Massage Therapy School in Knoxville, TN

It appears massage therapy is on quite an uptick in the Knoxville area. One will find it in private wellness centers, day spas, and healthcare organizations. For many, it’s a business, not just a day job. Knoxville massage therapists are integrating their passions.

Massage Therapy Schools in Knoxville

Students in this area have choices. The following Knoxville-area schools are authorized by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission:

The Tennessee School of Therapeutic Massage has a 20-year history. In conjunction with a basic license-qualifying education, students earn certificates of completion in several massage styles including prenatal massage and hydrotherapy massage. The Tennessee School of Massage is also a continuing education provider with offerings such as post-mastectomy massage and integrated trigger point therapy.

Arbor College offers a diploma in clinical massage therapy. The program is 620 hours.

The Appalachian Training Center for Healing Arts (Dandridge) offers a basic 500-hour program. The Appalachian Training Center is also a continuing education provider. Among the recent offerings were light touch techniques for headaches and migraines and easy deep tissue massage.

Want more options?: Massage Therapy Schools in Tennessee

Knoxville Massage Practices

There are many local massages practices in the area, a number of which were founded by LMTs. They represent many different visions, not only of massage but of wellness. Often there’s a team of professionals with different credentials. Massage may be combined with movement modalities or with spa treatments. Team members may have different licenses (e.g. aesthetics). Even teams of LMTs can be quite diverse, as individuals draw from many different specialized trainings (as well as life experiences).

Longevity Massage may be considered a model of success. It boasts a large team of massage therapists. Longevity massage was co-founded by a massage therapist; the other member of the partnership is his wife, an aesthetician. There’s no massage menu here; clients pay for their desired length session and the bodywork is customized to meet their needs.

The Retreat, a Knoxville day spa, is growing. It now has two locations. People come for facials and body treatments as well as massage. Massages here make generous use of scents, herbs, and essential oils. One can find small seasonal touches like pumpkin spice for November. At the helm is a woman with dual massage therapy and aesthetics credentials. She notes that spa time is time to “let oneself go” and that it is a rewarding thing to help people feel better about how they feel (https://www.mygreatmassage.com/about-1).

The Glowing Body Yoga Studio isn’t just yoga. They’ve got massage therapy, too. In fact, the co-owners here are both Licensed Massage Therapists (though one is also a working speech language pathologist at a separate healthcare organization). There are five additional LMTs on the team. As a group, they’ve got a lot to provide people with many different needs, with offerings ranging from infant massage to grief massage. The Glowing Body Yoga Studio is also a continuing education provider approved by both the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and the Thai Healing Alliance International. Thai massage is the area of emphasis.

Balanced You Studio also lists two co-owners. One has credentials in fully three disciplines: acupuncture, massage therapy, and yoga. The massage menu here includes raindrop therapy and Ashiatsu. Balanced You has a “sister studio” focused on yoga instruction.

Meadowsweet Massage + Wellness currently has eight onboard. One will find a number of massage styles here, including one that is quite uncommon: Maori Romi Romi. More than one practitioner notes having had the opportunity to study under healers from New Zealand. The Meadowsweet website sports a couple badges, indicating reader awards bestowed over the years. A note on the website in 2019 says they’re looking for a massage therapist to join their team.

One will also find LMTs going it solo or working with one other person. Health Touch Massage Therapy is a two-person enterprise. The practice offers therapeutic styles like myofascial release and neuromuscular therapy in addition to relaxation massage. Geriatric massage is available. One of the LMTs offers focus massage.

On the opposite of the spectrum, there are the big name national massage practices. One will find more than one Massage Envy in Knoxville.

Massage in Healthcare and Sports

Major institutions place a value on massage. The University of Tennessee Medical Center offers massage therapy to its oncology patients. There are currently two massage therapists on its integrative healthcare team. Both are adept at Reiki as well as oncology massage. The UT Medical Center has a long history of offering massage services; in fact, one LMT has been providing services there since 2004.

Sports massage is known to help athletes at all levels. Knox News profiled sports massage as it applies to collegiate swimming (https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/other-sports/2017/02/17/they-dig-deep-so-sec-swimmers-can-dig-deeper/98053660/).

Some businesses in the area focus on sports massage. At the helm of Carter Sport Therapy is an LMT with national board certification, a former Olympian himself. Among the people he’s had the pleasure of helping: an 83-year-old ballroom dancer. There are four additional LMTs on his team.

Knoxville Massage Therapist Salary and Economic Considerations

Massage therapy has been projected to experience more than 36% occupational growth in Tennessee across the 2016 to 2026 decade.

The mean hourly wage for massage therapists in the Knoxville area was $18.68 in 2018. The 10th percentile wage was $9.81, the 90th percentile wage, $25.53.

Self-employment, not reflected in BLS data, can be complex earnings-wise. Massage practices can charge healthy rates, though it will vary how much is profit and who it’s shared by. One will find multiple popular local practices charging client rates between $70 and $90 for an hour session.

Professional Resources

The Tennessee Massage Therapy Association is a professional resource (http://www.tmtanews.org/).