Is anyone a massage therapist, physical therapist? If yes, how do u like it....

bridget1312 · December 2012

Hey all... I am in a search for a new job/career. I have been thinking of looking into massage therapy. I have spoken with a few who seem to love their jobs. I think this could be something I may enjoy. I was curious, how do you like it? How did you get into this and school... How long did you go to school for, training, and how much was it.? I have looked online, but wanted to get a real person feel and opinion. I know things are different in each state, I am in California, and also, what is the difference in getting a massage therapy diploma from a certificate?? I would love to hear what you think of what you do. Thanks all! Hope ya all have a good one!!!

AdeleDazeem · December 2012

A physical therapist is VERY different from a massage therapist.

My sister is a PT. She had to take all the pre-med reqs, apply to PT school and then it's a four year program in much the same vein as medical school or nursing school.

I don't know too much about massage therapists. Good luck!

EDIT: PTs are paid well, but there is a four year degree to pay for. Loans, clinicals all over the country to get to, live at, etc...

QueerFemme · December 2012

I have the same experience with my Massage Therapist friends. Most of them are living with parents or roommates, because they are making barely $20-25K a year. If you get lucky and get in with a chiropractor's office, you might get some stability and a decent salary, but, it doesn't seem like a very lucrative or stable career.

Agan, agree with PP. Physical therapy is VERY different. It takes more education/training and you have more options, like working in a hospital.

kbsmom1 · December 2012

my daughter is a PT...as above had to have pre rec in a lot of science...also you have to have undergrad degree and great grades....getting in is very competitive and you need recs....would help if you had experience as PT aide......most programs are now Doctorate and take around 27 months.....its not cheap but you can find good value in different Universities....she choose UT at Memphis....she had lots of career opportunities when she graduated and the pay is great...even in this economy...

CleverThought · December 2012

Not sure about MT, but FI's cousin is a PT and right now the job market isn't good. He's had a hard time finding full time work, and had to move across the state, away from his fiance, to get a job.

PT's compete with chiropractors, so it's almost like the job market is twice as saturated. It's hard to find a good health care job, it's one of the most saturated fields, as opposed to public opinion. Unless you pursue the actual "doctor" position, like MD, DDS, ect, there are hundreds of people competing for one position.

a6a14173 · December 2012

My good friend is an RMT, and loves it. It's a really physical job (unless you work in a spa-type environment) but she does get lots of time off. She works at an established clinic, but as an independent practitioner.

That being said, she doen't have any medical benefits beyond what she pays for (in terms of insurance), no sick pay, no time off (well, all the time off, but no pay), and no RRSP matching, same as any self-employed person.

WinstonsGirl · December 2012

My RMT is amazing. She works in my chiropractors clinic, but basically rents a room, so she's got the monthly bill for rental of space and use of the front receptionist for bookings. Anyway, back to the original point, she is also trained in Acupuncture, which also included cupping, acupressure and at least one other thing she has mentioned, but hasn't tried on me yet. I love it cos she ties in the acupressure with my massage, which feels amazing, and occasionally the acupuncture/cupping for injuries. She also does acupuncture only appointments, so if you are seriously considering that type of field, branching out to other forms of natural medicine might also be an option you'd want to consider. I can't comment on job prospects/pay.

As PP's said, PT requires a minimum 4 year degree (occupational therapy is the same), usually done after a Bachelors of some sort (Science, Phys-Ed, Kinesiology, etc.). The programs up here are super hard to get into (high 90%'s averages as the min.), though they do tend to pay well from what I understand. Good luck with your decision

AdeleDazeem · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_is-anyone-a-massage-therapist-physical-therapist-if-yes-how-do-u-like-it?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:5236c3e1-3cee-465c-b389-84a088a9787cPost:f37e8621-7e37-4c77-a1e6-fc56df1b47b6">Re: Is anyone a massage therapist, physical therapist? If yes, how do u like it....</a>:
[QUOTE] PT's compete with chiropractors,
Posted by CleverThought[/QUOTE]

If my sister heard you say this, she'd have a fit. PTs are NOT chiropractors and the things people go to for PT are much more vast and intricate than back alignments. My sister works with spinal cord injury patients at a rehab hospital. She helps them learn to walk and move around again independently. She also does research to see how the brain rewires itself following brain injury. That's just one floor - there are several other floors dedicated to strokes and outpatient joint replacements, among other things. I assure you - she's no chiropractor.

bridget1312 · December 2012

Thank you for your comments!!! My husband and I have talked about this, and I am not necessarily looking for anything that's going to pay me a ton of money, just something I can enjoy and do either full or part time. I was thinking of starting out with massage therapy then perhaps looking into how I like it and if I would like to persue something further. I now work as a waitress and am just over it... I enjoy physical activity and think this may be benificial. As of now, my husband makes enough for us to live comfortably, so that is why I was actually looking into something for now..

blingbling0828 · December 2012

I get massages pretty regularly and thought about going to school for massage therapy. I asked my massage therapist about it and he said "if you think your back is bad now just wait until you do this all day". I quickly decided that wasn't for me. He also said unless you are actually giving a massage you do not get paid for being there. Doesn't sound to appealing to me. Have you looked into a physical therapy assistant. They make pretty good money and are obviously needed! Good Luck!

CleverThought · December 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_is-anyone-a-massage-therapist-physical-therapist-if-yes-how-do-u-like-it?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:5236c3e1-3cee-465c-b389-84a088a9787cPost:892133fd-507d-46ea-b5c4-63f2359f10a2">Re: Is anyone a massage therapist, physical therapist? If yes, how do u like it....</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Is anyone a massage therapist, physical therapist? If yes, how do u like it.... : If my sister heard you say this, she'd have a fit. PTs are NOT chiropractors and the things people go to for PT are much more vast and intricate than back alignments. My sister works with spinal cord injury patients at a rehab hospital. She helps them learn to walk and move around again independently. She also does research to see how the brain rewires itself following brain injury. That's just one floor - there are several other floors dedicated to strokes and outpatient joint replacements, among other things. I assure you - she's no chiropractor.
Posted by Joy2611[/QUOTE]

I'm not saying they do the same job. But I come from a family with 2 chiropractors and 3 PTs (opposite sides of the family) and they both have great dislike for the others profession.

I do know that if you, say, have a hip replacement you have the option to go to PT or chiro post op recovery. While they have different methods of treatment and recovery, they do compete for the same clients.

My freshman and sophomore year of undergrad I worked on a stroke and ortho floor, and I'm aware of the job role of a PT in action, but I also know that some patients would have the hospital chiropractor come in rather than use the in house PT.

It's the same with an MD OMFS vs DDS OMFS, one has medical school background the other has dental school background, but if you have a facial reconstruction that needs to be done you could go to either. They aren't the same, but compete for the same clients. Or the same could be said with DO vs MD ... same patients, different methodologies. When it comes to health care, there are always multiple roles that can perform the same job.

Doddles12 · December 2012

I am a LMT in New Jersey and have been for over 7 years and I LOVE being a massage therapist!! However - I have not been able to do it full time. I have worked in spas either doing massage (on call) or reception & massage (to make a full time spot). A lot of places (out here at least) only pay you when you have a client. You may spend all day at the spa and never get a massage.
What I do now is have a full time job and do massage on the side. I've been able to rent space from a local massage place when I have clients. I got lucky that the owner lets me use it when I need to and I only pay her per session. You may find a local, privately owned business that is willing to let you rent space, or you may be able to find a small studio to rent and do your own thing out of it. I would stay away from the "chain" stores tho. It can be a lot on your body to do lots of massages but if you're trained well and watch how you work on top of take care of yourself, you'll be fine. I can do a 2 hour massage and feel fine when I'm done.
Another thing in regards to pay. When I've worked in spas I had great weeks where I was rockin with clients and I'd make anywhere from $80-$120 an hour with tip. And then I'd have bad weeks where I'd only have 1-2 clients. When you're trying to pay bills that sucks, but if you're in a situation where that's not a huge issue then that'll work out well.
If you do your own thing though - you can charge whatever you'd like.
Good luck! Feel free to PM me if you'd like

)

Doddles12 · December 2012

Also, massage therapy diploma/certificate means you completed the course. Getting certified or licensed is going through the state (which you'll need you diploma/cert' to do).

bridget1312 · January 2013

Doddles12, I pms you..

Is anyone a massage therapist, physical therapist? If yes, how do u like it....

Re: Is anyone a massage therapist, physical therapist? If yes, how do u like it....

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