adds 24 hours to the program.
Developing Specialized Skills in Massage
Massage therapists use continuing education to hone their skills in specialty areas. One option: sports massage. The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork has a Sports Massage Specialty Certificate. There are several components to the program; one is a live techniques workshop. Wisconsin was one of several states that had a workshop in late 2019.
Blue Sky School of Professional Massage & Therapeutic Bodywork, a local school, is among the NCBTMB-approved continuing education providers. Cupping and Reiki are among the seminars offered.
Spas, Wellness Centers, and Private Studios for Employment Opportunities
There’s still spa massage, and Green Bay has some popular spas, though not as many as some cities.
The well-known Kohler Lodge was among those that advertised for massage talent in late 2019. Like many spas, they have some unique offerings. Comfort & Joy-Mint Massage was on the menu in November, incorporating lots of treats: scalp massage, full-body massage, mint, salt stone. The Woodsman Massage, meanwhile, incorporates pine into a massage/ stretch regime.
Among the other popular spas are Elite Aesthetics and LifeSpa Wellness Center. LifeSpa includes body treatments as well as massage; the menu includes options that draw from ancient traditions and may appeal to people’s spiritual side. Energetic Reiki Massage, Indian head massage, and customized massage sessions (with hot stones and herbal compresses) are on the massage menu; some styles are practiced only by particular therapists. The organization was also seeking new massage therapists in 2019. They sought those versed in both massage and energy work.
Some businesses are difficult to classify. The Arabella Spa and Salon has elements of salon, spa, and wellness center. Here one finds aestheticians, hair stylists, massage therapists, an electrologist, a chiropractor.
The 9th St Wellness Center includes aesthetics among the services, but there is less of the spa about it. This business integrates many types of health and wellness service, including energy work. A stated goal is exposing people to as many as possible. Practitioners may hold discussions or classes. They may rent space.
Many massage therapists have their own massage businesses, and some become quite popular. Case in point: Restored Balance Massage with 36 Google reviews and a 5 star rating.
Green Bay Massage Therapist Salary
Massage therapists in the Green Bay metropolitan area earned an average $22.74 an hour in 2019. The 10th percentile wage was $16.80; the 90th percentile, $33.33. The median was $19.71. Average wages are very similar to that of the nation as a whole. The 10th percentile wage, though, is considerably higher in Green Bay; the 90th percentile is lower.
Student and Professional Resources
The Wisconsin Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association is a professional resource.