Massage modalities?

Question

I am currently in the middle of massage school. I am able to take some electives. I am wondering if anyone can tell me what modalities would be best for a spa, and what modalities might be better for a Chiropractic office. Our school offers many possibilities. What modalities would make me more marketable for each place? Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

Spa's will often teach you their various spa modalities but you really need to be prepared to deal with things such as pregnancy massage,  hot stone massage, deep tissue massage.

Chiropractors will be working more with injuries and pain so some orthopedic massage techniques would be handy as well as triggerpoint therapy,  myofascial release, deep tissue massage, strain/counter strain, neuromuscular therapy or other things like that.

Your massage school should be able to tell you what classes they offer for each different setting.

You will also probably be wanting to take many classes in the first years of being in business as a massage therapist.  I don't recommend taking too much in massage school as you can get easily overwhelmed.  You also learn better in small chunks of time as you need time to assimilate what you learn.

Answer 2

Deep tissue really belongs in a chiro office, but working in a spa setting, people will ask for it anyways.  CranioSacral Therapy is awesome for either place, but a chiro may not want you to do it in his office.

Hot Stone and Pregnancy massage is great for a spa setting.  Any modality that causes the client to totally relax is great for spa.  The more the person moves, the less it belongs in a spa setting.

Sports therapy massage is great for the chiro-office setting as it gets more *body* specific*.

I used to work in a spa setting, but now I am on my own.  I prefer to give the absolute best relaxing massage available EVER.  I have found that an Esalen-type massage really relaxes my clients.  While most don't want to be completely nude like in Esalen Institute, I do make consessions for more appropriate draping, but it does bring them down into that relaxed state.

Answer 3

Cheers on your new career!  The three big ones out of the gate other then the basic Swedish are: Deep Tissue (This way you learn how to keep your body going with proper body mechanics and not kill yourself/body or career.), Hot Stones and Sports.  Later Myofascial. (At least that's the big three out here on the west coast.)

Remember that you will not get well paid working for someone else, but work for them until you get a ton of bodies under your hands for the first year or even half if your working full time, then go into private practice and learn Marketing skills from a local college and you will do very well for yourself.  Remember this.. You will most likely be a, Sub Contractor, and liable for anything that you do and touch.. insurance, insurance, insurance (abmp.com).  Also, if a spa owner asks you to do a modality that you are not certified in and do not have a piece of paper to prove it.. ABMP will NOT cover you if you get sued from doing it if something should happen (like 2nd degree burns from hot stones--it has happened, or the person didn't tell you about an accident just prior to the session and asked for deep tissue work to work out that sore spot).  Also, the Spa owner that asked you to do it for the money, will also not cover you because you are a sub contractor and not an employee (most likely).  So, set the boundaries early on.  This is not to scare you, but to forearm you. ;)  This is a wonderful exciting career and I wish the best of luck to ya! Cheers and welcome to the family!