Upon graduation from basic massage therapy or bodywork school, new practitioners typically hold a massage certification that allows them to begin to practice legally within their state and region. Usually, the massage certification earned through one’s basic education tends to pertain to the relaxation model of massage. However, using massage therapy continuing education, manual therapists can broaden their horizons and earn a massage certification in a more specialized modality. This allows practitioners to customize the types of techniques they choose to practice on a regular basis and better define their own careers, from the kind of clients they see to the amount of money they make.

One of the best aspects of continuing education for massage therapists is that there is such a huge array of classes for practitioners to choose from, and it is easy to try out new methods of massage and bodywork simply by enrolling in one CE course on the topic. This way, a practitioner can test the waters, so to speak, and see if the modality feels like it will be a fit for his or her practice before deciding to invest in all the other continuing education offerings on that modality and work toward expert status.

For those manual therapists who feel they may be interested in moving their careers in the direction of medical massage or massage for sports therapy, the continuing education programs offered by Erik Dalton are the perfect place to start. Dalton is the founder of the Freedom From Pain Institute and the creator of Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques (MAT), a powerful system of deep tissue massage techniques that can effectively address stubborn pain patterns and provide clients with long-term relief. The massage certification that comes from completing any one of Dalton’s CE programs grants the practitioner the title of Certified Myoskeletal Therapist.

From massage techniques for back pain to sequences that address scoliosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, rotator cuff issues and so much more, MAT is a complete modality for those manual therapists who want to focus their careers on providing pain management without the use of invasive medical practices or prescription pain pills. While staying completely within the scope of practice for massage therapists and bodyworkers, MAT gives clients a chance to resolve chronic pain. Therefore, with a massage certification in MAT, massage therapists and bodyworkers can expect to be seeing more clients with specific pain patterns and conditions that involve ongoing pain.

Often, this means working with athletes, whether professional or amateur, who have developed issues or injuries due to factors such as repetitive motions and intense training. Folks who are recovering from surgery and entering the rehabilitation process may also find their way to a MAT practitioner through medical referrals. A MAT massage certification also tends to bring in clients who have suffered injuries of all kinds, from whiplash in a car accident and lower back pain from a fall to hip problems of unknown origin and chronic headaches that may stem from a source such as continuous muscle tension. Fortunately, Dalton’s CE programs teach students to start the therapy process by performing a thorough evaluation and assessment routine, which may be the most important first step in pinpointing the original source of the pain and, from there, selecting the right techniques to bring about a lasting solution.

One thing most MAT clients seem to have in common is a strong desire to find the source of their pain and get rid of it once and for all—or at the very least, bring it down to a much more manageable level. This strong motivation to find a solution to chronic pain means that many of these clients are happy to pay the practitioner who has the skills to get the job done. For this reason, investing in the necessary continuing education classes to become a Certified Myoskeletal Therapist can be a great way to significantly increase the amount of income you bring in as a manual therapist. Perhaps even better than this boost in pay is the rewarding feeling of finally bringing a client real relief from his or her pain. For these reasons, countless massage therapists and bodyworkers have chosen to specialize in MAT.

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