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Massage Envy Spa Accepting Applications for 2016 Scholarship Competition
02/04/2016

The Beauty Changes Lives (BCL) Foundation is accepting applications through March 28, 2016 for the 2016 BCL-Massage Envy Scholarship Competition. Six students enrolled in a massage therapy education program at a qualified school will receive a $1,500 tuition scholarship toward their education. In addition, each winner’s school will receive a $500 award to enhance its massage therapy program. The scholarships are funded by Massage Envy and administered by the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation.

Virginia Bill Proposes Mandatory Licensure for Massage Therapists
01/28/2016

HB 562, introduced in the Virginia legislature this session, proposes to change Virginia's massage therapy regulation system from certification, also known as "title protection," to mandatory licensure. Under the current certification system, any person who claims to be a massage therapist, or uses any title or designation tendin

Washington State Bills Would Assist Out of State License Applicants
01/27/2016

Two bills recently introduced in the Washington State Legislature would open a pathway for applicants who attended certain massage schools that are not approved by the Washington Massage Board, including out-of-state schools, to obtain a Washington state massage license.

Green Spa Network 9th Annual Congress Announced
01/26/2016

Green Spa Network, a not-for-profit association dedicated to promoting sustainability in and through the spa and wellness industry, announced that its 9th Annual Green Spa Network (GSN) Congress will be held at Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort and Spa in the majestic Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Back Massage Improves Conditions in Family Caregivers
01/21/2016

In a randomized controlled trial, 15-minute daily back massages for one week performed on 44 family caregivers of patients with cancer resulted in improved blood pressure, cortisol level, heart rate, sleep quality, and state anxiety in the caregivers.

The study concluded that oncology nurses can take advantage of back massage—a non-pharmacologic and easily implemented method—as an independent nursing action to support caregivers for patients with cancer.

Read the abstract here.

Vermont OPR Declines to Recommend Massage Licensing
01/18/2016

Vermont is one of five states in the United States that currently does not have state licensing or other state regulation of massage therapists. In June 2015, ABMP and the Vermont Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association submitted a Sunrise Application to the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR). Vermont law requires that prior to a review by the state legislature of any bill to regulate a profession or occupation, the OPR must prepare for the legislature a written assessment of the particular regulatory proposal.

Mindfulness Training More Effective for Postpartum Depression than Conventional Treatment Methods
01/15/2016

A new study led by University of Colorado Boulder researchers found pregnant and postpartum women at risk of depression are less likely to suffer depression when they meditate or get in a yoga pose than when they are treated with psychotherapy and antidepressants.

The study focused on pregnant women with histories of depression. Forty-three subjects were randomized to a group that underwent mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and 43 subjects were assigned to a conventional treatment group.