Learn about products, services and people here in your own county. Working as a cake decorator might not sound like the usual prelude to becoming a massage therapist, but that was the path chosen by Shirley Davis.
From there, she moved to the east coast to attend classes in Maryland. By , she was working massage therapy part-time in Peabody, having moved near her hometown of Newton. One of the advantages when she started was that there was a massage therapist in Aulne at the time, so customers were already aware of therapeutic massages, Davis said. It has become a more common practice over the years, particularly as the U.
Despite the growing popularity, there is a significant difference in the reluctance of men, Davis said. It can heighten relaxation because it gives customers someone to share the experience with, Davis said. While release and relaxation are the goals, it is still helpful to get feedback from customers, Davis said.
Even under the umbrella of massage therapy, there are many avenues a therapist can take, Davis said. They can fluctuate from reflexology to sport massage, which focuses on stretching to alleviate stress.
While there is a debate in the field whether relaxation massage or more physical, stretching massage is better, each serves its purpose, Davis said. While she has a formal education and renews her certification every two years, there are no industry regulations in Kansas, Davis said. Due to the lack of state industry standards, Davis and other members of the American Massage Therapy Association are lobbying at Topeka.
