Ancient civilizations used massage therapy as a treatment for many diseases. The therapists were practical people with very little formal training. Medicine has come a long way since then and todays massage therapists are well-trained health professionals. They undergo a scientifically designed course of instruction covering both theory and practice.

Massage therapy is given by manipulating the soft tissues of the body by strokes, pressure, squeeze or taping. It relaxes the muscles and eases the tension, knots, spasms and cramps. Therapy improves blood circulation, stimulates lymphatic system and calms the nerves.

Most states, and some counties and cities, have their own licensing systems for the therapist. A person has to pass a board examination accredited by the federal government. The training is given by many schools, which are accredited by the massage therapy professional associations.

An average of 500 hours of instruction in the classroom, coupled with supervised hands-on practice, is necessary for the registration. A high school diploma is a minimum qualification for admission to the program.

The students are taught anatomy, physiology, pathology and kinesiology before moving on to massage. Massage history and theory, and practical techniques, are the main course requirements. Treatment principles, nutrition and ethics complete the program.

Setting a high standard of professional ethics is of much relevance in massage therapy. The identification of massage with commercial sex in the past is very much ingrained in the public mind, so the professional associations lay a lot of emphasis on ethics.

There are over 100 different techniques of massage. From the basic general massage, like Swedish massage, sports massage and aromatherapy, the student advances to very specialized and targeted techniques.

Todays medicine has a distinct place for relaxation techniques and stress reduction using massage therapy. The training of massage therapists is rising to the level required by the medical profession.