Hospital offers medical-massage graduate program

A hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, now offers a graduate program in medical massage for cancer patients. The program is one of only three in the country.

The postgraduate training through Beaumont Hospital’s Schools of Allied Health and Integrative Medicine program is geared for those who have already graduated from a massage-therapy school and completed 500 supervised hours of hands-on work. Those with one to two years’ experience after graduation are preferred.

Beaumont’s program consists of 24 hours of classroom instruction during a three-day period, followed by 40 hours of hands-on work under a teacher’s supervision. Classroom instruction will cover: the pathophysiology of cancer; treating cancer in the United States; side effects of treatment; how side effects are helped by massage; contraindications; and chemotherapy. The hands-on work is to include massage for scars; massage for women with breast implants; and wellness lymphatic drainage.

The hospital has applied for continuing education units for this course from the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Tuition for the program is $1,000, which includes all class materials.

“Our graduates know what’s going on in a cancer patient’s body,” says Charlotte Versagi, supervisor of medical massage in Beaumont’s Integrative Medicine program, teacher of the graduate course, and a contributor to MASSAGE Magazine. “We know what not to touch, and what areas can benefit from therapeutic massage.”

Beaumont’s Schools of Allied Health serve the health-care needs of the community, state and nation by providing education for allied health professionals.

Beaumont’s Integrative Medicine program offers treatment to supplement standard therapy. It is part of the hospital’s Oncology Services department. Services include medical massage, reiki, healing touch, guided imagery, yoga and meditation.

For more information call (248) 898-8047.