Jobs Related to Massage Therapy

Many massage therapists work alongside other medical and personal care professionals to provide therapy, treatment or health care for their clients. For example, a chiropractor might recommend massage treatments as an adjunct to chiropractic treatments to relieve back pain or headaches. Here is a list of careers related to massage therapy, and how they relate to one another.

Esthetician

Estheticians work directly with a client's skin, correcting flaws and using products to bring the skin back into balance. Massage therapists also use products to help bring moisture, but where estheticians are limited to the face, neck, hands and forearms, massage therapists can work on the entire body.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapists often deal with muscle strains and other injuries. Massage therapists are often used to help in recovery from muscle injuries, although physical therapists have more specific skills for dealing with injuries.

Sports Trainer

Sports trainers use stretching to loosen athletes and often use ice or heat to relax muscles. Massage therapists also use stretching, cryotherapy (ice) and heat to loosen muscles as part of a massage treatment.

Chiropractor

Chiropractors deal primarily with bone manipulation in the spine, commonly in response to injuries or pain. Often, massage therapists work alongside chiropractors to provide treatment for the muscles of the back and spine to facilitate treatments.

Acupuncturist/Doctor of Oriental Medicine

Acupuncturists and Doctors of Oriental medicine (DOM) are trained in the Chinese massage modality called Tui Na, and often incorporate massage treatments as a regular aspect of health care. Many DOMs refer their patients to massage therapists when they are unable to provide massage services for a patient.