Special to the Daily News

Classes begin Feb. 4 in a new therapeutic-massage program offered by the Division of Continuing Education at Beaufort County Community College.
Students who successfully complete the course may be eligible to take the massage therapy and bodywork licensing exam, which is required to practice massage therapy in North Carolina, and eligible for licensure in the state.
“Beaufort County Community College is pleased to announce the start of new coursework in therapeutic massage as a new career option for those in our service area,” said BCCC President Barbara Tansey. “I hope that this program will be of particular interest to cosmetologists and salon owners in our region who would like to expand their business to include massage for their customers.”
Class will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., with a skills lab from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, with some Saturday classes to be scheduled.
The registration fee is $192.50 per student. It includes malpractice insurance, student insurance and a fee for cardio-pulmonary resuscitation training. Textbooks and supplies will be an additional cost.
A massage therapist is a professional who performs massage and bodywork. The field of massage therapy is large and runs the gamut from therapists who perform basic Swedish massage to people trained in other fields.
A massage therapist’s goal is usually to relax his or her client while promoting general health and well-being. Some branches of massage therapy focus on treating specific health conditions or on addressing congenital muscle problems.
Massage therapy improves circulation by bringing oxygen and other nutrients to body tissues. It relieves muscle tension and pain, increases flexibility and mobility and helps clear lactic acid and other waste, which reduces pain and stiffness in muscles and joints.
Employment opportunities for massage therapists in North Carolina include hospitals, rehabilitation centers, health departments, home health, medical offices, spas, health and sports clubs and private practice.
For more information about this program, contact Lou Stout, BCCC’s director of occupational extension, at 252-940-6307.
Students may register by calling 252-940-6375 or in person in Room 802 of Building 8 on the BCCC campus. BCCC accepts Visa and MasterCard. Checks payable to Beaufort County Community College may be mailed to the attention of Eva Peartree, P.O. Box 1069, Washington, NC 27889.
For more information about other occupational training classes offered by the Division of Continuing Education, visit BCCC’s website at www.beaufortccc.edu/coned/HRD.htm.