Hands on learning: Massage school teaches students to become licensed therapists - Billings...

[massage]

Roughly translated from Hawaiian to English, Lima Hana means working hands.


So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that hands-on instruction plays a big role in the Lima Hana Massage Education Center, a Billings school where students study to become certified massage therapists.


Michelle Colbrese and Eric Hart started the school at 1234 Avenue C in January of 2016.


“This is one of our favorite maneuvers. It’s called a cat paw,” Colbrese said as students gathered around a table during a hands-on demonstration.


“See how it stretches the muscles in the neck,” she said as Hart kneaded the neck and shoulders of Jessica Monical, who was lying flat on a massage table.


“This is very useful in sports work and for somebody who is in training,” Colbrese said.


Colbrese said she first became interested in massage techniques from her father while she was 6 or 7 years old. She said her father would have her walk on his back, pound on his neck and shoulders and help him stretch his lower back. She said her formal training in massage therapy began some 30 years ago, and she has been practicing massage in Montana since 1994.


Hart has a background in business, but took up massage about three years ago. He studied under Colbrese.


Hart said many people might not be aware of what it takes to become a massage therapist.


For starters, it’s a mistake to assume that somebody with a passing interest in massage can start a business after reading a book or two and taking a few classes. Under Montana law, a certified massage therapist must complete at least 500 hours of training and then pass a state exam. Lima Hana’s program calls for 625 hours of classroom study and hands-on instruction.


“Most people assume that education for massage work is pretty easy, then they find out it’s definitely more work than they thought it would be,” Hart said.


Students attending Lima Hana must take courses in anatomy and kinesiology, the study of the mechanics of body movements, as part of the curriculum.


Hands-on instruction includes Swedish massage therapy, a technique that aims to relax the entire body.


“We add to it a number of elements of stretching and deep muscle massage, and then we integrate different systems,” such as reflexology and acupressure, Colbrese said.


Specialty areas include sports massage, palliative care for people with cancer or other serious illnesses, and techniques aimed at helping older clients or people with arthritis.


For the general population, massage can help relieve neck pain, back pain and other maladies that can be traced to lifestyles or the modern workplace.

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“Humans weren’t designed to sit at a computer all day,” Hart said.


Hart and Colbrese said another goal of the school is to educate the public about massage and its benefits.


“Some people will say, ‘I had somebody work on me before and it hurt,’” Colbrese said. “Massage doesn’t have to hurt, and it shouldn’t.”


Kim Wheadon of Rosebud has 30 years of experience as a registered nurse. She plans to work at a spa in Forsyth when she completes the program.


“Nursing correlates a lot, but it’s way different,” Wheadon said.


Justin Downey of Billings got interested in massage through his participation in dance and theater.


“I got massages a lot, and I always felt so much better afterward,” he said. “So I decided I wanted to help other people feel better.”


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