Although the masseuse has come to have a negative connotation, her basic definition is quite simple. It means the same thing as a massage therapist. To earn the degree, massage therapists have to study their trade and obtain a state license.
A massage therapist and a massage therapist do the same job; the only difference is that the term massage therapist is gender specific and refers to women. Massage therapists, on the other hand, can be of any gender. The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the same standard occupational code for both designations, and for male specific masseuses, rolfers, and massage therapists. While these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a difference.
Yes, both offer massage services to their clients. But the main difference is their academic training and also their cultural association. A masseuse is also usually a woman by definition. In French, the word masseuse is related to the word masser, which means to knead or rub. The masseuse is the feminine form of masseuse. These terms remained popular and in use in the United States for most of the 20th century, until the push toward state massage laws took off in the s.
A massage therapist is a man or woman in the paid profession of giving massages. Even though a massage therapist is a professional who has received full massage therapy training, who has mastered pain relief techniques, he is on a lower rung than a massage therapist in today's massage world. At school, a massage therapy student can be warned of this and guided on how to deal with these connotations.
Since massage therapy is covered by the extended health care benefits of many people, it is now easier than ever to experience the positive effects of therapeutic massage. Some of the masseuses may be excellent massage providers, but this extra some sexual favor or even going full throttle that the word masseuse has come to connote has given the massage therapy profession a bad name in general.
