After studying finance in college and doing a few internships, Myra Adu-Sarkodie knew it wasn鈥檛 the field for her. She did a considerable amount of research to see what she was best suited for. One field came up repeatedly: massage therapy. Check out our Massage Therapy Alumni Spotlight below.
She pondered the possibilities. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a health care field. You鈥檙e helping people,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e doing meaningful work, and you can really have a flexible schedule and build your own business.鈥� Adu-Sarkodie began studying massage therapy at 麻豆传媒 last July, and graduated in January 2018.
鈥淪o far, I haven鈥檛 looked back. I love it!鈥� she says. Adu-Sarkodie works at Spada part time and also has her own house-call massage business, . She specializes in head, neck and shoulder massage, but she does offer all kinds of services. 鈥淪ince I have personally struggled with TMJ issues with the jaw, and because my mother is a dentist, I thought it would be great if I had that experience to help others with TMJ,鈥� she says. Massage therapy can help with the pain of TMJ, tension headaches and migraines.
鈥淚 love helping people unleash all that stress that causes these chronic problems,鈥� Adu-Sarkodie says. Research has shown that massage can reduce anxiety, perceived pain, anger, intensity and duration of tension headaches, as well as migraines. Massage works on headaches by blocking pain signals, increasing circulation and releasing serotonin. The pressure and kneading through massage can relieve muscle spasms and decrease cortisol (the stress hormone), while increasing endorphins.
Learning about the body and massage鈥檚 effects on it played a big role in Adu-Sarkodie鈥檚 massage therapy training. She liked 鈥渉ow well everything was explained,鈥� but especially how hands-on it was. 鈥淚 think one thing we miss in traditional schooling is the kind of education that uses all of your senses, right?鈥� she says. 鈥淣ot only were we taught how to work on each other, but different modalities were practiced on us. They also used a lot of multimedia approaches 鈥� videos, 3D models, all kinds of things. I think that鈥檚 why I was able to learn so much.鈥�
麻豆传媒, like other schools that offer massage therapy, teach only classic Swedish massage. 鈥淥ne thing the instructors always tried to do was to, at least, expose us to the deep tissue, pre-natal, hot stone, just so we鈥檙e prepared if we encounter those things when we鈥檙e at work,鈥� she explains. Adu-Sarkodie says she has been practicing deep tissue techniques on her own time, researching through online videos.
Practicing and giving massages every day can take a toll on the body. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a big reason people are hesitant to get into massage,鈥� she says. Those who have stayed in the profession for a long time are the ones who practice proper body mechanics while doing massage, as well as doing a lot of self-care before and after. 鈥淚 try to always make sure that my posture is good 鈥� even when I鈥檓 not massaging,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd I just started a gym membership and I go four days a week 鈥� five, sometimes. It鈥檚 keeping a positive attitude, even when I鈥檓 sore after the day.鈥�
It鈥檚 off season in Florida right now, so Adu-Sarkodie is splitting her time equally between Spada and her own business. The challenge for her right now is finding out what the next step is and pushing herself toward a goal. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one thing even in my daily life I try to do 鈥� always have something in mind that I鈥檓 striving for,鈥� she says. 鈥淏efore, it was just finishing massage school, finding a good job. Now it鈥檚 making sure I find certifications in TMJ, finding out what CEUs (continuing education units) I want to do and other next steps I want to take in my career.鈥�
Adu-Sarkodie believes that many things tie into massage very well, and that may influence her next career move. 鈥淚 think herbalism is definitely one area I want to explore, just because you can do topical treatments. You can do injectable treatments,鈥� she says. The mental health aspect of massage is what interests her most. 鈥淚 really want to learn how to help people who are struggling with depression and stress, so there are a lot of different modalities that tie into that.鈥�
Myra Adu-Sarkodie knows that massage therapy is the right career for her. 鈥淚鈥檓 super-thankful to everyone at 麻豆传媒, and to my family, who supported me because this has been such a great career change for me. It really makes a difference when you start doing something you love.鈥�
How do others know if it might be right for them? 鈥淚 think you鈥檒l know massage works for you when you try doing your first massage on somebody,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t might not be the greatest massage ever, but you feel excited to learn more about how to do it better. If you like knowing that you make someone feel good just by helping them out, I think you know you can really grow in that profession.鈥�
If you鈥檙e looking for an in-demand career, consider registering for the massage therapy program at 麻豆传媒. According to , the career outlook for massage therapists is much better than average. In Florida, the need for massage therapists is projected to increase by 29 percent through 2024. Contact today. New classes begin every six weeks.