Offered at the Greenbrier Valley Campus and Mercer County Campus
Massage therapy is the manual manipulation of soft body tissues (muscle, connective tissue, tendons and ligaments) to enhance a person’s health and well-being. People seek massage therapy for a variety of reasons –to reduce stress and anxiety, relax muscles, rehabilitate injuries, reduce pain, and promote overall health and wellness. There are dozens of types of massage therapy methods/modalities. The CAS in Massage Therapy exceeds the 500 clock hours required by the West Virginia Massage Therapy Licensure Board. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be eligible to take the Massage and Bodywork Licensure Exam (MBLEx) administered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards provided all eligibility requirements are met. Licensing or certification exams are independent of graduation requirements.
What does a Massage Therapist do?
Massage therapists treat clients using touch to manipulate muscles and soft tissue. They relieve pain and stress, improve circulation, increase relaxation, and aid in the general wellness of clients. Massage therapists work in a variety of settings, such as, spas, hotels, fitness centers, and medical and health care related settings. Because most massage therapists work by appointment, this career allows for flexibility in working either full-time or part-time.
Learning by Doing
Certificate of Applied Science Degree in Massage Therapy prepares students for a rewarding career in massage therapy. During this two-semester program, students study anatomy and physiology, kinesiology, and specific types of massage including: Swedish, Eastern, deep tissue, and sports massage and pathology. Students will learn to communicate clearly with clients and other members of the health care team, evaluate symptoms, manipulate muscles and other soft body tissue, and provide clients with guidance in self-care techniques.
Accreditation
The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & BodyWork (NCBTMB).
Program Learning Outcomes
- Communicate clearly and effectively in a professional manner with clients, members of the healthcare team, and others.
- Demonstrate and document various assessment processes; recognizing health and non-health within the body.
- Demonstrate ability to research pathologies and utilize clinical judgment using knowledge and problem solving skills when creating and implementing a treatment plan.
- Provide care for diverse populations of clientele and demonstrate a personal commitment to service and the profession of massage therapy.
- Demonstrate ethical/legal behaviors and boundaries in the massage profession, identify and apply components of a business plan and the ability to bill insurance cases.
- Utilize universal precautions and maintain a high level of sanitization of equipment and the facility.
- Utilize a variety of soft tissue modalities to aid in the health and healing of one’s body and recognize how those modalities and massage skills combine to create different effects to meet the goals of clientele.
- Use safe, efficient and effective body mechanics for injury prevention of the therapist and client as well as utilize, demonstrate and instruct the client in self-care techniques.
- Identify and describe components of the body systems, how homeostasis is maintained, effects of massage on the differing systems and demonstrate safe movement through range of motion.
