Depending on your level of stress or the amount of work crammed in your calendar, there may be times when taking massage therapy CE classes for massage therapists sounds like too much for your current to-do list. While it may be wise to make every effort to enroll in one of these classes only when your schedule calms down, that is not always an option. For many practitioners, earning continuing education credits is a requirement to renew and maintain a license to practice legally. For others, taking these courses is a core component of career success. For many manual therapists, the motivation for signing up for CE classes is a combination of both. Fortunately, with the advent and increased quality of massage therapy CEU online classes, fitting worthwhile further education into a packed calendar may feel a little bit easier.

These days, thanks to the Internet and associated advances in technology, like Erik Dalton’s Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques (MAT), massage therapy continuing education classes are no longer limited to a traditional brick-and-mortar building. Instead, practitioners now have the option of signing up for online continuing education courses — accessing the benefits of high-quality training, without the hassles of commuting and committing to set class times. For the manual therapist who already feels as if he or she is juggling a heavy load, the ability to attend massage therapy continuing education classes without building in time for a commute or having to work around a specific class time can be big relief. Besides the convenience of being able to receive the massage training you want and need from the comfort of your own home or office, online classes can also prove to be easier on one’s wallet as well.

When massage therapy CEU online classes deliver the highest value, it is easier for practitioners to fit this valuable education into their busy schedules

When you think about the price of CEU courses for massage therapists, a live workshop or traditional in-person class will include added travel costs, which may mean the gas necessary to drive across town or the fee for a plane ticket, hotel room and meals at a seminar that takes place farther away. While these kinds of classes are a wonderful opportunity for practitioners, it may not be possible to invest this amount of time and money for each continuing education class you attend throughout your career. A better option might be choosing one or two live workshops on the modality you feel most passionate about, then rounding out, refining and advancing your skills in that modality by taking high-quality online and home-study courses on this particular method of manual therapy.

Of course, before you run out and sign up for any class, whether it takes place online or in person, you will want to do a little research first, to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your CE buck. In terms of continuing education classes that happen entirely online, it will be important to make sure the class includes videos, not simply text that you read online, especially if this is a CE program that aims to train students to use hands-on techniques. Another factor to look for in a high-quality online continuing education class is some kind of chat feature. You want to make sure you will be able to interact with your fellow students and contact your teacher as necessary, as this can add another valuable layer to the educational experience. With an interactive forum, an online class should feel more connected.

For those manual therapists who are considering one of these e-learning courses on the topic of Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques (MAT), Erik Dalton and his team at the Freedom From Pain Institute have made sure students have access to the highest quality online education. The online home-study course called the Dalton Technique Tour features more than 30 assessment and treatment videos with associated descriptions and interactive tips. There’s also a MATchat room, along with bonus articles and personal narration by Dalton himself. This class takes place completely online, which means those who enroll can get started right away as long as they have a computer and an Internet connection. This myoskeletal e-learning class allows professional manual therapists to earn 16 CEUs and is available through Dalton’s teaching facility, the Freedom From Pain Institute, which is an NCBTMB and BOC approved provider for continuing education.

Click here for more information.