October 2016 - Institute of Somatic Therapy

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) - by admin@mcb on October 30 2016

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS and Fertility

Institute of Somatic Therapy students who have taken our course in Fertility Massage have studied the effect of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) on fertility. PCOS is a factor in infertility, and it is also a factor in other conditions. These include hard-to-lose abdominal fat, irregular or infrequent menstrual cycles, hair loss on the head, coarse facial hair growth on chin or sideburns, depression and anxiety.

It is estimated that approximately 10% of women have PCOS, which means that approximately 7 million women in the United States have this condition, although many most likely do not know that they have it.

What is PCOS?

There are three symptom markers, although having only two of the symptoms is a positive diagnosis. The three symptom markers are: 1) irregular ovulation (late, far apart), 2) high levels of androgens (testosterone, adrenal), 3) a specific type of ovarian cysts that are non-ovulated eggs which accumulate in the ovary. This symptom will decrease with age as there are less eggs in the ovary over time.

How is PCOS Treated?

PCOS responds well to dietary and nutrition changes and exercise. It also responds well to supplements, which often work as well as medications with fewer side effects. Inositol (a B-vitamin) is found in fruits, legumes, grains, and nuts, but it is difficult to get enough through diet alone. Of the nine forms of inositol, myo (MYO) and d-chiro-inositol (DCI) types have shown the best results.

Nutrition changes focus on decreasing insulin secretion. A diet that consists of proteins, vegetables, healthy fats, and reduced carbohydrates (especially at breakfast) is recommended. Women should consult with their primary health care provider prior to starting any significant changes to nutrition and supplementation.

A related factor is thyroid deficiency. Women who have hypothyroidism will have a sluggish metabolism, making it more difficult to overcome PCOS.

For More Information:

For more information on overcoming symptoms of PCOS, visit the following websites: www.drfionand.com, www.pcosnutrition.com

What is a Massage CE? - by admin@mcb on October 20 2016

What is a Massage CE?

Massage therapists in most states or with national certification are required to earn massage CE (continuing education) every renewal cycle. Each individual state sets its own massage CE requirements. In the law-making process, different boards and agencies end up using different terms to refer to the same concept.

Some states refer to “CE hours” or “CE credits” or simply “CEs”. Some boards use the term “CEUs” (CE Units), which has a different meaning in the college setting. (See the next paragraph). Often massage providers refer to the number of credits earned as “CEs” regardless of different terms from various state or national agencies. Generally speaking, one massage CE (by any name) is equivalent to one clock hour of training. A course that is worth 12 massage CEs should take the average massage therapist 12 actual clock hours to complete the course requirements.

Where it gets confusing is that the term “CEUs” has a different meaning in the college setting. Most colleges and universities consider a CEU to be a 1 – 10 ratio, where 1 CEU is equal to ten clock hours. After you’ve been a student at a college or university that considers one CEU to be ten hours, it can be confusing to find that your state massage board considers one CEU to be one hour. This is why you should always refer to the laws in your individual state to determine what terminology applies to you.

Massage CE Classes Available

The Institute of Somatic Therapy offers a wide variety of continuing education courses for massage therapists. We have courses that range from one massage CE to courses that have as many as 25 massage CEs. Massage therapists in nearly every state or who are certified by the NCBTMB can visit us at www.massagecredits.com to earn CEs to renew their license.

We offer courses that are mandated in various jurisdictions. These include Diversity, Ethics, Research, HIV/Communicable Diseases, Florida Laws, and Prevention of Medical Errors. We also offer courses the massage therapy modalities such as Pregnancy Massage, Infant Massage, Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Hot Stone, and many more. You can see all of the courses we offer HERE.

Institute of Somatic Therapy is approved by the NCBTMB as a continuing education Approved Provider. Our provider number from the NCBTMB is 280672-00. We are also approved by Florida (MCE-326), CE Broker (50-116), and New York (#0019).

We look forward to helping massage therapists with their massage CE requirements. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need assistance.

Texas Massage Therapy Continuing Education Requirements - by admin@mcb on October 05 2016

Texas Massage Therapy Continuing Education Requirements

Texas massage therapy continuing education requirements are 12 hours of continuing education every two years. Courses approved by the NCBTMB are accepted by the State of Texas. Institute of Somatic Therapy is approved by the NCBTMB (Provider #280672-00), which means that our hours are valid for Texas CE requirements.

Online Continuing Education

As a Texas massage therapist, you are allowed to take all 12 hours of your continuing education online, provided that the content is cognitive. Cognitive courses are courses that teach concepts related to massage therapy, such as anatomy, physiology, etc. Kinesthetic courses are courses that teach a hands-on massage therapy technique, such as infant massage, hot stone massage, etc. Kinesthetic courses will not count toward your Texas massage therapy continuing education requirements. When taking courses specifically to fulfill your Texas massage therapy continuing education, be sure to take courses that are classified as cognitive courses (example: Prenatal Fundamentals, Aromatherapy, etc).

Texas massage therapists are allowed to take kinesthetic courses online for their own personal education and skill enhancement. The online kinesthetic courses you take will be valid for you to legally practice, even though the hours earned will not apply toward your Texas massage therapy license renewal.

Taking Both Cognitive and Kinesthetic Courses

The Institute of Somatic Therapy offers many cognitive courses to satisfy Texas massage therapy continuing education requirement. We’ve even split our most popular course topic, pregnancy massage, into two segments in order to separate the cognitive part of the course from the kinesthetic part of the course. The pregnancy massage certification consists of two 12 CE sections. Step One, Prenatal Massage Fundamentals, is cognitive, and will fulfill the 12 CEs needed to renew your Texas massage therapy license. Step Two, Prenatal Massage Techniques, is kinesthetic, so it will not count toward the 12 CEs needed to renew your license. Texas massage therapists who take both sections and complete the required homework documentation to earn the title of Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist will be completely legal to practice hands-on prenatal massage with their Texas massage therapy license.

To visit the Texas Department State Health Services website dealing with massage therapy continuing education requirements, go to http://www.dshs.texas.gov/massage/mt_ceinfo.shtm