The massage therapy industry has seen continued growth and recognition over the past seven years since, Ridley-Lowell Business and Technical Institute opened its doors in Danbury in 2010. There are a variety of different types of massage, which can leave clients wondering what the best choice is for them. 

  If someone is seeking relaxation and renewal, a Swedish massage incorporating some aromatherapy oils, long, gliding strokes and peaceful movements may be a good fit. Sports massage helps with injury recovery, prevention and training. Clinical or orthopedic massage lets the massage therapist create a treatment plan designed on the physical needs and concerns of the client, allowing them to outline a schedule of appointments with an end goal in mind.

When clients have a medical indication for massage therapy, the first “rule of thumb” is to ask if they have been seen by their doctor. Many underlying health concerns may be a contraindication for massage or require a physician’s approval, including diabetes, heart conditions, cancer patients, and high-risk pregnancies.

Many clients seek massage therapy for relaxation, stress reduction and body-mind connection. Some of the additional benefits of therapeutic massage include calming the nervous system by reducing anxiety and decreasing muscle spasms and pain, relaxing the musculoskeletal system by preventing and relieving stiffness and soreness in muscles and soft tissues, and positive effects on our cardiovascular system including reducing heart rate and blood pressure.

Students in the institute’s 900-hour massage therapy program learn many types of massage therapy, including sports, medical, clinical and orthopedic. The massage therapist students study anatomy and physiology, kinesiology and pathology. These future licensed massage therapists take a thorough medical intake and health history form and maintain an accurate medical charting to help determine what type of massage is appropriate to meet each individual’s needs, and when it is best to refer clients to a physician.

Ridley-Lowell Business and Technical Institute’s Massage Therapy Clinic is open to the public as of October 13; it will be open Fridays during the day for 11am and noon appointments only, and on Thursday evenings beginning on October 19 for 7:30pm and 8:30pm sessions only. Appointments are 50-minute sessions for $30. Clients are asked to arrive 10 minutes prior to their appointment to fill out a client intake form. 

For more information, contact Lead Instructor Kelly McCaffrey, LMT, at [email protected]. Location: 44 Shelter Rock Rd, Danbury (entrance is located in the rear of the building next to a maroon awning). See ad, page 12.