Continuing Education
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Certificate in Musculoskeletal Anatomy
for Massage Therapists, PT Students, Yoga Instructors, and Related Professionals
ANNOUNCING THE NEXT ROUND FOR SEPTEMBER 2025!
Enhance Your Expertise with the BMSVT Musculoskeletal Anatomy Certificate Course
Are you a Massage Therapist, Yoga or Pilates Instructor, or a professional in a related field?
You have a gift – a natural ability to build trust and connect with your clients. They return to you time and again because of your knowledge and the welcoming environment you create.
But perhaps you feel a growing frustration. Despite your skills, you yearn for a deeper understanding of the medium through which you work – the human body. You want to elevate your expertise and enhance your ability to support those you serve.
The BMSVT Musculoskeletal Anatomy Certificate course is designed precisely for you. Dive deeper into the intricacies of the human body, enrich your practice, and take your ability to support your clients/students to the next level.
Balance Massage School of Vermont is pleased to introduce a specialized certificate program designed for bodyworkers, massage therapists, yoga teachers, pilates instructors, personal trainers, and professionals in related fields. Any professional working with and through the body can benefit from this course! This comprehensive course provides an in-depth understanding of the musculoskeletal system, enhancing participants' professional expertise and effectiveness with clients. The program is suitable for individuals with or without a background in Human Anatomy & Physiology. Whether your goal is to brush up on A&P from school or to gain a deeper educational foundation of the human musculoskeletal system, this interactive course supports your aspirations.
Travel through the regions of the body, learning the muscles, bones, fascia, nerves, and other supporting structures along the way. Enhance your expertise of the Musculoskeletal System, improving treatment efficacy and client outcomes!
The program is taught by Steph Haddox, owner and lead instructor at Balance Massage School of Vermont (BMSVT). Steph brings an extensive background in working with the human body. Her career began as a Division 1 athlete & coach, followed by a transformative career in massage therapy, and culminating in years of teaching Anatomy & Physiology at BMSVT. Coming from a long family line of teachers, she is passionate about teaching in creative and dynamic ways, transforming 2D textbook content into an engaging 3D learning experience.
Participants will join the Professional Massage Therapy Certificate students in this learning, and benefit from a multifaceted approach to education. We integrate multiple learning styles, hands-on techniques, repeated exposure to key content, and integration of material. Additionally, the course offers exceptional support, ensuring a robust and enriching educational experience.
Learning Objectives:
Comprehensive Body Understanding: Attain in-depth knowledge of the various regions of the human body and planes of movement.
Surface Anatomy Recognition: Accurately identify and describe the surface topography of skin, bones, and fascial structures.
Palpation Technique Proficiency: Develop advanced palpation skills to accurately identify bones, bony landmarks, specific muscles from origin to insertion, and muscle fiber direction.
Skeletal System Identification: Identify and articulate the location of bones, bony landmarks, and joints within the human body.
Muscle Anatomy Knowledge: Name, locate, and describe the muscles of the body, including their origins, insertions, and actions.
Muscle Layer Anatomy: Learn the detailed anatomy of muscles, including the muscle belly, fascicles, and individual muscle fibers, along with the associated connective tissue layers.
Details:
15 classes. Must attend 11 out of 15 to receive certificate.
Wednesdays 8am-12pm at Balance Massage School in Duxbury.
Sep 3 - Dec 17 (Nov 26 OFF).
Registration process: Fill out the registration form by clicking “REGISTER” below and send in deposit of $300 to secure your spot in the course. Once these two steps are completed, you will receive an email confirming your place in the certificate program. That’s it!
$2,400 - VSAC Advancement Grant Approved! Payment plan options and in-house scholarships available. We believe in accessibility and supporting bodyworkers in their continued education pursuit. There are a limited number of scholarships available that will be offered on a first come - first served basis. Scholarship application information provided in the course registration form.
Additional costs: students will need to purchase Trail Guide to the Body textbook & workbook for the course ($118.90) from Books of Discovery. Students can also choose to purchase The Anatomy Coloring Book as well, but this is optional. Colored pencils are recommended with this purchase.
REGISTRATION BELOW
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Details:
Participants can choose to join us for any or all workshops in the series.
Workshop 1: Monday, June 9 (9am - 4pm)
Workshop 2: Monday, June 16 (9am - 4pm)
Workshop 3: Monday, June 23 (9am - 4pm)
$129 per workshop. Space is limited.
Early registration discount: $99 per workshop by Friday, May 9
Location: Balance Massage School, 4278 VT Route 100, Duxbury, VT 05676
Instructor: Steph Haddox, Balance Massage School Owner and Lead Instructor
Series Description:
Participants will explore the musculoskeletal and fascial anatomy of the targeted joint as well as myofascial and deep tissue massage techniques addressing those tissues. The techniques support increased mobility and reduced soft tissue restriction in the shoulder, spine, and hip. Each series workshop will focus on a specific area of the specified joint.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, students will be able to:
Identify the muscles surrounding the respective joint.
Describe the muscle actions and how they support joint movement.
Apply techniques to support improved joint range of motion, reduce fascial restriction, and ease muscle tension.
Instructional Methods:
Lecture on applicable musculoskeletal anatomy.
Palpation to explore the joints and their associated tissues through touch.
Technique demonstration and practice.
Class discussion and Q&A.
WORKSHOP 1 – The Shoulder: “Freeing the Scapula”
Description: In this one-day course, participants will explore the muscles responsible for scapular movement and how both muscular and fascial restrictions may reduce shoulder mobility. Students will learn soft tissue techniques targeting all surfaces of the scapula – the medial and lateral borders, the anterior and posterior surfaces, the superior and inferior angles, as well as the coracoid process. Massage approaches will include prone, side-lying, and supine positions.
Musculoskeletal Anatomy Focus:
Muscles: rotator cuff (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis), rhomboid major & minor, serratus anterior, levator scapula, teres major, pectoralis minor
Bones: humerus, scapula (and its bony landmarks), clavicle
WORKSHOP 2 – The Spine: “Exploring the Lamina Groove”
Description: In this one-day course, we will explore the muscles supporting spinal movement and stability. Students will learn soft tissue techniques targeting both the paraspinal muscles (the erector spinae group) as well as the deep transversospinalis muscles. Our focus will be working in the lamina groove to encourage pliability and vasodilation around the vertebrae. Massage approaches will include prone, and side-lying positions.
Musculoskeletal Anatomy Focus: Muscles & Fascia – trapezius, rhomboids, erector spinae (spinalis, longissimus, iliocostalis), transversospinalis group (semispinalis, multifidi, rotatores), quadratus lumborum, thoracolumbar fascia
Bones – vertebrae and bony landmarks, ribs, pelvis (iliac crest)
WORKSHOP 3 – The Hip: “Mobilizing the Coxal Joint”
Description: In this one-day course, we will explore the muscles supporting hip mobility. Students will learn soft tissue techniques focused on the muscles and fascia attaching to the greater trochanter of the femur from posterior, superior, and anterior aspects. Massage approaches will include prone, side-lying, and supine positions.
Musculoskeletal Anatomy Focus:
Muscles & Fascia – gluteals (gluteus maximus, medius, minimus), lateral rotators (piriformis, obturator externus and internus, gemellus superior and inferior, quadratus femoris), tensor fascia latae and iliotibial tract.
Bones – pelvis (ilium, ischium, pubis), femur and bony landmarks (greater trochanter)
REGISTRATION & FLYER BELOW
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This program will explore how lived experiences manifest in the body and mind, and how bodyworkers can approach their work through a trauma-informed lens. Together, we will step into the intersection of:
The Nervous System
The Fascial System
Developmental Trauma & Adaptive Survival Patterns
The Role and Application of Attuned Touch
Start date - TBA
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TBA
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TBA
Core Connection Series FLYER