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Training and Formal Education (all of the education listed below is accepted by the State of Texas as credit for massage education, even though more 1500 of those hours are chiropractic medical school hours)
Basic Massage Therapy Education:
In order to practice massage therapy legally in Texas, every therapist must complete these classes at a properly-accredited, state-approved massage therapy school. This is why it is very important that your therapist is actually licensed by the State of Texas! Please see our Resources page, which has a link to the Texas Department of Health roster where you can check to make sure your therapist is properly licensed.
Anatomy & Physiology - this is the study of the structure and function of the human body. While the musculoskeletal system was understandably more emphasized, we were also responsible for a lot of information about other systems of the body, such as the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, urinary, and nervous systems.
Health & Hygiene - this class taught us about how to prevent the spread of disease, common conditions we might encounter and whether or not they’re contagious, which conditions are OK for massage and which aren’t, and how to maintain a professional sanitary environment.
Swedish Massage - this is the hands-on portion of the art of giving massage. We learned basic massage techniques, how to use them, and their effects on muscle tissue and the rest of the body. Just as importantly, we learned when NOT to use certain techniques. We spent as much time receiving massage as we did providing it, during which we learned how the various techniques and pressure levels actually feel.
Hydrotherapy - this was the study of the use of heat and/or ice to help alleviate swelling and accelerate healing (ice) or soften muscles, enhance relaxation, and stimulate the immune system (heat). While this class also covered some basic spa techniques such as sugar/salt scrubs, many therapists choose not to offer these services. If you’d like more of a spa experience without having to pay spa prices, we are happy to provide our clients with the name of someone we know and trust.
Business & Ethics - this class dealt with the nuts and bolts of running a business, setting professional standards and boundaries of conduct, and upholding strong ethics to maintain the safety of the public and the integrity of our profession.
Advanced Massage Therapy & Bodywork:
These areas of study were above and beyond the basic required education at the time we took these classes, although the new 500-hour requirement touches on some of them now. However, because we took them as separate advanced classes, we got into greater depth.
Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) - this is a separate certification in the study of the interrelationship between the musculoskeletal and neurological systems. Muscles receive important information from the brain and spinal cord, and they in turn send their own information back to the brain and spinal cord. This is the mechanism through which the escalating pain-spasm-pain cycle works. Over time, NMT-certified therapists can actually help stop this cycle and correct the structural imbalances in your body that often create or contribute to pain. We learned specific effective protocols for dealing with all kinds of specific conditions such as sciatica, migraines, carpal tunnel, plantarfascitis, TMJ dysfunction, and a lot more.
Trigger Point Therapy - this class introduced us to the study of referred pain, which is actually the real culprit behind an estimated 70% of all pain we experience. We can help you uncover the source of your pain and often bring it under control surprisingly quickly.
Hot Stone Massage - Please check out our Hot Stone page for all you’ve ever wanted to know about this fantastic technique!
Lymphatic Drainage/Detox Massage - we learned how to gently and painlessly drain the tissues of toxins, metabolic wastes, and swelling/fluid buildup, for the purposes of detoxification, enhanced health and wellness, faster healing, and less scar tissue formation. It is especially useful as an effective management strategy for lymphedema or as a pre-/post-surgical protocol, and it carries even fewer risks than regular massage.
Pre-natal/Pregnancy Massage - this is one of those classes where it’s especially important that your therapist has formal education. This class taught us how to safely and comfortably massage the mom-to-be, without placing any undue risk on either mom or baby, and get the baby off to a great start, even before birth.
Reflexology and Acupressure - this is not regulated in Texas, which means anyone can legally practice, whether they’ve been trained or not. However, it’s good to have someone with formal education in this area, too. We learned how to help optimize various regions and systems throughout the whole body by simply activating points on the hands and feet.
Deep Tissue Massage - taught us how to evolve beyond the fluff-and-buff massage and deliver firmer pressure for that more fulfilled feeling, without causing the pain associated with the now-obsolete old-school deep tissue styles.
Myofascial Release - we learned to slowly and gently stretch the skin and the connective tissue right underneath in order to loosen any restrictions which may contribute to pain, either local or elsewhere. Once we loosen the Saran-wrap-like covering that acts as the gatekeeper to the muscles, muscles become much more accessible and true progress can be made. Whenever massage itself doesn’t cut it, this often does the trick!
Biofeedback - this unique and rare training taught us how to deal with all kinds of unusual issues, especially any condition in which inflammation is present. While we do NOT practice medicine or make ANY claims at all, our painless electronic hand-held device has helped us personally deal with our own fire ant bites, swelling, eczema, tooth infections, fatigue, back pain, and much more. Our device, available only to licensed practitioners and not yet widely used, is officially FDA-approved for pain management.
Chiropractic Education:
Chiropractors are indeed REAL doctors. We consider our DC our family’s primary-care physician, and we go to him first with any illnesses or ailments. Chiropractors, in Texas and many other states, can do everything that an MD can, with the exceptions of prescription drugs and surgery--and after having extensive experience with both, our decision has been to use neither and instead seek natural alternatives. The result? A happier, healthier family, at a much lower price! Chiropractic school is just like medical school--it’s just as lengthy, in-depth, stressful, and expensive. The same prerequisite classes are required to get in, and once you’re in, you learn identical information, the only differences being philosophies and treatment methods. As second-year students, here are some of the classes we’ve been through so far.
Palpation - this is the study of learning to see with your hands. We feel the human body from the outside in, and we have to know what it is we’re feeling. We also have to know what’s normal and what’s not, without performing surgery!
Cells & Tissues - this cellular biology class taught us about all the different types of cells in your body and which tissues they combine to form.
Embryology - we studied the development of the human being from before conception up until delivery.
Radiology and Normal Radiographic Anatomy - these classes taught us some of the fundamentals of x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, bone scans, and other types of diagnostic imaging. Please feel free to bring yours in! They can help us understand what’s going on from the inside out and tailor the massage accordingly.
Systemic and Gross Anatomy - this covered the structure and function of the various structures of the human body, focusing on bones, muscles, nerves, arteries, veins, ligaments, joints, and viscera, and the spatial relationships in between. We have also done 8 months of cadaver dissection. We have seen A LOT (real brain, spinal cord, and tumors and other graphic pathology, just to name some), so truthfully, nothing grosses us out. Also, we know what that muscle LOOKS like.
Biochemistry - every single thing that every single cell in your body does is the end result of many series of chemical and electrical reactions in your body. These incredibly difficult classes covered everything in detail. What this means to you is that we have a deeper understanding of nutrition (diet and supplements) and these interact within your body. Even though we can’t prescribe any particular diet or herb, we can certainly point you in the right direction to help you in your own research.
Physiology - this taught us in minute detail how the body functions. Of the several Physio classes, one class alone covered the function of the firing of a nerve. Another dealt with all you ever wanted to know about the heart and blood vessels. We also know how to properly take your blood pressure!
Biomechanics - this class covered the structure of bones and the various joints and how they are all supposed to function. We learned how the body is supposed to line up to achieve structural balance. We know how your shoulder, knee, spine, etc. should move, what can go wrong, and we know which sleeping and pillow positions are best for helping to speed your healing.
Microbiology - this class was like Health & Hygiene for medical students, teaching us in great detail about the various viruses, bacteria, and mysterious emerging diseases out there. We covered AIDS, SARS, STDs, Bird Flu, MRSA, E-coli, Mad Cow and other prion-related diseases, vaccines, and sooo much more.
Neuroscience - these classes dealt with the neurological pathways between your brain and the rest of your body, the mechanism of pain, how to test for neurological damage, and much more.
Clinical Orthopedics - this class covers nearly 260 orthopedic tests and how to conduct them. This means we can help you assess whether or not you have carpal tunnel, neck injuries, and more. While massage therapists cannot legally diagnose, we are not prevented from conducting these tests and referring you to a healthcare practitioner for an official diagnosis.
Physical Diagnosis - this class IS about learning how to diagnose. We learned how to take in-depth health histories, which questions to ask, which follow-up tests to perform, and when to send someone for immediate medical attention.
Pathology - this class taught us about how disease is a process, and the mechanism of that process. It concerns the causes, the nature, and the effects of diseases or any other deviation from normal health.
Future classes include: Obstetrics, Pediatrics, more Pathology, Bone Pathology, Pharmacology/Toxicology, Applied Kinesiology (AK), Clinical Neurology, Lab Diagnosis, Dermatology, Physiotherapy (PT), Emergency Care, Clinical Nutrition, more Diagnostic classes, Soft Tissue Pathology, Radiographic Examination, and much more.
Future Plans...(hopefully, these will materialize within the next 5 to 7 years)
Massage/Bodywork:
Additional Lymphatic Drainage training, either with Upledger or Vodder.
Thai massage, hopefully during travel abroad to Thailand
Cranio-Sacral technique with Upledger
Shiatsu massage
Reiki attunements (GENUINE Reiki, as opposed to the nature of the vast majority of practitioners today)
Post-Doctoral work:
Neurology and/or Pediatric Diplomate (additional 3 years each), possible Board Certification as a Chiropractic Neurologist
Separate Acupuncture License, possible Masters Degree in Oriental Medicine
Animal chiropractic certification for dogs, cats, and horses.
Certified Clinical Nutrition OR Master Herbalist/Naturopathic certification (not sure on these two yet, but they are possibilities)
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