As part of the American Massage Therapy Association´s (AMTA) National Massage Therapy Awareness Week, October 19-25, 2008, Acupuncture & Massage College invites all prospective Massage Therapy program students to visit AMC for a FREE massage and campus tour.

Recent research shows that massage therapy provides relief for people suffering from a diverse range of adverse health conditions and that it is an effective complement to medical care.

Massage helps promote a healthy and balanced lifestyle. As more research demonstrates the effectiveness of massage therapy for helping to treat common ailments like low back pain, more consumers are seeking massage to improve their overall wellness and health.

Consumers aren´t the only people recognizing the benefits of massage. Physicians and other healthcare providers are increasingly recommending massage therapy to their patients as a supplement to traditional health care. According to one national survey, 54 percent of primary care physicians and family practitioners would encourage their patients to pursue massage therapy as a treatment. Consumers surveyed over the last three years say that when they discuss therapeutic massage with their physicians, more than 70 percent responded favorably.

Massage provides tremendous therapeutic benefits. Scientific research shows that massage reduces heart rate, lowers blood pressure, relaxes muscles, and improves range of motion, just to name a few benefits. Massage complements traditional health care by soothing a number of ailments, such as stress, arthritis, hyperactivity, backaches, and headaches.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, massage therapy employment is expected to grow faster than average over the 2006-16 period as more people learn about the benefits of massage therapy.

Interested in a career in massage, but not sure where to start? AMC´s Massage Therapy program offers a comprehensive curriculum of massage techniques. The program is designed for students seeking a career in the field of bodywork as well as practitioners who want to offer additional modalities to their patients. The Massage Therapy program´s specialization in Japanese Shiatsu enables students to develop experience working with a range of techniques within Asian systems of medicine. Students complete courses in Shiatsu, Swedish and medical massage.

The Massage Therapy program is a 720-hour, 8 1/2-month program which includes 164 hours of hands-on supervised clinical practice. In the program, students learn energy work as well as structural bodywork modalities, Eastern as well as Western theory and technique and how to treat specific pain and dysfunction as well as promote health and healing. AMC´s Massage Therapy program prepares students to holistically practice massage therapy in a variety of therapeutic environments.

For more information about Acupuncture & Massage College´s Massage Therapy program or to schedule an appointment for a FREE massage and campus tour call Joe Calareso, Admissions Director, at (305) 595-9500.