What do You Think of Massage Therapists?

I am doing a research for an essay that is due soon and I want to get ideas on what people think. I am putting the finishing touches on my essay tonight so any info would appreciatedWhat do You Think of Massage Therapists?
i think they are often thought of as prostitutes. you know, if you pay a little extra you can get an ';all over'; massage.... honestly, thats what i think of everytime i hear that job description, LOLWhat do You Think of Massage Therapists?
I think of Little asian girls saying i love you long time lol.. while giving u a good time.
Do a search for ';massage therapy benefits'; and you will get lots of good information.





Massage therapists are wonderful for relieving aching and tired muscles, stiff backs and joints and helping improve circulation and speed natural healing in bruises and injured muscles. It is for very good reason that most professional sports teams employ one or more professional massage therapists.
After working with them for 5 years my experience shows the vast majority are like this:





-too stupid and lazy to get a real education





-so arrogant that they truly believe 6 months of trade school learning an unproven ';alternative method'; qualifies them to be respected and paid as ';health care professionals';





-intentionally ignorant of science and willing to believe in quackery like Reiki and cranio-sacral work





-not dependable, flaky





-emotionally damaged and needy, seeking attention through imaginary or self-made crisis





-prostitutes. Come on now, this is the REAL reason sports teams employ them





(BTW, SCIENTIFIC STUDIES have proven that massage neither reduces muscle soreness, increases circulation, nor speeds healing of injured muscles. But that's just science, not unsubstantiated belief.)
I think massage Therapists are great-i love massages!


I dont like the ones though who are rough or absentminded that are only doing it for a job or because they think its easy work or whatever .


I like the ones that generally like helping people and want to make a difference in clients either physical or emotional state are great.


Unfortunately,there is that other type of ';massage therapy'; too that gives a lot of real massage therapists a bad name,or confusion or embarressment etc
Finishing touches? lol
I worked in a massage school for a few years doing adminstrative work....so I've met hundred of them a year....and I'm afraid that Sabreena is right....





99% of them give the rest of them a bad name.





[That other 1% though....some of them are downright impressive....and those are the ones that are worth their weight in gold....]
Wow, I can't believe the responses to this one. I don't know what kind of massage 'services' you guys have in the U.S., but in Canada, Registered Massage Therapists receive a thorough 3 year education and are respected health care professionals, as much as nurses or physiotherapists.





Massage therapy has helped me immensely





1) 18 years ago, when I started developing a 'hunch back' my MD told me it was just fat. About 3 years ago I was told it was not fat, but that the muscles had become so tight, that they had deformed that part of my spine. It took only 3 months of massage therapy to eliminate that huch that took 15 years to develop, allowing for chiropractic adjustments to straighten the spine to its normal curvature. That would not have been possible without massage therapy, and I am so grateful that my massage therapist was well schooled enough in anatomy and physiology to know the difference between 'fat' and 'muscle unlike my previous MD.





2) I had started experiencing horrendously excruciating head tightness and neurological symptoms that neither my MD or neurologist could figure out the cause of. I was not able to function and I was having the worst headaches and migraines imaginable. My massage therapist found that the fascia in my head was extremely tight and dry (kind of cemented). The work she did took away my extreme suffering, and allowed me to be functional and back to work again.





3) When I was diagnosed with cancer, I became extremely stressed. I could not relax, had trouble getting to sleep and was an absolute mess. Thanks to massage therapy, for working on relaxing my central nervous system, I was able to get through the initial shock with greater ease so I could get on with the cancer fight. A stressed body compromises the immune system, and a compromised immune system is not well equipped to battle cancer.





These are the 3 greatest ways I have benefited from Massage Therapy. My 'happy endings' include a shrinking tumor, no headaches or other neurological issues, and no hunchback!
Massage therapists provide a lot of stress relief and alleviate pain for many, many people. I've worked with a number of massage therapists over the years, and, by and large, they are professional and genuinely caring people.





People often make the mistake of confusing Masseurs with Massage Therapists. There is a difference in levels of education, and training.





Massage Therapists, with whom I have worked with, have at one time or another had to deal with rude, ignorant, and down right disgusting behavior from those people who think they are some sort of sex worker.





I currently work with psychiatrists, physical therapists, psychologists, and occupational therapists who routinely refer patients to massage therapists.
Oh here we go again. Boo Hoo, being a masseuse just ruined the rest of my life. Thank you Violet and Curious George. In the state I live in we are licensed by the state medical board. Please remember that a LMT can perform almost all of the same manual therapy that a PT can. If massage therapy is SO terrible, why are the most of the better trained therapists doing so well?
I love massages, too. They are wonderful when I need to de-stress and relax. My practitioner is one of those 1% worth her weight in gold, and I value her for the professionalism and skill she brings to her job.





I consider graduates of the Canadian 3-year programs to be qualified medical professionals. However, I must agree that many therapists in the US are arrogant and ignorant. That was me 10 years ago when I was working my way through PT school as a massage practitioner.





I entered the PT program believing I knew almost everything and was qualified to perform almost all of the same manual therapy that a PT could. The more I learned, the more I realized how I was not truly qualified to diagnose or treat medical conditions with only 750 hours of training. It's amazing how an education has made me more humble about my skills, skeptical of manual therapy, and more realistic about the role therapists actually play in the healing process. These were all things I ';knew'; for certain as a massage practitioner.