Basic Massage Program
Admission Office Hours
Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
972-484-8180, ext. 25
1-888-463-6428, ext. 25
Hands on Approach has designed a comprehensive 500 hour course curriculum required by the guidelines set forth by the Texas Department of Health which is the licensing body for massage practice in the state of Texas. In addition, this course is also designed to prepare students to pass the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards exam, which is one of the national certification exams accepted by over 26 states including Texas for certification.
Course material is challenging, however the program does not require any prerequisite knowledge and upon completion, graduates will have all the knowledge and skills needed to be a successful massage therapist able to perform Swedish Massage, Prenatal, Trigger Point, and Deep Tissue in either a medical therapeutic setting or in a more relaxing spa setting.
This course also requires a 50-120 hour internship performed onsite at the clinics attached to the school.
Students begin massaging the very first day. A normal class schedule begins with a lecture, followed by massage tech time where students will pair up to practice their massage technique and then switch to receive a massage. At Hands on Approach, students learn by doing.
Classes meet twice a week during the day from 9 am to 6 pm or at night where students may choose from either the regular track meeting 4 days a week from 6 pm to 10:30 pm or the slow track meeting twice a week in the evening from 6 to 10:30 pm. The regular track takes about 7 to 8 months to complete, while the slow track takes 14 months to complete.
Texas State approved course descriptions are as follows:
Massage Tech (200
hours)
Students will study Swedish massage technique including all strokes: effleurage, petrissage, tapotement, compression, vibration, friction and nerve strokes with heavy emphasis on proper body mechanics and posture. Students also study the history of massage, the effects, benefits and how to identify conditions that may indicate or contraindicate massage. In addition, students will also learn range of motion techniques and stretches to add to the effectiveness of a treatment. Individual lessons focus on a specific body area or muscle group and add to a full body Swedish routine that prepares a student for internship.
Anatomy & Physiology
(75 hours)
This course studies the anatomical structure of the body beginning at the cellular level. Next, this course covers the various types of tissues: epithelial, connective, muscle, and nerve. Students are taught to identify both individual human bones as well as the bony prominences used in later lessons to identify attachment sites of muscles. From there the course covers joints and articulation and finally muscles from individual muscle fibers to the muscle systems and the fascia that surrounds them. Finally, this course covers the various organ systems in detail: cardiovascular, lymphatic, nervous, endocrine, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems.
Health & Hygiene
(20 hours)
This course covers the study of recognized methods of sanitation and cleanliness as it relates to disease prevention in a massage practice. Students learn the universal precautions and safety practices as well as the specific health codes and ordinances. Personal hygiene is stressed and the course ends with CPR and first aid certification.
Hydrotherapy (20 hours)
Students learn the uses and effects of heat and cold and how to identify indications and contraindication of each. Next the course covers water and its uses at various temperatures. There is also a section covering the history of hydrotherapy. Students will learn to give and receive several wet treatments including facials, salt glows, mud wraps and foot retreats.
Business Practices
and Professional Ethics (45 hours)
Students study the laws and regulations governing massage and learn the importance of being licensed by the state. Students then learn about the different legal business structures and how to start a small business, standard accounting practices, office procedures, marketing, and taxation. This course stresses proper ethical and professional boundaries as they relate to a massage practice. This course concludes with the creation of a personal business plan that simulates the creation of a personal small business.
Kinesiology (50 hours)
This course builds on the foundation of Anatomy and Physiology with an in depth study of muscle systems, individual muscle origins, actions, and insertions, proper palpation techniques to identify muscles, and their trigger points. Each day’s lesson ends with a demonstration of deep tissue techniques used to treat each muscle group. Kinesiology is taught in tandem with a student’s internship.
Pathology (40 hours)
An in depth study of the nature, terms, conditions, symptoms, and treatments, of disease and infection. Students learn to identify conditions and disorders, indications and contraindications as they relate to massage including psychological and emotional states. The course also covers basic pharmacology as it can be used in treatments. Lessons focus on a specific body system as each condition, disorder, and disease is studied in detail.
Internship (50-120 hours)
After completion of 250 hours of instruction including 100 hours of massage tech, students provide massage therapy services to the public in the clinic attached to the school. The State requires a minimum of 50 hours of internship for licensing.
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