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Medical massage therapy aims to provide help and relief for patients who suffer from various medical conditions.
It is often defined as a type of massage that is used when required treatment for conditions that were diagnosed by medical professionals.
Licensed medical massage therapists use referrals provided by physicians to provide treatment to patients.
Some of them may work in medical settings such as hospitals and clinics but they may be involved in a treatment process even if they don’t work in medical settings.
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Sometimes, they may also be responsible for billing health insurance companies for provided services.
These professionals need to follow state laws and policies strictly.
It is an important aspect as numerous insurance companies tend to pay for complementary and alternative treatments recently.
The reason is that these methods are widely used and really work.
Moreover, it is better to promote wellness instead of treating acute conditions.
Medical massage is one of those methods that gain popularity really fast.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, you can expect about 23% of job offers growth in this sphere in the nearest future.
As you can see, the career outlook is pretty promising but you need to understand what you need to become successful.
Medical Massage Therapist Licensing and Credentialing
In most states, massage therapists are licensed-professionals and medical massage therapists are no exception.
One other option is the required credentials.
You need to know that in most states there are no specific requirements for medical massage therapists or other specific massage specialists.
In other words, there is a general license for all massage therapists.
Of course, there can be exceptions such as Maryland where Registered Massage Practitioners and Licensed Massage Therapists are distinguished.
You need to know that only the last ones have an opportunity to work in medical settings in the state.
In addition to your license, you can get numerous adjunct credentials.
They are usually provided by third-party agencies and facilities.
One of them is the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork however there are no specific credentials for medical massage therapists.
If you want to get medical massage credentials specifically, you can address the American Medical Massage Association (AMMA).
Just keep in mind that you need to specify the type of your training with an emphasis on orthopedics if you want to pass the NBCA Massage Therapy Certification Exam.
The Knowledge Base
Speaking of the state licensing requirements, you need only some minimal education including knowledge in pathology, contraindications, and special populations.
You need to know that the skills required for your examination and skills required for actual work may differ significantly.
You can enroll in a specific certified training program designed for medical massage therapists.
Just keep in mind that each organization has its own specific understanding and requirements for medical-massage.
It can be related to work in medical settings or to providing scientifically-based treatment for specific conditions.
Breaking Into the Industry
The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) offers a variety of resources that can be useful for massage therapists who want to work in medical settings.
You need to know that this career can be pretty challenging as you won’t be able to control your working environment.
Also, you need to be very dedicated to your work and supportive of your patients.
If you aren’t afraid of challenges, it is a great career for you as you have skills that will let you help people.
Visiting the AMTA website, you can get some useful tips on introducing yourself to medical professionals including creating your resume.
Also, there are two important steps you can do – decide what can you help become qualified for a certain job and prove that you are ready to improve your professional skills.