I usually report on state legislation, but the fact of the matter is, educating legislators about massage therapy has to begin in your own backyard. In many places, whether there is state regulation of massage or not, local laws are so archaic and penalizing to massage therapists, it is just disgusting.
The latest thing to hit my radar is from the city of Indianapolis. The application required to practice massage in the city is entitled “Application for Massage Therapist/Escort/Body Painting/Nude Model License.”
I am shocked and appalled that this still exists. Where are the massage therapists who should be up in arms about this? Is everyone so complacent they just fill it out and don’t complain? Has anyone every brought it up to the city government? Have any of our professional associations seized this opportunity to protect the rights of massage therapists?
A few years ago in the small town of Canton, NC, one of my former students excitedly opened her massage therapy practice, and within two days was cited for “massaging a member of the opposite sex.” She had no idea her hometown was a throwback to the Dark Ages, and she wasn’t going to take it lying down. She printed off copies of our Practice Act for every member of the town council, and got herself put on the agenda for the meeting, where she proceeded to enlighten them about the realities of being a professional therapist. The end result was the repeal of an ordinance that was enacted back in the 50’s in an effort to thwart illegal “massage parlors.” READ MORE…
April 5th, 2011 at 4:41 pm
Massage therapists seem to be pretty complacent overall. They are a calm, zen bunch and they don’t rile easily. I absolutely feel your frustration.
In one Great Northwest state, once a shining example for massage regulation, they’re about to get their practice thrown back into the stone age and nobody is even paying attention! All the schmoozing and secret dealings to appease a few noisemakers while punishing the bulk of the practitioners.
Folks need to pay attention and speak up. If they don’t, they have nobody to blame but themselves when the profession they love is changed into something unrecognizable.