Massage Therapist’s Complete Guide to Massage CEUs - Section 10: Questions about Specific CE Topics

Section 10: Questions about Specific CE Topics

Massage for Conditions and Specialized Client Populations

Can massage therapists take CEUs about cancer?

Yes. Cancer and oncology massage are common continuing education topics for massage therapists.

CEUs about cancer can help massage therapists understand the considerations involved when working with clients who have cancer or are undergoing cancer treatment. Depending on the course, topics may include cancer treatments, contraindications and precautions, positioning, pressure, treatment modifications, and integrative care.

We offer two courses covering cancer and considerations for massage therapy:

Cancer-related CE can be particularly valuable for therapists who want to expand their knowledge and work more confidently with clients affected by cancer.

Important: Massage therapists should remain within their scope of practice and understand that continuing education does not qualify them to diagnose or treat cancer.

Can massage therapists take CEUs about headaches and migraines?

Yes. Massage therapists can take continuing education courses focused on migraines and headache-related conditions.

A migraine-focused CE course can help therapists understand migraines, possible contributing factors, massage considerations, contraindications, and techniques that may be appropriate as part of a massage therapy session.

We offer courses covering headaches and migraines:

These can be useful for therapists who frequently work with clients who report headaches or migraines and want to expand their knowledge of appropriate massage approaches. As with any health-condition course, therapists should understand the difference between supporting a client's wellness and diagnosing or treating a medical condition.

Can massage therapists take CEUs about pregnancy and infant massage?

Yes. Pregnancy massage and infant massage are both recognized topics for massage therapy continuing education. They can be valuable areas of study for therapists who want to work with pregnant clients, new parents, infants, or families.

NCBTMB specifically lists applications of massage and bodywork for specific client populations as acceptable continuing education content. NCBTMB also states that continuing education should provide advanced education beyond the basic massage therapy curriculum. MassageTherapyCEU.com offers courses in both areas:

The Infant Massage course covers the history and benefits of infant massage, contraindications, positioning, massage routines, and considerations for healthy, premature, and special-needs babies. It also includes a 45-minute online technique demonstration.

We recently added online video options for Pregnancy Massage, Massage for Pregnancy and Labor, and Infant Massage courses, allowing students to access the videos directly through their accounts.

Why take pregnancy or infant massage CEUs? Specialized education can help massage therapists better understand:

Appropriate positioning and modifications during pregnancy
Pregnancy-related massage considerations
Contraindications and precautions
Working with different stages of pregnancy
Infant positioning
Infant massage techniques
Benefits and potential contraindications of infant massage
How to communicate with parents and caregivers
When a client or infant should be referred to another healthcare professional

Pregnancy and infant massage are also specifically recognized as acceptable continuing education subjects in NCBTMB's guidelines, which list both infant massage and pregnancy massage among acceptable massage therapy education topics.

Important: Taking a pregnancy or infant massage CE course does not automatically make a therapist certified in that specialty. NCBTMB explains that completing an Approved Provider course results in continuing education credit; it does not certify the participant in the subject.

Also, if you're taking the course specifically to satisfy state license renewal requirements, check your state's current rules first. States can differ in which CE topics, providers, and delivery formats they accept.

Can massage therapists take CEUs about fibromyalgia?

Yes. Fibromyalgia is a subject massage therapists can study through continuing education.

A course on fibromyalgia can help massage therapists better understand the condition and the considerations involved in working with clients who experience widespread pain and sensitivity.

We offer Massage and Fibromyalgia Syndrome, which focuses on massage therapy considerations for clients with fibromyalgia. Education about conditions such as fibromyalgia can help therapists make more informed decisions about pressure, positioning, communication, treatment modifications, and when referral may be appropriate.

As always, the purpose of a massage therapy CE course is to improve professional knowledge and practice - not to qualify a massage therapist to diagnose fibromyalgia.

Can massage therapists take CEUs about carpal tunnel syndrome?

Yes. Carpal tunnel syndrome is another condition-specific topic available for massage therapy continuing education.

Massage therapists may encounter clients who experience symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, particularly clients whose occupations involve repetitive hand and wrist movements.

We offer two courses covering carpal tunnel syndrome:

Courses like these can provide additional education about the condition and help massage therapists understand relevant considerations when working with clients who have been diagnosed with or report symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Therapists should remember that recognizing when a client may need medical evaluation is an important part of practicing within an appropriate scope of practice.

Can massage therapists take CEUs about DVT?

Yes. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is an important topic for massage therapists to understand.

DVT education is especially relevant to massage therapy because therapists need to understand conditions and circumstances that may require avoiding massage and referring a client for medical evaluation.

We offer Understanding Deep Vein Thrombosis – 8 CE hours, which focuses on DVT and its relevance to massage therapy.

Learning about DVT can help therapists improve their understanding of:

Risk factors
Warning signs and symptoms
Contraindications and precautions
Client screening
Appropriate referral
Massage safety

This is an example of a CE topic that can be valuable not only because of the knowledge gained, but because it can help therapists recognize when massage may not be appropriate.

Can massage therapists take CEUs about anxiety and depression?

Yes. Massage therapists can take continuing education courses about anxiety and depression.

Mental health conditions are relevant to massage therapy because therapists may work with clients experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns and need to understand appropriate precautions, communication, scope of practice, and when referral may be necessary.

NCBTMB specifically recognizes body-centered or somatic psychology, psychophysiology, and applications of massage and bodywork for specific conditions or client populations as acceptable continuing education content. NCBTMB also emphasizes that massage therapists must stay within their state and local scope of practice.

Massage for Anxiety and Depression is a 3 CE-hour course designed specifically for massage therapists interested in understanding anxiety and depression and their relationship to massage therapy.

This type of course can help massage therapists learn about:

Anxiety and depression
How stress and mental health can affect the body
Massage considerations for clients experiencing anxiety or depression
Appropriate precautions and contraindications
Professional communication
Recognizing when a client may need referral to another healthcare professional
Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and scope of practice

The purpose of this type of continuing education is to help massage therapists better understand clients and practice safely, not to turn massage therapists into mental health professionals.

Massage Techniques

Can massage therapists get CEUs for chair massage?

Yes. Chair massage is a recognized continuing education topic for massage therapists.

Chair massage CE courses can teach therapists techniques specifically adapted for shorter sessions and seated clients. They can also cover ergonomics, body mechanics, client communication, positioning, and developing a chair massage routine.

We offer Chair Massage - 12 CE Hours, which covers chair massage techniques, chair setup, body mechanics, communication, business considerations, marketing, and developing 10-, 15-, and 30-minute routines. It also includes a video demonstrating more than 50 chair massage techniques.

Chair massage can be particularly useful for therapists who want to add corporate events, community events, workplace massage, or shorter sessions to their practice.

Can massage therapists get CEUs for cupping therapy?

Yes. Cupping therapy is a popular massage therapy continuing education topic.

A cupping CE course can introduce therapists to different cupping methods, applications, precautions, contraindications, and ways to incorporate cupping into a massage session.

We offer two courses on cupping:

Cupping can be a useful specialty CE topic for therapists who want to expand their massage techniques.

Always check your state's rules before using cupping or counting a cupping course toward license renewal, because state requirements and scope-of-practice rules can differ.

Can massage therapists get CEUs for Stretching?

Yes. Therapeutic stretching is another continuing education option for massage therapists.

Stretching education can help therapists understand how active and passive stretching can be incorporated into massage sessions and how to recognize appropriate indications, contraindications, and situations requiring referral.

We offer many courses that include stretching techniques:

Can massage therapists get CEUs for stone massage?

Yes. Stone massage, including hot stone massage, can be used as a massage therapy continuing education topic.

Stone massage CE courses can cover:

Hot stone massage techniques
Stone selection
Safe use of heated stones
Positioning
Massage applications
Indications and contraindications
Safety considerations
Incorporating stones into a massage session

We offer two courses covering hot and cold stone massage:

Can massage therapists get CEUs for Eastern medicine?

Yes. Eastern medicine and traditional Eastern approaches to massage and bodywork can be continuing education topics for massage therapists.

Depending on the course, Eastern-focused education may include subjects such as:

Traditional Chinese medicine concepts
Meridians
Acupressure
Shiatsu
Ayurvedic massage
Thai massage
Energy-based approaches
Eastern philosophies of health and wellness

We offer several courses in this area, including:

Important: "Eastern medicine" is a broad category. A therapist should verify that the specific course content is acceptable for their state's CE requirements before using it for license renewal.

Can massage therapists get CEUs for lymphatic drainage?

Yes. Lymphatic drainage massage is an established continuing education topic for massage therapists.

A lymphatic drainage course can provide education about lymphatic anatomy and physiology, techniques, treatment considerations, and precautions.

We offer two courses covering lymphatic drainage:

Because lymphatic work can involve important medical considerations, therapists should understand appropriate contraindications and when referral to an appropriately qualified healthcare professional is necessary.

Can massage therapists get CEUs for myofascial release?

Yes. Myofascial release is a common continuing education topic for massage therapists.

Myofascial release CE courses can help therapists learn about fascia, fascial restrictions, assessment approaches, and techniques that can be incorporated into massage practice.

We offer four courses that cover fascia and myofascial release:

Can massage therapists get CEUs for reflexology?

Yes. Reflexology can be studied as continuing education by massage therapists.

Reflexology education can introduce therapists to the theory and application of reflexology techniques and how they may be incorporated into professional practice.

We offer one course covering reflexology, Reflexology – 14 CE hours. Reflexology is also offered in our 22 CE hour course titled Modalities for Massage Therapy.

As with other specialty techniques, therapists should check their state's current CE requirements and scope-of-practice rules before using the course for license renewal.

What massage techniques qualify for CEUs?

There are many massage techniques and modalities that can be studied through continuing education. However, the fact that a technique is offered as a CE course does not automatically mean that every state will accept it toward license renewal.

Examples of massage-related CE topics include:

Chair massage
Cupping therapy
Therapeutic stretching
Hot stone massage
Myofascial release
Lymphatic drainage
Reflexology
Acupressure
Ayurvedic massage
Shiatsu
Thai massage
Sports massage
Neuromuscular therapy
Soft tissue release
Craniosacral therapy
Positional release

We offer courses across many of these categories. Our complete massage therapy CE course catalog allows therapists to search by topic and number of CE hours.

Professional Practice

Can business and marketing courses count as massage therapy CEUs?

Yes, business and marketing courses can count as massage therapy CEUs in some circumstances. NCBTMB currently recognizes financial principles and other professional-practice subjects as acceptable continuing education content.

Business education can help massage therapists develop skills needed to successfully operate a professional practice, including:

Business planning
Financial management
Recordkeeping
Practice management
Professional communication
Client policies
Legal and regulatory considerations
Ethical business practices

We offer several business-related courses:

One important thing to note. A business course is not automatically accepted by every state. Your state may restrict the percentage of CE hours that can be earned from business or professional-practice courses.

For example, NCBTMB's current standards allow business-related education for NCBTMB purposes, but individual state licensing boards can establish their own requirements. If you're taking a business course specifically to renew your state license, check your state's current CE rules first.

Can social media courses count as CEUs?

They can in some circumstances, but social media CE is more likely to depend on the specific course content and your state's requirements.

A social media course designed specifically around operating and marketing a massage therapy practice is different from a general social media course about becoming an influencer, creating entertainment content, or maximizing personal social media engagement.

We offer Social Networking for Massage Practice – 2 CE hours. It focuses specifically on using social networking in a massage practice. This course can be useful for therapists who want to learn how social media can support their professional practice.

Potential topics include:

Building an online professional presence
Social networking
Client communication
Promoting massage services
Professional online behavior
Building relationships with potential clients

This is one of the topics where checking your state's rules before purchasing the course is especially important. NCBTMB currently recognizes marketing for massage and bodywork practices as acceptable content, but state licensing boards can have more restrictive requirements.

So the safest approach is:

Check your state's CE requirements.
Determine whether business/marketing education is permitted.
Verify whether online education is permitted.
Confirm that the provider meets your state's approval requirements.
Keep your certificate after completing the course.

Can professional boundaries courses count as CEUs?

Yes. Professional boundaries are an important continuing education topic for massage therapists and are specifically recognized by NCBTMB.

NCBTMB lists interpersonal skills, boundary functions, transference, counter-transference, projection, and professional ethics among its acceptable continuing education content.

Professional-boundaries education can cover:

Therapist-client boundaries
Appropriate professional relationships
Physical boundaries
Emotional boundaries
Sexual boundaries
Dual relationships
Transference and counter-transference
Professional communication
Ethical decision-making
Scope of practice
Maintaining appropriate client relationships

View our full offering of professional boundaries and ethics courses here.

Can a boundaries course satisfy an ethics requirement? It may, depending on your state's requirements and the specific course. This is an especially important distinction. A course can discuss boundaries without necessarily satisfying every state's specific mandatory ethics CE requirement.

If your state requires a certain number of ethics hours, verify that the course is categorized and approved appropriately before enrolling.