Have you ever wondered why CMMOTA has continuing education requirements for the professions of massage therapy and manual osteopathic therapy? It is a great question, and the answer may provide insight into the courses you may wish to take as you look for continuing education offerings.
The purpose behind continuing education for the professions of massage and manual osteopathic therapy is two-fold. Both professions fall within the health services class of professionalism. As a health professional it is widely understood that the practices of health care are ever changing, as society continues to conduct research and better understand the way(s) that the human body works and responds to specific types or modes of treatment. So too, with advances made in research, the practices of those delivering those services to the general public have changed. A great example of this is the advancements that have been made in the way that massage therapists provide treatment to clientele undergoing cancer treatment. As little as 10 years ago, it was widely taught within massage schools that a person who had been diagnosed with cancer was completely contraindicated for massage therapy treatment. Fast forward to today, and with advancements in both research and care options, in many cases massage therapy is no longer a total contraindication. In fact, a whole modality has opened regarding oncology massage, where additional education can be obtained that deals specifically with the how, where and when for massage treatment of someone undergoing cancer treatment. This is just one of many examples, which is why refresher courses can be so incredibly important for a therapist to consider taking. Many refresher courses, while reviewing things that were taken during your initial massage therapy/manual osteopathic therapy education, also delve into updated research and reasoning when it comes to providing evidence-based treatment delivery. In many other health professions this is the core of continuing education.
In addition to educational knowledge refreshment however, within both massage and to a lesser extent manual osteopathic therapy, is the ability of the therapist to expand the tools available to them through additional education in modalities and techniques not initially included in the core teachings of the profession. This is where additional modalities education can play a huge role in continuing education. Whether learning how to use hot stones, suction cups, and other tools, or learning new ways of assessment and treatment techniques and special tests, the list of additional modalities and techniques that a person can add to their practice is large. Additionally, therapists may seek to add other professional skills, such as marketing, bookkeeping, business management, etc., that would see their professionalism in business delivery also increase beyond that which was taught as part of their initial massage therapist training.
So, no matter whether you are refreshing your knowledge or adding to it, the purpose of continuing education is ultimately to help you maintain and become a great therapist.