38 Occupational Outlook Quarterly ● Summer 2000

arbara Bohaty understands the

science of relaxation. As a

massage therapist, she soothes

her clients’ aches and promotes

healing. Knotted muscles relax

beneath her hands, pain subsides, and

stress dissipates. “This is a job where

you can really help people,” says

Barbara. “People come in with pain,

you work with them, and they leave

feeling better.”

Massage therapists work to

improve the circulation of blood

through the body and to speed the

removal of metabolic waste products

from muscles. Their skilled kneading

increases the flexibility of muscles,

ligaments, and other soft tissues.

Some people visit Barbara to

relieve a specific pain or to warm up

before a sporting event. Others want

to relax and reduce stress. Barbara

starts every session with an intake

interview to discover what the client

needs. “I ask clients questions to find

out why they’ve come,” she says,

“what goals they want to achieve.”

Identifying the client’s goals helps her

plan the massage.

Barbara also asks clients about

their medical condition. Some types

of massage exacerbate certain

illnesses and injuries. “If a client has

diabetes, a sprained ankle, or any

other conditions, I need to know

before I start.”

After the intake interview, Barbara

usually begins with a calming massage.

She has the client lie on a massage

table, one of the standard tools of her

trade. Standing beside the table, she

uses relaxing strokes on the client’s

muscles, varying the pressure as she

works. If she feels tension and knots

beneath the skin, she spends more

time on those areas.

As the massage progresses, Barbara

changes her technique to attack any

problems she finds. She might try

rhythmic drumming strokes, apply light

or heavy pressure, or hold part of a

muscle until it relaxes.

Some clients have specific goals that

require a specific approach. This is

true for the athletes among Barbara’s

clients. “If I’m massaging an athlete

before an event, I want to loosen and

warm up the muscles,” she says. “After

an event, I want to help the body

recover and cool down. I gently rub

and squeeze the muscles to get out

the waste products that build up

during exercise.” She also massages

painful or overworked areas to stave

off injury.

Barbara uses her knowledge of

anatomy to locate the sources of her

clients’ discomfort. “Muscles are

interrelated. Pain in one part of the

body can be caused by problems in

other parts,” she says. As she works,

Barbara might teach her clients about

the causes of pain and explain how to

remedy them with ice, heat, stretching,

or exercise.

Many clients are referred to

massage therapists by physicians. One

of Barbara’s clients is recovering from

knee replacement surgery. Careful

massage is helping to lessen the

client’s pain and improve her range of

motion.

Massage therapy is a physically

demanding profession. Along with

extended periods of standing, massage

technique requires therapists to use

some of their muscles repeatedly. This

repetitive motion causes problems

over time. “Massage therapists develop

You’re a what ?

Olivia Crosby is a contributing editor to the OOQ,

(202) 691-5716.

B

Photos courtesy of the

American Massage Therapy Association
Occupational Outlook Quarterly ● Summer 2000 39

injuries to their wrists and hands if

they aren’t careful,” says Barbara. “The

body breaks down under the strain.”

To reduce her risk of injury,

Barbara uses proper body mechanics

during every massage. She adjusts the

table to a comfortable height, keeps

her wrists at a safe angle, and uses the

strength in her arms and torso to

support her wrists and hands. She also

limits the number of hours she works

to 5 a day, schedules rest periods

between massages, and exercises

often. In a temporary role reversal,

Barbara receives a long massage at

least once a week—one of the most

pleasant parts of her self-care regimen.

In addition to a table, massage

therapists need other basic equipment: sheets, blankets, neck pillows,

and creams to reduce friction on the

skin. Therapists practice in health

clubs, resorts, chiropractic offices,

their homes, or any other convenient

place. Most days, Barbara works in a

massage office near her home in

Ceresco, Nebraska.

But she also practices in more

adventuresome locations. Every

summer, she spends a month bicycling

across the United States, a 25-pound

folding massage table in tow. By day,

she rides. In the evening, she massages

fellow riders in tents positioned along

the route. Closer to home, Barbara

takes her table to local running and

biking marathons.

Like many massage therapists,

Barbara sometimes abandons the

table and gives seated massages.

Clients sit on a portable massage

chair while she rubs their necks,

backs, and shoulders. These massages

are shorter than standard massages,

which last between 30 to 90 minutes.

Seated massages usually last 15 to 20

minutes and can take place almost

anywhere, including office buildings,

shopping malls, and community events.

Because seated sessions are brief, a

therapist might see as many as 10

clients in a day.

Barbara communicates with her

clients as she works. She observes

clients’ physical reactions and encourages their comments. “Massage

therapists need to be good listeners,”

she says. They need good interpersonal skills because they have to

inspire trust.

Massage therapists also need

specialized training. After earning a

high school diploma, they attend

massage therapy school. There, they

learn anatomy and physiology (the

study of the structure and function of

organs and tissues) and kinesiology

(the study of human motion and body

mechanics). Students also learn several

massage techniques and receive handson training.

Barbara was a physical education

teacher before attending massage

therapy school. She began giving

massages as an amateur. During

summer bike trips, she and fellow

cyclists massaged each other’s sore

muscles. She discovered the benefits

of massage and learned she had a

talent for it.

She enrolled in a 9-month massage

therapy program at a school in

Omaha, Nebraska. Attending classes at

night, Barbara continued to teach

physical education during the day.

After graduating, she started a parttime massage therapy business. Three

years ago, she decided to make

massage therapy a full-time career.

Barbara continues to take massage

classes and teaches at a nearby

massage therapy school.

There are between 120,000 and

150,000 massage therapists in the

United States, according to the

American Massage Therapy Association. Almost half work part time.

Those who work at least 6 hours a

week have median annual earnings

between $20,000 and $29,000 and

charge an average of $48 an hour.

Many massage therapists are selfemployed. They pay for their own

equipment, continuing education, and

liability and health insurance. They may

pay other expenses as well, such as

transportation and office rental.

Twenty-nine States and the District

of Columbia require massage therapists to be licensed. Most of these

States require at least 500 hours of

classroom instruction at an accredited

school. Many States, including

Barbara’s, require 1,000 hours of

classroom training. Some States

require massage therapists to pass a

national certification exam. Most local

governments have additional regulations governing massage. The American

Massage Therapy Association, the

Massage and Bodywork Association,

and local chambers of commerce can

provide current information on

licensing.

After 10 years, Barbara continues

to enjoy her job. “Massage therapy lets

me do so many of the things I like,”

she says. “Making people happy is

satisfying work.”

by Olivia Crosby