Residents in both Edmonton and Calgary Alberta can look to CDI College, leaders in health care career training, for the care they need.

Students of the Massage Therapy programs in Edmonton North and Calgary North run free massage therapy clinics that are open to the public. Each free session is an hour-long, and the clinic is open several days during the week.

Stollery Children's Hospital

“We can hold up to 28 people per evening, but clients need to book their appointment in advance,” says Edmonton North Campus Director, Herb Foster. “While the clinics are free, clients are welcome to make a donation, which all go to Stollery Children’s Hospital.”

Massage therapy is used to treat a variety of ailments including tight necks, bad shoulders, hips, back and chronic conditions.

Students of the CDI Massage Therapy programs learn techniques like hydrotherapy, Swedish massage and injury prevention which help them to treat each new clinic patient effectively. Massage therapy treatments are currently not covered by public health care in Canada, so the Alberta campuses expect a healthy reception to their initiative.

To participate in the free massage clinics at CDI College, call 780.478.7900 in Edmonton or 403.266.0830 in Calgary.

More information about the Massage Therapy program at CDI College can be found at http://www.cdicollege.ca/Campus_Programs/School_of_Health_Care.

About CDI College
Enhance your education and gain advanced skills in the growing health and wellness industry through CDI College’s Advanced Massage Therapy diploma program. Professional massage therapists are valued health care workers who specialize in recovery, relaxation, and other wellness treatments. Graduates will find employment in private clinics, hospitals, medical and rehabilitation centers, spas, fitness facilities, sports organizations, and may even work as self-employed massage therapists. This diploma program requires successful completion of CDI College’s Massage Therapy program, or equivalent, with prior learning assessment. The program begins by building on systems anatomy and pathophysiology, neuroanatomy, remedial exercise, and anatomy palpation. In addition, students will take a course in business and law as it pertains to massage therapy and continue to enhance their education about industry ethics and professional communications. A field placement at the end of the program allows students to practice massage therapy in a setting of their choice, Graduates are encouraged to become registered with the Alberta Association of Massage Therapists and Holistic Practitioners and the Massage Therapist Association of Alberta.

Your client is interested in massage therapy and a facial. Sit down with them and discuss the benefits of facial massage as part of your traditional facial routine. Explain that when used in a facial, massage can improve the vascular system in the face, shoulders and décolleté as well as providing a stress-reducing massage for headache relief and tension.

While discussing massage benefits, ask questions about your clients’ medical history. In cases where clients have had broken bones in the face, have had or still have their jaw wired shut or are simply sensitive about pressure being applied to certain parts of their face, discuss options for facial massage that can be beneficial without causing them discomfort.

Once you have determined where you can massage during your facial, it’s necessary to explain how and when massage can be implemented into a facial procedure. If you elect to employ massage during the cleansing part of the facial, it can be used during the application of a cleansing product or between cleansing processes to relax the face and increase blood flow.

Some aestheticians use hot and cold stones when implementing facial massage. Find out from your client if they are comfortable with this procedure. Using the hot and cold stones is another way to increase circulation and relax musculature.

You can also use massage as a way to enhance your facial. It can be the difference between a customer feeling they had a typical facial or an indulgent spa experience.

For clients that may suffer from swollen lymph nodes on the face, discuss how massage can help to improve the lymph node drainage and reduce the appearance of swollen skin. By increasing circulation and relaxing the facial muscles, it allows for improved skin tone and allows the fluid to move out of the affected areas more readily.
Take the time to make your clients’ facial massage therapy as personal as possible. With the right care and attention, they’ll be coming back for more.

SAN DIEGO– (BUSINESS WIRE) — BIOTONE announces that Jean Shea, founder and CEO, was inducted into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame for contributing to the massage therapy industry through product innovation. BIOTONE also was recognized as “The 2009 Massage Therapy Hall of Fame Institution of the Year.”

“I am honored to be among industry professionals recognized for their contributions to massage therapy,” said Shea. “Bringing innovation to the industry was my personal goal nearly 30 years ago when I established BIOTONE. Developing products to help massage therapists excel and also advance the industry continues to drive me and in turn the company.”

The Massage Therapy Hall of Fame honors individuals and organizations that invent a modality or integral product for the massage profession. Shea and BIOTONE were honored for innovation in developing Dual-Purpose Massage Creme, a revolutionary product combining the features of oil and a lotion. Dual-Purpose Massage Creme was one of the first lotions mass produced for the massage profession over 28 years ago and still is widely used today.

“We are very proud that Jean Shea and BIOTONE have joined the Hall of Fame,” said Mike Hinkle, Hall of Fame founder. “We want to recognize as many people in the industry as we can. Now with the addition of ‘Pioneers of Massage’ to our program, we will be inducting more industry notables into the Hall of Fame, whose achievements will serve to inspire future generations of massage therapy professionals.”

About the World Massage Festival and Massage Therapy Hall of Fame
The World Massage Festival and Massage Therapy Hall of Fame honor individuals who build the bridges for the massage therapy profession, educate the general public about massage, and educate therapists about different types of massage. Information is available at http://www.worldmassagefestival.com/.