Many physicians have recommended people to try massage therapy for many years which just happens to be nearly 2,400 years. The medical benefits of "friction" were first noted by a Greek physician by the name Hippocrates. In this day and age, massage therapy is being used for various ways such as tending to painful ailments, decompressing tired and overworked muscles, reducing stress, rehabilitating sports injuries, and promoting general health. Massage therapists accomplish these tasks by massaging a client's soft tissues so that they can improve the body's blood circulation and remove waste products from the muscles.

There are over 1,700 massage therapy post secondary schools, college programs, and training programs throughout North America. Massage therapy programs cover a wide variety of subjects which generally range from subjects such as anatomy, physiology, the study of organs and tissues, kinesiology the study of motion and body mechanics, business, ethics and they also get the opportunity to have hands-on practice and try out their massage techniques.

The majority of programs require an application and sometimes you are required to go in for an in-person interview. Several programs give the students great opportunities by providing them with services like post-graduate job placement and continuing educational services. You also have the chance to choose between either going through a full time or part-time program.

Once they have completed their training program, massage therapists have the option of taking the national certification examination for therapeutic massage and bodywork. What is done is an exam that is administered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork which by the way has its own personal eligibility requirements.

This exam covers six different areas for general knowledge of the body systems. It also covers detailed knowledge of anatomy, physiology and kinesiology, pathology, therapeutic massage assessment, therapeutic massage application, professional standards, ethics, business and legal practices. Because of the nature of massage therapy, placement is limited and those who have their own personal business tend to have the highest salaries.