Massage therapy as a profession has come a long way. From the first few years where anyone good with their hands can do the kneading and the massaging to now where only the licensed can perform massages.
With state laws regulating massage therapy clinics, people can now breathe a sigh of relief. No more problems with massage therapists who don’t know how to massage. Now, when you get a massage, you don’t have to be afraid that you will end up having sore muscles and aching bones instead of the relaxed feeling that you are aiming for. Nowadays, you can be assured of a superb service that will be worth every penny that you paid for.
You will find, however, that different laws govern different states. This is because the laws in massage therapy have not yet reached the federal stage. This is the reason why every state has unique regulations. It seems that the government feels that this is an issue that is best dealt with per state and not federally. And the United States is not alone in this regard.
Canada, for instance, only have three provinces that actually enforce massage therapy regulations— British Columbia, Newfoundland and of course, Ontario. Only these three have registered and licensed therapists working in clinics. The other provinces are still non-regulated. This means that anybody can do the job without having to get some training.
Getting regulated is actually advantageous to clients who expect good service. Besides they deserve to put their bodies in the hands of those who know what they are doing. Because of the regulation and additional training, massage therapists do not only act as masseurs but also health advisers and sometimes even doctors.
They can assess and sometimes also respond to medical issues especially if it involves physical wellbeing and injuries. Another benefit in the regulation is that massage therapists are also given identified according to a field of expertise be it shiatsu or the more technical aromatherapy and acupressure.
This however is bad news to massage therapy practitioners who still don’t have the time or the money to avail of the training that is required of them. You see, in order to get a license you need to be able to pass the standards that are set by a group of massage therapy experts. Sometimes, these standards can be very hard to reach.
Industry regulating standards often focus on the education and training. In Canada, for instance, one must need about 3000 hours of training in order to get a license. That is equivalent to years of training. And though massage therapists have the skills to get through these training programs, most of them cannot start because of lack of money and time.
Some of them need the money to support their families and would rather use their earnings to buy food and other necessities than send themselves to training schools. Some feel that the number of experience in the job should also count for something when getting a license.
To answer this problem, many massage therapy organizations have established programs where people who are experienced in the industry can avail of scholarships and free training. Morning and Night classes have also been started to cater to those who have job shifts and have no time to go and study.