Massage Therapy School in Shreveport, LA
People are using massage to more than just relax. Sino Chiropractic Health Center in Shreveport lists a number of common reasons to seek massage, including relief of sore muscles, relief of tension headaches, improved circulation, and post-sports recovery (https://www.drsino.net/massage therapy).
The Shreveport/ Bossier City metropolitan area may be a fine place to begin a career if you believe in the power of therapeutic massage, are willing to invest time in building professional relationships, and have a vision. If you want to develop a particular niche, there’s plenty left to grow. There are some conventional employers (e.g. Massage Envy). What’s more, if you live in Shreveport, you won’t have to travel far to get an education.
This hasn’t traditionally been massage country – job concentration is lower in this part of the country – but the growth rate in Louisiana appears to be on a par with that of the nation as a whole. 22% massage therapy occupational growth has been projected for Louisiana across the 2016 to 2026 decade.
Massage Therapy Schools in Shreveport, LA
Louisiana bases licensure on education and examination; the minimum requirement is 500 hours. The program will need to meet minimums in certain required curricular areas.
Unitech Training Academy is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE). There is a campus close by in West Monroe. The massage therapy program provides an introduction to a number of styles, including sports, deep tissue, pregnancy, and clinical.
Shreveport Area Massage Practices
Massage is performed in varied settings. My Spa My Way combines massage with sauna, body treatments, and salon/ beauty services. Sino Chiropractic Health, meanwhile, combines chiropractic services and massage.
The following are among the other popular practices in the Shreveport area:
A Golden Touch Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork-Shreveport has a pain management massage that draws from ‘range of motion’ techniques as well as from modalities like myofascial release and trigger point therapy. They state that those performing the service are experienced LMTs recommended by healthcare professionals. Also on the menu are reflexology and cupping, two modalities that have grown in popularity around the nation. Shreveport’s A Golden Touch Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork practice is one of two – there’s also a practice in West Monroe.
The Just for You Massage service menu includes clinical offerings like lymphatic drainage massage and medical massage; the latter is by doctor prescription.
Cadence Therapeutics offers a number of massage styles that may be therapeutic for pain conditions. There’s trigger point therapy, pregnancy massage, orthopedic massage, craniosacral therapy, and myofascial therapy.
The Peace of Mind Center has a 20-year history, and they’ve recently moved to larger quarters. Massage modalities include the basic stand-bys: Swedish, deep tissue, customized therapeutic, and hot stone. Massage may be combined with other services like sugar scrub and sauna. Peace of Mind is also a retail facility, with items like rocks and gems, aromatherapy candles, and singing bowls. The business received a write-up in The Shreveport Times.
Massage for Special Populations
The elderly are among the populations that can stand to benefit. The Oaks of Louisiana Spa and Wellness Center, a senior living community, has massage suites.
Some massage therapists around the nation do mobile massage at many types of business, including nursing home and assisted living settings. In fact, there are some who don’t do a lot in the way of outcalls but are willing to travel to people who can’t come out for a massage.
The Louisiana Institute of Massage Therapy in St. Charles has online coursework in providing massage to cancer patients. Not everyone can travel for seminars by major trainers like Tracy Walton or the Society for Oncology Massage – online training can be a start.
Licensed Massage Therapists often watch for trainings to come to their area, hosted by schools or healthcare organizations.
Economic Considerations
Massage therapists in the Shreveport/ Bossier City metropolitan area earned a mean $9.14 an hour in 2018 (median: $8.60).
Average massage therapist wages here are lower than in most parts of the country. Thankfully, this is also a place with low cost of living. The cost of home ownership is well below the norm. The average cost of renting commercial office space is lower in the Shreveport/ Bossier area than in any other city in Louisiana. North Louisiana is considered to have low costs associated with running a business — though some of the criteria are less applicable for individuals who are running very small business (http://www.nlep.org/ Competitive Advantages/Business Climate.aspx).
Building a client base can be challenging, but there are people in the area that can and do pay good money for massage. There are high-profile massage therapy studios — ones that pop up on internet searches sporting favorable client ratings – that charge patrons $75 or more for an hour of massage.
Professional associations like Associated Massage and Bodywork Professionals (ABMP) are a resource for career-building.
Massage Therapists Living their Passions
Massage therapists tend to have other passions, like helping people stay healthy, fit, centered, and positive about who they are. This is reflected in the professional relationships they forge and the businesses they develop. Destiny Day Spa in Bossier is among the practices that is LMT-owned. There are eight other LMTs listed. There are also nail technicians, aestheticians, and designers onboard.
KTBS recently reported that professionals from BodyPro and Lynette’s Impact Fitness , one of whom is both an LMT and trainer, had purchased Fit3D. This is a radiation-free machine that allows people to estimate their body composition.