Massage Therapy CEs | Pathology

Pathology - Shoulder Dysfunction

If you’re committed to improving your knowledge and skills to better serve your clients, this course is for you. Shoulder dysfunction is a common complaint that can significantly limit a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. Massage therapy can play a crucial role in restoring mobility, reducing pain, and supporting recovery—but only when backed by a deep understanding of the anatomy and biomechanics involved.

In this course, we’ll focus on the skeletal anatomy of the shoulder, key movements of the shoulder girdle and joint, and how dysfunction can affect both.

In this course, you’ll learn study the following topics:

The Shoulder Girdle and Its Components
The Shoulder Joint and Its Movements
Common Shoulder Injuries
Clinical Applications for Massage Therapy

Continuing education is essential for massage therapists to stay current with best practices and improve treatment outcomes. This course on shoulder dysfunction provides practical, evidence-based knowledge that will empower you to confidently assess and treat clients with shoulder-related conditions. Whether you're new to treating shoulder dysfunction or seeking to refine your skills, this course will deepen your expertise and elevate your practice.

Course Details

Number of CE hours: 1
Tuition: $12 US
Classification: Cognitive. This one-hour pathology course is classified as cognitive, meaning that it teaches concepts (specifically anatomy of various shoulder dysfunctions). This is not a kinesthetic (techniques) course.
Approved by: Institute of Somatic Therapy (Judith Koch) is approved by the NCBTMB (Provider #280672-00) as a continuing education Approved Provider. Institute of Somatic Therapy is approved by Florida (#MCE-326), and New York (#0019). Our courses are also valid for AMTA, ABMP, and most individual states. Some states limit how many hours can be done online or by home study. Please refer to our State Guidelines section for specific information about your state. Laws can and do change, and your state will hold you responsible for knowing the laws that apply to you.
Attention Florida Massage Therapists: This course is approved by Florida as an approved distance learning course for required hours of "relevant to massage therapy" category hours through 8/31/2025. You are still allowed to complete the 12 required "relevant to massage therapy" hours via approved online courses through at least 2025. The approval number for this course is 20-796660.
CE Broker Reporting: Institute of Somatic Therapy will automatically report your hours to CE Broker in applicable states ONLY IF you have provided your license number in your online account with us. You can verify your license information by logging on to our website, and reviewing your account information. If your license is not shown there, please select “edit” to include it. Once the course shows in your online account with them, you will have an opportunity to rate it. If you were happy with the course, would you be so kind as to take a few minutes to share that with others? If you were not happy, please share with us directly specific ways in which you feel that we can try to improve. Thank you.

Student Comment: I just finished completing two of the online classes that I purchased from you. Awesome learning experience. My only regret is that I didn't know about you sooner. I will definitely be using your classes in the future. Thank you for designing such fabulous classes. Sincerely, Liz Volansky, Saint Louis, MO (Completed Research - Reflexology and Pathology - Shoulder Dysfunction)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What is the difference between cognitive and kinesthetic courses?

Cognitive courses are those that teach concepts related to massage therapy, but do not teach specific hands-on techniques. Courses such as ethics, pathology, anatomy, and research are classified as cognitive. Kinesthetic courses are those that teach specific hands-on techniques that you can use on clients during a massage therapy session. Some states limit how many kinesthetic courses can be completed in an online or home study setting. Refer to our state guidelines page for specifics about your state.

Do you report our course completions to the NCBTMB, ABMP, AMTA, or any other agencies?

None of these agencies have a method for us to report to them on your behalf. They prefer that you provide the evidence of CEs that their renewal process details. We do report to CE Broker as noted above.

Why should I take this course?

This course on shoulder dysfunction provides practical, evidence-based knowledge that will empower you to confidently assess and treat clients with shoulder-related conditions. Whether you're new to treating shoulder dysfunction or seeking to refine your skills, this course will deepen your expertise and elevate your practice.

To contact the Institute of Somatic Therapy about this or any other massage therapy CEU course, please go to the "contact" link above. Thank you.