Chicago Massage Students Offer Relief to Marathon Participants

CHICAGO, Sept. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 200 massage therapy student, staff and alumni volunteers from Cortiva Institute - Chicago will offer 10-minute post-event table massages to the runners of the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. The Cortiva Massage Team has been providing massage therapy services for the past 27 years and last year gave more than 1,000 massages to the athletes.  

This year's event is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 9.  Volunteers will come from the three Chicago area Cortiva locations, on State Street in Chicago and in the suburbs of Woodridge and Crystal Lake.

Cortiva massage therapists will perform the table massages at the race's finish line, located in a large enclosed tent in Grant Park near the Petrillo Bandshell.  

Current students will learn along side their teachers and licensed graduates by applying post-event massage to Bank of America Chicago Marathon participants.  Therapists will perform cramp relief, stretching, body mobilization and other techniques.

"For 27 years, our students and staff have provided massage therapy in Chicago at the Marathon, which has become a homecoming of sorts for our organization," said Susan Barney, career services and continuing education director of Cortiva Institute - Chicago.  "Students have the opportunity to interact with professional massage therapists returning for the event and they, in turn, have the chance to reconnect with instructors and serve as role models for current students."

Employment for massage therapists is expected to increase 19 percent through 2018, faster than average for all occupations, according to the 2010-2011 U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook.  

About Cortiva Institute
Cortiva Institute is a community of Massage Therapy Schools with 12 locations nationwide, offering full and part-time massage therapy instruction, continuing education courses, student clinics that are open to the public, and career services for graduates.  Cortiva schools take a holistic and integrated approach to ensure that our graduates are prepared to work in clinics, hospitals, health clubs, spas, resorts, sports therapy clinics or start their own private practices.  Visit www.Cortiva.com for graduation and placement rates, tuition and loan amounts.

SOURCE Cortiva Institute