Massage Therapy School in Worcester, Massachusetts

Massachusetts is consistently among the healthiest states, and massage therapists represent one small part of the proactive approach to wellness. Massachusetts cities may well beckon to massage therapists, as places to live well as places to set up shop!

Worcester may be a good choice for an LMT who doesn’t want quite the big city atmosphere of Boston. The cost of living here is notably lower. An up-and-coming massage therapist may also want to consider other nearby cities like Springfield.

Popular Massage Schools in Worcester

The Bancroft School of Massage Therapy offers a varied curriculum. Students learn repetitive stress and sports injuries, regional cervical/ lumbar massage, and spa therapies, among other concepts. The internship provides networking opportunities. The Bancroft School is a school member of the American Massage Therapy Association. AMTA lists the program hours at 720.

The Spa Tech Institute offers 650- and 770-hour programs. Both introduce students to a wide variety of modalities, from Swedish relaxation massage to stretching and foot pressure techniques. Polarity therapy is one of the extras that is included in the longer course. The Spa Tech Institute also offers polarity therapy as continuing education.

The Massage School’s Hadley and Easthampton campuses are just a bit further down the road. The 750-hour curriculum includes 200 clinical hours. Classes are held in the evening and on weekends.

Types of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is a diverse field. Worcester’s Revitalize Massage Therapy and Yoga places massage into two broad categories: relaxation and pain relief. These two categories can be a good starting point for deciding who one is as a massage therapist and what trainings they want to pursue.

Some researchers and organizations note other benefits of massage and bodywork. Clinical massage calls on specialized knowledge that goes beyond simply knowing techniques. Nationwide, positions in healthcare can be harder to obtain.

Massage in the Healthcare Community

Massage is gaining attention in the medical community as healthcare professionals are charged with finding better – and less risky – ways to manage pain. The Family Health Center of Worcester lists several local massage practices under its resources for managing chronic pain. The Daily News of Newburyport, meanwhile, has informed readers that manual therapy medical/ massage therapy is the most effective nonsurgical intervention for frozen shoulder (https://www.newburyportnews.com/news/lifestyles/making-sense-of-medicine-frozen-shoulder-can-take-time-to/article_0e793449-48cf-58c7-bf32-e00a354fd1fb.html). This modality may be performed by medical massage therapists, among others.

Reliant Medical Group provides therapeutic massage services, noting multiple outcomes, including relief from fibromyalgia (https://reliantmedicalgroup.org/medical-services/rehabilitative-services/theraputic-massage-services/).

The Simonds-Hurd Complementary Care Center at UMass offers varied bodywork and energy modalities and notes that some massage patients may receive reimbursement or discounted services through insurance.

Multiple organizations are working to make massage therapy more accessible for seniors. Notre Dame Health Care lists massage among the amenities for residents in long-term and rehabilitative care (https://www.notredamehealthcare.org/long-term-care-rehabilitation/amenities).

One doesn’t need to be affiliated with a major health system to provide clinical services or to work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals. Compassion Massage Therapeutic Care counts oncology massage, veteran’s massage, and prenatal massage among its specialties. Its status as a community care provider means veterans may have medically necessary services reimbursed. Compassion Massage was among the organizations that sought new talent in early 2019.

Chiropractic Offices and Wellness Centers

Chiropractic offices and wellness centers are common settings.

The inBalance Chiropractic and Wellness clinic in Shrewsbury currently has two massage therapists onboard. Both have earned professional certifications in specialty areas (e.g. neuromuscular therapy, Graston Technique).

Body Therapeutics has a team that includes acupuncturists, chiropractors, and massage therapists.

Massage Practices in the Worcester Area to Consider

One will find multiple Massage Envy and Elements locations in this part of the state. Both were well represented in the job postings in 2019. The East Longmeadow Elements has a 4.7 Google rating, based on 116 client reviews – the sheer number of reviews suggests they do a lot of business. The advertised position is as an employee with benefits.

One will also find a number of small spas and wellness centers looking to add to their teams. Businesses utilize different payment models. In some cases, the LMT will be an independent contractor. In some, the individual will receive a base rate plus a commission. Businesses often tout flexible hours and wellness perks.

Revitalize Massage Therapy and Yoga offers clients a range of relaxation and pain-relief modalities, including hot stone massage, trigger point therapy, reflexology, polarity, and prenatal massage. The website lists eight massage therapists, including a co-owner. Bios include modalities where the particular LMT has expertise.

Massage Therapist Career Outlook

The massage therapy occupation has been projected to see 18.6% growth in Massachusetts over the course of the 2016 to 2026 decade.

Massage Therapist Self-Employment

In the Worcester and Springfield area, one will find sole proprietors carving out niches in areas like sports massage and orthopedic massage. Some practice Eastern modalities. A massage studio may be associated with a particular style of massage but offer clients other options. Sakura Shiatsu, for example, offers several treatments, including deep tissue, bamboo fusion, and foot reflexology.

LMTs often work as sole proprietors. They may also add other massage therapists to their team. Sometimes the business becomes too much for a single pair of hands. In 2019, Sports Massage by Steve isn’t just by Steve any more. The business provides chair massage at client sites as well as table massage at the main site. The proprietor touts 10-20 minute sessions to help employees stay energized and on track and notes these may be paid for by the company. A business may also choose to offer chair massage to clients. Corporate massage, notably, has a long history in Massachusetts.

An article about Compassion Massage on the Digital Federal Credit Union website provides some background about its proprietor (https://www.dcu.org/whats-new/compassion-massage.html). She was once a sole proprietor in Alaska. Heralding from Massachusetts (trained at the Bancroft School) she is closer to her roots.

Truth Organic Spa and Wellness Center, also LMT-owned, recently moved to a new location to accommodate growth (https://www.communityadvocate.com/2019/01/07/truth-organic-spa-and-wellness-center-to-host-grand-opening-at-new-location/).

Additional Resources

Massachusetts Massage Therapy License Requirements

Massage Schools in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association provides information about upcoming educational events. One may also turn to massage schools in the vicinity.