Massage Therapy School in Peoria, IL

In Peoria and other parts of central Illinois, massage is about managing physical conditions as well as providing relaxation. Massage therapists support professionals like chiropractors. Healthcare teams know that massage can help people with many concerns, and they have the research to back it up.

The following illustrate just how much massage therapy has integrated itself into different facets of mainstream living:

  • Illinois Wesleyan University offers massage therapy through its wellness center.
  • Personal Performance Training and Rehabilitation blends massage therapy and personal training.
  • Professional Therapy Services, Inc. brings massage therapy to UnityPoint Proctor Outpatient, a Peoria facility that operates under the UnityPoint health system banner.
  • Heartis Village of Peoria, a senior living facility, make massage therapy services available onsite.

In some areas of massage practice, for example, elder care, advocates would like to see an increase in service delivery. Massage is for people with many different kinds of physical needs, and that’s part of why massage therapists need comprehensive education that includes, but is not limited to, the scientific underpinnings of massage and specialized bodywork techniques.

In Illinois, approved massage therapy programs comprise at least 600 hours of education. They include human sciences (anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and pathology); theory, technique, and practice; and a number of other concepts, from benefits and contradictions to business and ethics.

Massage Therapy Schools in Peoria and Vicinity

Illinois Central College offers a certificate program. Students complete 32 semester hours of coursework over a period of three semesters .The following are among the courses: Medical Terminology, Fundamental Massage Techniques, Addressing the Muscle, and Applied Kinesiology for the Bodyworker. Illinois Central College is a school member of the American Massage Therapy Association.

Midwest Technical Institute offers a 720-hour program at its East Peoria and Springfield campuses. The curriculum includes two courses in specialized modalities. It also includes a course in nutrition and diet. MIT holds accreditation through the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools & Colleges (ACCSC).

The University of Cosmetology & Spa Arts in Springfield is another accredited option. The program is 600 hours.

Advanced Trainings in Massage

Massage therapists pursue training to carry out advanced therapy.

Body Kneads Massage Therapy is among the providers. It offers coursework in massage for cancer and massage for chemotherapy infusion patients. They hosted several live workshops in 2019; oncology and infusion patient workshops took place across a three- to four-day period and awarded 24-28 CEs. Also available was a short course in using aromatherapy at end-of-life.

Massage Practices in Peoria and Central Illinois

The following are among the diverse Peoria settings that utilize massage therapists:

  • ReNew Sport & Therapeutic Massage
  • Senara Health & Healing Center & Spa
  • Well Kneaded Massage Therapy

The Massage Spot in Bloomington is among the practices that places oncology massage on its menu of services.

Senara has a very wide array of services: physical therapy, chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, med spa and day spa services. A chiropractor stated in an informational video that there was currently a team of eight massage therapists. Here massage may be performed by chiropractic prescription and according to chiropractor treatment goals. Massage can complement chiropractic adjustment in multiple ways, including making an adjustment hold longer. The chiropractor stated that training was what made the team here stand out – and that those brought onboard received training from the organization above and beyond what they had in school.

Massage Research

Pepperell Chiropractic has provided studies about the benefits of massage for different healthcare conditions. Among them is sciatica. They note that management of sciatica depends on multiple things, like losing extra weight and strengthening abdominal muscles, but it’s imperative to manage pain along the way; here massage can play an important role.

Self-Employment in the Massage Therapy Industry

Many LMTs are self-employed. They may work alone or as part of teams. Soulshine is a very small practice – listing a single LMT – but it is also a very well-rated one.

Well Kneaded Massage Therapy, an LMT-owned practice in Peoria, has a relatively large team of massage therapists.

Aches Away Massage Specialists in Bloomington is a therapist-owned practice with a team of 11 licensed bodyworkers. There’s also infrared sauna and float therapy onsite.

Massage therapists in private practice may develop advanced skills in specialized areas of practice. The LMT behind Body Kneads includes among her services oncology massage, manual lymphatic drainage, and scar work.

Peoria Massage Therapist Salary and Career Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports significantly different figures for different cities in Central Illinois. Peoria massage therapists earned a mean $21.46 an hour in 2018. Bloomington massage therapists earned a mean $17.03. Further down the road in Springfield, the mean was $24.63.

In each of these metropolitan areas, there was a wide range of reported wages. In Peoria, the 10th percentile wage was $12.25 while the 90th percentile was $36.84. In Bloomington, the 10th percentile was $9.51; the 90th percentile, $23.37. In Springfield, the range of typical wages was wider, with a 10th percentile wage of $8.93 and a 90th percentile wage of $42.00. Peoria and Springfield had a reported job concentration below the national average. Bloomington had a job concentration above.

Massage therapy has been projected to experience 20% occupational growth statewide across the 2016 to 2026 decade.

Additional Resources

Massage Therapy License Requirements in Illinois

Massage Therapy Schools in Illinois