Massage Therapy School in Richmond, VA
Massage therapists in the Richmond are a diverse group of practitioners. One thing they have in common: they’re enriching people’s lives.
Massage Therapy Schools in Richmond, VA
Virginia massage therapy schools are authorized by the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia.
Alliance Medical & Health Sciences College allows students to earn an Associate of Applied Science. Students provide massages to the public at Roberts Physical Therapy & Massage.
ECPI has a diploma option. Students earn 15.5 college credits. Musculoskeletal anatomy, medical terminology, medical massage, and special populations are among the courses.
The Lotus School of Integrated Professions offers a 600-hour massage therapy program with day and night options. The program includes 100 hours of practicum. The Lotus School of Integrated Professions holds accreditation through the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC).
Richmond Massage Therapist Standards
Virginia now licenses massage therapists. Among the requirements is completion of a 500-hour massage therapy program. Virginia is a relative newcomer to licensing. Richmond has ordinances that predate current statewide standards.
Richmond places restrictions on places where massage can be provided. This will impact some small enterprises and mobile massage providers, but ultimately, there are many possible work settings. Among the settings where massage is allowed: massage establishments, beauty salons, health clubs, care facilities, and client workplaces (during business hours). Care facility is a broad category which can include hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and group homes. Hotel health clubs get a thumbs up — private hotel rooms, no.
Richmond Massage Therapist Work Settings
So where is massage actually being provided? Many places. Chiropractic offices, yoga studios and one-stop wellness centers, spas, massage franchises, even facilities operated by healthcare systems. Some LMTs provide mobile massage to businesses.
Some settings are hard to sum up in a word. Richmond BizSense profiled a new business – described as a modern apothecary – that had wellness items for sale and rooms for acupuncture and massage (https://richmondbizsense.com/2017/03/28/modern apothecary opens in the fan). Two LMTs were onboard at the time of the writing. The owner was working on getting a juice bar up and running.
Top Richmond Massage Practices
The following is a sampling of well-rated practices in the Richmond area:
Advanced Wellness Centre offers multiple services, including physical therapy, chiropractic services, and massage therapy to people with a wide range of conditions (for, example, whiplash).
Humble Haven Yoga provides massage as well as yoga.
Resolve Bodyworks pairs human massage and canine massage.
Relief at Work is a Virginia company that serves the Richmond area (as well as several other areas of the state). The website lets people know the potential benefits of a quick chair massage, how it can reduce muscular tension, help people manage repetitive stress, make them aware of tension patterns that cause pain, and boost their morale. The company provides statistics about the link between stress and lost work days, employee turnover, and on-the-job accidents.
LMTs are often self-employed in some fashion or other. Some bring others onboard. Carytown Massage by As Kneaded is an LMT-owned practice. It boasts 157 Google reviews and a 4.9 average.
Eye intuitive is a small massage studio that’s also an art gallery.
MEND Massage therapy was founded by a massage therapist with more than 25 years of experience who recently relocated to Richmond. The business was, in 2019, considering massage therapist candidates who were open to learning new modalities.
Richmond Area Spas
Richmond has its share of spas, including some that appeal to a wellness-focused and environmentally conscious clientele, as well as those who are seeking luxury and willing to pay luxury prices.
Main Street Spa & Wellness Center offers sports massage, prenatal massage, and manual lymphatic drainage as well as relaxation massage and massages graced with essential oils or hot stones.
At Scents of Serenity Organic Massage, massage may incorporate aromatherapy, bamboo, or herbal compresses. Seaweed is included in the herbal compress. Scents of Serenity clients may opt for a massage that includes a patented Deep Blue essential oil blend. The Scents of Serenity massage menu includes sports/ runners massage, tension buster massage, and prenatal massage, among others.
Perception Organic Spa has a massage that incorporates plenty of warmth in the form of hot oil candle and Vietnamese herbal ball.
Massage at Healthcare Organizations/ Care Facilities
Massage indeed has a healthcare presence in the Richmond area.
Bon Secours Physical Therapy offers massage therapy at its Richmond facility. Available styles include manual lymphatic drainage, pregnancy massage, and injury/ rehab, among others.
Massage is increasingly being used to improve the quality of life for cancer patients, and Richmond is no exception. At the Virginia Commonwealth University – Massey Cancer Center, massage therapy and other integrative treatments may be included in a patient’s care plan.
One will find massage at some facilities that serve the elderly. Lakewood, for example, counts massage therapist services among their amenities.
LMTs Making a Difference
Richmond’s Veterans Resiliency Holistic Clinic founded by an LMT (https://www.massagemag.com/veterans-massage-for-ptsd-relief-89140).
Massage Therapist Wages
Massage therapists in the Richmond metropolitan area earned average hourly wages of $19.40 in 2018. There was a wide range of reported wages, however. Those at the 10th percentile earned $8.44 while those at the 90th percentile earned $29.59. The median was $18.49.