How to Become a Myofascial Release Therapist

Do you want to know how to become a myofascial release therapist? Then you’re in the right place as we have everything you need to succeed in this how-to guide, including:

• Prerequisites for Becoming a Myofascial Release Therapist
• Finding a Job as a Myofascial Release Therapist
• Where Can You Work as a Myofascial Release Therapist?

Before we get straight to it, you may be interested in finding out more information about our Sports Massage Therapist course to teach you the skills you need.

Find this and many other vocational fitness courses in our downloadable course prospectus.

Prerequisites for Becoming a Myofascial Release Therapist

Before you take a myofascial release course, there are some prerequisites that you should have beforehand. If you already have sports massage therapy or a level 2 fitness instructor courses under your belt, feel free to skip to the myofascial release section here.

Get Qualified as a Level 2 Fitness Instructor

Start off by getting qualified as a level 2 fitness instructor. This is the basic minimum for a career in the fitness industry and sets you up for the myofascial release course and is a way to get you onto the myofascial release course aside from SMT.

This will allow you to work with clients and customers in the fitness facilities and gain some experience working within gyms and with potential clients. 

Within this course you will learn things such as, motivating groups and individuals, tailoring training sessions, human anatomy and physiology and more. 

This is the very least that you should get prior to moving onto the more specific courses surrounding massage therapy holistically. 

Get Qualified as a Level 3 Sports Massage Therapist 

After you have established the basics within a level 2 gym instructor / fitness instructor course, you should get qualified as a level 3 sports massage therapist. Again, though you don’t necessarily need the level 2 to take the level 3 in SMT, it can certainly help.

This is one of the first sports massage levels you can complete. Think of this as the next step up from the generalised fitness qualification to a more holistic and in depth overview of sports massage, allowing you to also increase your employment opportunities to become a sports massage therapist.

This has the appropriate foundational knowledge to then branch out and specialise in myofascial release therapy.

Within this, you would learn crucial skills including:

• Anatomy & Physiology for Sports Massage Therapy
• The Principles of Exercise, Health and Fitness
• Understand the Principles of Soft Tissue Dysfunction
• Professional Practice in Sports Massage
• Sports Massage Treatments

These modules will help you to achieve more not just in getting hired within the industry, but also help you excel within the myofascial release course itself. In order to get hired as any kind of massage therapist more often than not you will be required to have a level 3 in sports massage therapy regardless.

Keep this in mind since in order to take a myofascial release qualification, you will need to meet the prerequisites of either a level 2 in gym instruction or level 3 in sports massage therapy, however we would recommend getting both since this is what will benefit you the most.

Take a CPD in Myofascial Release

Aside from the prerequisites that we have spoken about, your final and most important step when gaining the right qualifications is to take a specific course in myofascial release therapy. 

This course is how you’ll show potential employers or clientele that you have taken the extra step to make yourself fit for the role. This course includes crucial aspects such as:

• The key role of fascia
• Methods of how to achieve myofascial release
• Advanced techniques for different aspects of the body
• Skin rolling
• Sacral and cranial release

These are areas that you won’t see specifically within any other course and makes you more qualified for the job role when it comes to tipping the scale in your favour over any competition. 

Finding a Job as a Myofascial Release Therapist

Finding myofascial release jobs can often be a little more difficult than holistic sports massage jobs, which is why many professionals will choose to be qualified in this at the first instance. 

Nonetheless, you just need to know where to look. These are two of the main routes to take and how to find more specific roles.

Search for Myofascial Release Jobs Online

Most people's first point of contact for jobs in any industry is online. 

This is where you will find most of the job roles in your area by using the likes of Indeed or Google Jobs. Sites such as Indeed may provide you with more holistic roles that relate or include the specifics of what you’re searching. 

For example, this job opening below is a result from our search for myofascial release jobs:

As you can see, though this is a job role advertising for a sports and remedial massage therapist, there is still the requirement for myofascial release techniques. 

So, with that in mind ensure that you’re clicking into even the more holistic job advertisements because it is likely that even if it is not specific to the job title, you still have the role of myofascial release within the responsibilities.

Similarly, there are some other options too, including:

• Linkedin: This can help you find job openings and also connect you with relevant people who may at least be able to point you in the right direction.
• Glassdoor: This can provide you with insight into the employer, interview questions and even expected salary.
• Google Jobs: This helps you to narrow down your search and search or international roles as well as in your specific location. 

Different online job boards have various features that could help you find jobs you may have otherwise missed, so when it comes to more niche roles like myofascial release jobs, it is a good idea to look everywhere.

Hand Out Your CV to Employers In-Person

You can always take the traditional route too by taking your CV into places that you wish to work. 

This should be your second point of contact, utilise the internet first and check out any openings. However if you are local to a job and believe you could sell yourself more by heading in and asking for the manager, go ahead and do it. 

This can help to show your eagerness for the role and put a face behind the CV. However, this is probably a better option for more private and smaller sports massage studios since you don’t want your CV to get lost within the masses of paperwork they may have if it is a bigger company. 

Your application runs the risk of getting missed if it is a popular job opening so keep this in mind and choose wisely which option is best for the company you’re applying for.

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For some more helpful resources on the sports massage industry, head over to these articles below:

• 5 Exciting Sports Massage Therapist Career Opportunities 
• Sports Massage Contraindications: Examples & What You Need To Know 
• Advantages of Being a Sports Massage Therapist

Where Can You Work as a Myofascial Release Therapist? 

Now that you know how to get certified in myofascial release, you may be wondering what you’re able to do with your qualifications and where you can put them to use. Here are some of the popular options that you could choose from.

You Can Work At A Physiotherapy Centre

One of the most popular places to work in for sports massage therapists as a whole and those that practise myofascial release is a centre designed for just that. 

A physiotherapy centre offers a range of specific types of massage therapy, all working together to bring in a range of clients. While some practitioners may only work on one type of therapy, you may also be involved in performing a range of them too depending on the demand from the client base. 

For example, take a look at the Liverpool Physiotherapy centre below, we have highlighted the range of therapies they offer and of course myofascial release is on there too:

After seeing the huge range of massages that they offer, it is unlikely that every independent physiotherapy centre will have a therapist designated to each type. For example, though you may be a massage therapist who specialises in myofascial release, you may also be required to perform cupping or kneading among other responsibilities. 

This is like what we mentioned earlier when it comes to holistic job roles. This is why understanding the levels of sports massage is important since you’re more adaptable to other types if you have a higher level of certification behind you. 

You Can Work For A Sports Team

When it comes to sporting teams, there is typically a demand for massage therapists. 

Though this isn’t always specific to how to become a myofascial release therapist, it can be a responsibility within the sports team’s therapist role. 

For example, take a look at this role below for a sports team therapist:

As you can see, the responsibilities advertised are holistic, they include prevention of injury and overall management. This can include preventative and rehabilitation practices of myofascial release. 

Similar to what we mentioned earlier, ensure that you’re looking within each relevant job description as more often than not, you would be able to perform your skills within myofascial release. 

Sports Massage Therapy Tutor

Lastly, another sports massage therapist role, you can take is to take the more holistic route and qualify as a sports massage therapist and go on to teach your expertise. 

You will need a fitness teaching and assessing certification prior to applying for roles like this, but they can offer a stable career path that sees you earn a full time wage or freelance. If you do decide to freelance which many assessors do, in your spare time you can still utilise your SMT and myofascial release qualifications. 

You could work in a physiotherapy centre, or freelance in people's homes or relevant fitness centres where possible. 

This could help to continually further your knowledge and experience while still earning money from both practising and teaching all the while.

Before You Go…

So, what do you need to specialise in myofascial release? Now you have all the answers on where to start and how to progress. 

To gain the skills you need enquire today about Level 3 Sports Massage Therapist course here at OriGym.

You can find this and many other health and fitness courses in our downloadable course prospectus here.