Education, Experience and Marketing to Create your RMT Niche

Education, Experience and Marketing to Create your RMT Niche

Education, Experience and Marketing to Create your RMT Niche

Becoming an RMT can sometimes get competitive and finding ways to carve out your own niche is often the key to success. Keeping yourself well educated, acquiring as much experience as you can and developing some keen marketing skills will help you discover your niche and market yourself as the expert in your chosen modality.

Staying Educated

It is not enough to complete your RMT program if you want to open your own clinic. In order to develop a following of loyal, grateful clients who can’t live without you and who will send you referrals you have to expand your horizons. Stay on top of the latest trends in massage therapy and keep your eyes open for the ones that speak to you. Whether you discover your interest lies in sports injuries, you love the indulgent aspects of spa treatments or prefer a more therapeutic approach working with the elderly or those living with chronic pain you will always do well when you are looking for ways to improve yourself. Set goals for yourself so you are ever planning your next move. If you find a course you know will help improve your skill set look at the cost and work towards a time you can save the money to enrol. Plan your schedule to accommodate courses and look for ones that will work well to a) suit your ultimate goals and b) not wreak havoc with your current career path. Be certain the courses you choose make sense to help find your niche and that your niche is not just a passing fad.

Build Experience

Keep in mind it is not realistic to expect to walk out of school and suddenly have your own thriving clinic. Instead focus on acquiring as much experience as you can. If you don’t know where you want to focus your career, try out a few different areas. Take jobs with clinics, spas, hotels and sports injuries clinics and find out which ones speak to your inner RMT. This will help build experience but will also help you discover what niche will work best for your interests. Find inspiration from your clients and also look for a mentor who can help guide you and help you meet your goals. If you are not happy take it as a cue to move on. Never burn bridges with employers. Always remain professional and be reasonable when seeking new opportunities. Never leave a clinic high and dry, as when you do you are also leaving your clients high and dry.

Market your Skills

Once you find your niche set up a web site to flaunt your skills. Post information about the techniques you use, case studies featuring success stories and even a daily or weekly blog discussing your expertise and insights into your treatments. This will help boost your profile and allow people to find you. Focus on raising local awareness and look for opportunities to meet new people. Look for forums, trade shows and charity events where you can offer your services. Consider placing an ad in local papers and speak to local clinics about posting a message or business cards in their waiting rooms.  You can even do a press release to local news channels and newspapers to let them know about your unique services or charity work you have done that might get you mentioned in the media for free.

Staying focused on education and experience will help you find your niche and ultimately your success in a fulfilling career as an RMT.

The Challenges of Treating Obese Patients

The Challenges of Treating Obese Patients

Obese patients have far more strain on their bodies than those of average weight. The more weight a patient carries the more health issues they will have including chronic pain throughout their bodies, particularly in the joints and back. As well, those who are morbidly obese tend to lead a sedentary life which can lead to serious issues including edema, high blood pressure and issues with mobility and range of motion. All of these issues make obese patients ideal candidates for massage therapy. Because of their size, obese patients can present some particularly difficult challenges made even more complicated when you factor in your own size. Being prepared to treat obese patients and meet their particular needs will allow you to treat patients of all sizes.

Understanding and Communication

One of the most important aspects of dealing with obese patients is to understand it may have taken a great deal of effort for them to seek help. Obese people often avoid medical treatments as they know that their weight is an obvious health issue they are not willing to discuss. This can pose problems for healthcare providers who will naturally be inclined to comment on a patient’s weight and offer obvious advice such as the need to lose weight in order to better manage many health conditions. When treating obese patients it is important to remember your role as an RMT and avoid discussing things out of your area of expertise including diet and exercise. Instead focus on making your office a welcoming place for your obese patients concentrating on making them feel better. Many RMT’s find it easiest to avoid mentioning weight at all and treating obese patients in the same way they do all of their patients as far as communication is concerned.

Body Size Needs

Larger weight requires special considerations from larger sheets to cover the body more comfortably to wider tables and chairs. You also have to consider the physical challenges obese patients face including manoeuvring in smaller rooms. When treating obese patients it is therefore important to keep your room as open and safe for them as possible. Make sure you always have larger sheets on hand to accommodate larger clients. A step stool is also advisable as it is harder for larger patients to get up on the massage table.  Be certain you do not make comments such as “I will have to get a larger sheet.” Make accommodations without announcing them to your patient.

Body Mechanics

You may find it difficult to access your patient as their size will mean their body will be higher off the table than the average sized patient. You will have to lower the table as much as possible in order to apply the massage effectively. Some RMT’s discuss with their obese patients about lying on the floor using a matt for a more effective massage. However this can prove a challenge if the patient is unable to get down on the floor, or worse get back up again. A good alternative is to treat patients by having them in the side position and you can then sit in a chair. This will allow you to use the proper body mechanics you need and may prove the most comfortable for your patient.  It will also be safer in some cases as many obese patients have difficult breathing when in the supine position.

It may be difficult to decide which modality is best suited to larger patients. Swiss massage applied with a light touch and strokes will help warm up the body as well as reduce your chance of self injury.

 

How Aging Boomers Are Changing Healthcare

How aging Boomers are changing Healthcare

Working in the healthcare industry is ever changing with new technology, the discovery of cures and medications and research that makes new advances everyday. However, one of the greatest influences you will see as a healthcare provider is the increase in aging boomers and how they will affect healthcare. We are all living longer which means you will see a growing number of patients with chronic conditions. These chronic conditions will lead to a growing demand for treatments such as massage therapy, chiropractic treatments and physiotherapy as many of these conditions will result in chronic pain such as arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis and joint pain.

Startling Statistics

By 2030 we will see the amount of people over 65 triple. As these people age they will begin to develop chronic conditions that will put a huge demand on the healthcare system. This makes careers in the healthcare industry an excellent choice, but will also create potential issues if the number of healthcare providers does not grow with the boomers. It is estimated that by 2030 six out of ten boomers will have more than one chronic condition as well as face issues such as obesity. The need for more surgical procedures such as knee replacements will also increase. Here are a few more numbers to consider:

  • There will be eight more times the amount of knee surgeries performed
  • There will be more than 21 million boomers at unsafe weights
  • There will be more than 14 million boomers with diabetes
  • There will be more than 26 million boomers with arthritis

Arthritis and Alternative Treatments

As we all enjoy longer lives, we will also experience more conditions that lead to chronic pain such as arthritis. This will mean more treatments such as massage therapy will grow in demand as people seek ways to manage chronic pain. Boomers will have higher expectations for pain management as well as more money to spend on alternative treatments not covered by health insurance. That will mean a higher demand for healthcare providers such as RMT’s, physiotherapists and chiropractors. Patients will seek a team of complementary healthcare providers to provide more personalized treatments to meet the specific needs of individuals who wish to maintain their mobility in order to lead more fulfilling lives.

Massage Benefits for Seniors

Even today more and more seniors are beginning to understand the benefits of alternative medicines including massage. As therapies such as massage are becoming more accepted as a valid medical treatment, seniors are more open to seeking therapy to assist in pain management as well as other health conditions. The benefits are many for seniors including:

  • The reduction and management of pain for conditions such as arthritis, bursitis, joint pain and pain from injuries such as falls
  • Improved circulation including positive effect on vasculature, release of vasodilators and the natural thinning of the blood
  • Improvement in the respiratory system including the removal of mucous
  • A reduction in the frequency of asthma attacks
  • Tactile stimulation and human touch aiding with depression

An aging population opens the doors for more healthcare providers to seek and find fulfilling careers that will grow in demand by 2030.

 

 

 

Appropriate Dress is Key to Applying Effective Massage

As an RMT you want to present yourself in a professional manner as well as be comfortable during your sessions. Proper clothing is a very important aspect of being able to apply effective massage for your patients as you will not only appear capable but feel comfortable throughout the day.

Professional Attire You want to dress in a manner that will reflect your background and training. Choosing a uniform that is professional and reflects the atmosphere of your employer is very important. There are many styles of uniforms available and not all of them are created equal. You want to be certain that the style and quality suits the clinic or spa and will make it clear you are a medical professional. For example, if you are working with moms and kids a more whimsical colour or pattern might work, but in an upscale spa an elegant black or white designer uniform will be better suited. In general, neutral colours are safer and if you leave one clinic for another you won’t have to buy and entirely new wardrobe. If you provide massages in your own home or travel to the homes of your patients than professionalism is even more important to send the right message. Avoid crop tops, low cleavage and wear clothes that will hide tattoos. This will ensure people won’t make judgements on your lifestyle or have any unusual expectations when they meet you.

Comfort You have to be comfortable when providing a massage. If you work in a clinic or spa where you find you are often too warm or cold, dress accordingly. As well choose a fabric that will help avoid sweating such as natural cottons. Synthetic materials can be raspy as well as hold onto unpleasant odours even when washed. Choose something loose enough to allow you the movement you need without appearing too baggy. Baggy clothes look unprofessional and are also not very flattering to any figure.

Shoes You know you will be standing for the majority of the day so look for shoes that will provide the support you need to avoid aching, tired feet. As well look for shoes that breathe and that will keep your feet from sweating which can lead to uncomfortable rashes and odour.

Accessories Be careful of the accessories you select and when in doubt leave them out. Be especially conscious of items such as bracelets that can brush up against the client or make distracting noises, as well as large chunky rings. In fact, rings can be a source of bacteria and it is important to sanitize them when you wash your hands if you plan to wear them during the massage. Basically you do not want to have anything that will take away from your patients’ experience. Keep in mind that multiple piercings can be intimidating to many people and avoid wearing an overly large amount of facial jewellery that might frighten patients. Consider perfume an accessory and avoid it. Many people suffer from allergies and can even get migraines from the lightest perfumes.

Clean and Fresh Make sure you use a professional cleaning service for your uniforms or at the least be certain they are washed and ironed regularly. A fresh uniform is a must in the health industry. Throw away any uniforms that are stained or that begin to fade from wear. All of these details might be noticed by a patient and send the wrong message. Cleanliness is very important in the healthcare industry, even when you are providing massage treatments in a spa setting.