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
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.
If you’re like most of us, you use Google and other search engines to find what you’re looking for online. As a result, you’ve become really, really good at finding what you need online. But how good are you and your practice at being found online?
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.
Changes in how we look at the lymphatic system and the circulation of cerebral spinal fluid are causing gradual shifts in massage therapy.
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 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.
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.
In a pilot study aimed to determine the impact of reiki therapy on the pain perception of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA), reiki was shown to have a statistically significant effect on pain reduction.
The study sample included 43 patients undergoing TKA. All subjects had unilateral TKA at the same hospital and were randomized into reiki and non-reiki groups. Pain was assessed before and after reiki therapy using a numeric rating scale.
It’s been a decade since I sat over an uneaten salad at the meeting that would lead to the formation of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) and also change my life forever.
