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RISING WOMEN EXPERT ADVICE...
What is the main difference between Spa Massage and Therapeutic
Massage?
The largest difference between the two is level of training. Most spas
do not require any formal training in anatomy and physiology, as they often
prefer to train their spa technicians to provide their own services with
great skill. This is fine for those who want a relaxation massage but for
anyone suffering chronic pain as a result of an accident, injury or an
illness, these services do not provide sufficient pain relief or management.
This isn’t to say that there are not any benefits to having a massage in a
spa setting or that the individuals working there are not professionals. The
treatments are just designed to meet different needs and therefore the
training requirements are different. Spa treatments use relaxation
techniques designed more to meet the human need for physical contact with an
added bonus of having dermatological benefits.
Therapeutic techniques require an in-depth understanding of how individual
body systems interact with one another in order to avoid injury during or
after a treatment. For this reason, only qualified Registered Massage
Therapists (RMT’s) and health practitioners should provide these services.
These individuals most often work out of clinics, but as constant
application of these treatments increases a RMT’s burnout rate, RMT’s are
now taking positions in spas to decrease the physical demand on their hands
and bodies. This shift alone has decreased the gap between spas and clinics,
as most RMT’s capable of providing therapeutic techniques do not often stop
doing so because they are working in a spa.
Acknowledging this shift training, institutes are now providing RMT’s with
additional training in spa treatments and more RMT’s are able to use these
techniques to compliment therapies where ever they work. Not all RMT’s are
trained to do this, as this is not mandatory to achieve certification. Vice
versa, massage practitioners are not necessarily trained or qualified to
perform therapeutic techniques but are not required to do so to work in a
spa and often receive training upon being hired. The only way to know for
sure if you are booking with a trained RMT or a practitioner is to ask upon
booking. In a spa in Calgary there is always a possibility that the person
working on you only has the minimum 200 hours required to get a city
license. RMT’s are required to have a minimum of 1000 hours to join a
professional massage therapy association.
For more advice on the benefits of massage therapy, contact Angela Gold,
RMT at 403.921.5211 or email her at
angelagoldrmt@hotmail.com
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