Core Massage and Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program
Core Massage and Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program
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Welcome to National Holistic Institute Massage Schools!
From enrollment to graduation and beyond, you are joining a supportive holistic community dedicated to your success!
Students & Employers Love Us!
I’ve known for a large part of my life that I wanted a career that could positively affect people on a personal level, but wasn’t sure how. After my experience throughout the core and advanced programs, I can safely say I’ve found my community and my calling. What I learned over the course of both programs resonated with me and the way that I want to help people, and while some parts were challenging, I’m so glad I saw it through. I’m truly happy being a Neuromuscular Massage Therapist—and I would never have known that without NHI.
Alicia Vaughn | Ontario Campus
NHI has changed my personal life completely. I have met people who are generous, kind, educated and have goals in their lives. That has helped me in my life because today, I can see that whatever you set your mind to and pursue can be done. NHI helped me open doors to make my own business doing what I love most.
Zulma Portillo Martinez | Sacramento Campus
Deciding to go to NHI to learn massage therapy and start my own private practice was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. After checking out several other massage therapy schools, there was no comparison to the energy and enthusiasm I saw and felt in the NHI classroom. I owe NHI everything! I have never been happier creating a life for myself doing massage therapy.
Reggie Reaves | Emeryville Campus
NHI is a place where everyone is able to show up as their best and highest self and unapologetically come and be as they are. I found the environment to be accepting, compassionate and full of very passionate, knowledgeable staff. NHI provided me with many tools to help me better care for people on a much more deep and profound level with the holistic approach in the Core Massage Therapy Program. I went on to complete the Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy (ANMT) Program which gave me the ability to work smarter instead of harder.
Brittany “Shon” Anderson | Studio City Campus
The training and education I received at NHI was very thorough and I enjoyed the structure of the classes. They include the history of massage modalities in their program. It was easy to do part time while working full time. I wouldn’t have a career without NHI. NHI really helped me find something I’m passionate about and want to carry with me forever!
Blossom Neidenbach | Santa Rosa Campus
Join the global movement toward integrated wellness and health care!
Core Massage and Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program
Our Core Massage Therapy and Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program provides you with a comprehensive and advanced education in massage and bodywork. Our 1250-hour Combined Program begins with our 800-Hour Core Massage Therapy Program. After completing the foundational 800 hours, students continue their education with 450 hours focused on advanced assessment, strategizing and neuromuscular therapy techniques.
Completion of the Core Massage Therapy Training and Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program will allow you to:
- Increase your freedom and opportunity to work in any environment from spas, to chiropractic offices and physical therapy studios, to building your dream private practice.
- Set yourself apart with an understanding of the biopsychosocial pain management approach.
- Have the confidence to communicate and collaborate with a wide variety of healthcare professionals.
- Be a part of the solution to the opioid crisis by gaining experience with detailed assessment and neuromuscular techniques for persistent pain and injury rehabilitation.
As a Combined Core Massage Therapy and Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program student, you begin with the foundation of our entire Core Massage Therapy Curriculum. Then you add to this skill set with 450 hours of education and experience in Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy. With this advanced knowledge of functional anatomy and orthopedic assessment, as well as skills in collaborative communication, you will be ready to be a partner in the process of strategizing and supporting the healing and wellness of your clients.
Core Massage Therapy Segments
In the Core Massage Therapy Segments, students experience a wide variety of both eastern and western modalities, in addition to science and assessment skills. Each class lays the groundwork for success in the Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Segment.
Click on any class name in the graphic to learn more.
Eastern Skills
Eastern modality training begins with a thorough training in Shiatsu Massage and the theory on which it is based: Traditional Chinese Medicine.
- Skills in eastern anatomy and modes of assessment are enhanced with classes in specific applications of acupressure, and then broadened to include energy work and reflexology.
- Advanced skills in Thai Massage round out this highly sought-after Eastern skill set.
Western Skills
Western modality training begins with a thorough training in Swedish Massage.
- As students become more knowledgeable and experienced, advanced techniques such as Deep Tissue, introduction to Lymphatic Massage and Trigger Point Therapy, and therapeutic application of heat and ice are added.
- Students also receive experience with many popular spa modalities, such as prenatal massage, hot stone massage, salt scrubs and the application of aromatherapy.
Science Skills
Throughout the Core Massage Therapy Program, education includes a solid foundation of anatomy, kinesiology, physiology and pathology.
- Understanding planes of movement and how joint structures allow the body to move through those planes.
- Identifying how a muscle’s attachment sites determine how it will move the body.
- Basic physiology of all body systems & physiological effects of massage on those systems.
- Identifying when pathology or injury might be present, how that situation might affect the massage session, and when referral to another health care professional is most supportive of client health and safety.
Assessment and Strategizing Skills
Application of kinesiology and physiology concepts along with key observational skills to understand how to cater sessions to specific client needs.
- Recognizing basic postural asymmetries and dysfunctional range of motion patterns
- Knowing how to target precise techniques such as Longitudinal Release, Cross-fiber, and basic Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation stretches to specific client needs.
- Understanding basic cautions and contraindications for massage therapy around many common musculoskeletal issues and injuries, such as whiplash, carpal tunnel syndrome, piriformis syndrome, runner’s knee and sprained ankle.
Clinic and Externship
Throughout the 800-hour Core Massage Therapy Program, you will experience 160 hours of supervised, practical massage therapy experience on clients, including proper S.O.A.P (Subjective, Objective, re-Assessment, Plan) Note session documentation, both in our on-campus massage clinics and off-campus externship sites.
Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Segment
Click on any class name in the graphic to learn more.
Prerequisites:
- Massage therapists with a minimum of 500 hours of training, OR;
- Training in other healthcare disciplines
Once your foundational, Core Massage Therapy education is complete, you are ready to move on to our innovative continuing education program in Neuromuscular Therapy! You will learn to become a true partner in the health care of patients and clients. This Program consists of 5-Modules, each of which focuses in detail on one area of the body:
- Shoulder Thoracic
- Head & Neck
- Lumbar Pelvic
- Lower Extremities
- Upper Extremities
Within each module, you will receive the following in-depth information:
Functional Anatomy
The foundation of study in this program is based on the understanding of bodily structure as it relates to function.
- Conversation begins on a microscopic level in learning the physiology of muscle contraction and how the nervous system initiates this process.
- Layer and dimension are then added to the body, taking into account all of the tissues affecting functionality: muscles, bones, joints, joint capsules, fascia, ligaments, tendons and nerves.
- With these building blocks in place, study centers around how inert and contractile tissues work together dynamically to produce both movement and stability.
Orthopedic Pain and Injury Assessment
Our students engage in daily discussion of what can go wrong biomechanically to produce pain, dysfunction and injury. Layered in to the conversation are the biopsychosocial patterns that lead to persistent pain.
- With a strong understanding of forces that damage soft tissue, the physiology of soft tissue healing, and how pain patterns manifest in the body, students learn to apply a methodical H.O.P.R.S (History, Observation, Palpation, Range of Motion testing and Special testing) assessment process to build a multi-dimensional, biopsychosocial picture of what is happening within the client’s body.
- Utilizing this information, they can create detailed short and long-term plans to support a client’s healing process in collaboration with other health care professionals.
- To best track and support a client’s healing process, as well as to support collaboration with other health care professionals, students gain an understanding of the importance of keeping comprehensive session notes throughout each session in the S.O.A.P. (Subjective, Objective, re-Assessment, Plan) format.
Neuromuscular Therapy
The understanding of H.O.P.R.S informs our neuromuscular therapists of how to apply the tools of neuromuscular therapy in a specific and targeted manner:
- Applying Trigger Point Therapy to alleviate myofascial pain caused by spasm at the neuromuscular junction;
- Multi-directional Deep Transverse Friction to decrease and re-align scar tissue throughout the healing process;
- Lymphatic Massage techniques to decrease the edema and metabolic waste that can accumulate during healing;
- Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation to help the nervous system communicate more effectively with the musculoskeletal system;
- Understanding that sometimes, the best “neuromuscular” approach might be a relaxing Swedish or Energy Massage until the client’s body is ready to receive more targeted modalities.
Advanced Topics in Client Care
An array of additional classes’ further support the ability of our 1250-hour graduates to work with clients and collaborate with other health care professionals.
As an Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program student, you will:
- Experience 5 virtual cadaver labs integrating the knowledge of the academia covered and the practical application to injuries and pathologies. These virtual cadaver labs utilize high quality videos featuring non-embalmed cadavers which give students a more accurate representation of the tissue within the living body.
- Learn techniques in Corrective Actions, which provide you with powerful tools to empower your clients to become active partners in their own healing and increase awareness of how to best collaborate with a variety other health care professionals.
- Receive access to over 350 manual therapy technique and academia videos created by Cynthia Ribeiro, the Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy Program Founder.