Massage has been around for centuries, but recently, more and more people seem to be interested in massage and other alternative health practices. With this increased interest, comes increased demand for licensed massage therapists. This has created a surge in enrollments at massage therapy schools. There are many options for massage therapy schools. In my part of the country, I checked the phone book under "massage therapy schools" and found many different options.

The first option is the dedicated massage therapy school that only teaches the art of massage. They typically have classroom training on health and general physiology and then a requirement for a large number of lab hours actually performing massage. These are usually located in large urban areas.

The second type of massage therapy school is at a local massage therapy office. The office where I get my massage has 6 different therapists on staff. There is also an instructor. Classes are offered throughout the week during the day and evening. Clients become practice patients for these massage therapists in training.

The last option I found for massage therapy school was my local community college. Here, you have a core requirement of study common to all students, plus electives in different types of massage therapy. This approach may take the longest, but because it is a community college, may be the least expensive of the three options.

There are also special seminars that are given around the country for specialized areas of massage or for specific massage treatments. These are typically geared toward the experienced massage therapist and build upon their already existing knowledge and experience.

If you are interested in massage therapy school, you can easily hop online to check out a variety of options. There are virtually schools all over the country. You can also acquire about the pay rates for massage specialists. Although it will vary from spa to spa, they can provide an average. My spa charges $65 for a one-hour massage. The spa keeps a portion and the massage therapist keeps the rest. Or, you can try to go out on your own and open your own massage therapy office. A new approach is to work as a freelance massage therapist for a local gym. Many local fitness centers now offer massage as one of their services. This is a good way to gain experience and to build a good reputation as a massage therapist.