To understand the current issues it is important to have an in-depth understanding of the history of massage therapy in the US. We have such a very long issue of being entangled with sex workers which has led to people creating organizations to elevate massage therapists into a profession where they are respected as the healthcare providers that they always were and currently are.
In the US, the American Massage Therapy Association came on the scene in 1943 as American Association of Masseurs and Masseuses (AAMM). Their mission at the time said:
“The purpose of this association is to foster the spirit of cooperation, the exchange of ideas and techniques among its members, and to advance the science of massage so as to merit the respect and confidence of all people, and benefit mankind.”
In 1949, they created the first Model Registration Act to implement licensing across the US. The plan was to legitimize massage by creating licensing laws. The first state to implement licensing was Ohio in 1912 before AMTA was created. It was followed by Florida in 1943 and Hawaii in 1947. (See the full history of massage licensing by state on my other website www.massageschoolnotes.com)
In the 1990s, AMTA created the National Certification Board for Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) along with the Commission for Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA) under the direction of Bob King, a legendary leader. (See more on the history of AMTA on my other website www.massageschoolnotes.com)
In 1987, Sherri Williamson, a disgrutled massage therapist (according to Robert Calverts’ History of Massage) started a new association because they did not like the direction that AMTA was going.
“AMTA, which had been advocating for a unified massage therapy profession since 1943, became a symbol of everything they rejected. This set of circumstances left an opening for the formation of a new general membership organization for massage and bodywork practitioners. The Associated Professional Massage Therapists (APMT) was founded in 1986 by Sherri Williamson and her business partner, Richard Smith. Promotional materials soon added “& Bodyworkers” to its official moniker, and in 1990 it adopted the name Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP).” The History of Massage: An Illustrated Survey from around the World Paperback – April 1, 2002 by Robert Noah Calvert (Author)
Licensing and Legislation
Our current licensing laws vary greatly by number of hours of education required, CE requirements, laws around the use of the term massage, scope of practice and many other things which could be more standardized across the US. It is difficult to move to another state. The lack of clear definitions and scope of practice also creates confusion around what massage therapy is or isn’t.
The many ordiances are trying to put an end to the illicit businesses disguised as massage but we do not have any research as to whether that is working or not.
We have long had a conudrum around the CE requirements in each state and have failed to move toward Continued Competence which is different than just requiring random CE classes.
History of Massage Therapy In Healthcare
So far my history resources show that massage therapy has been used in healthcare since the late 1800’s and most recently since about 2000, has had many opportunites to be covered by Health Insurance. There have been many organizations calling for the inclusion of massage therapy in healthcare. State licensing laws vary as to which states massage therapists are considered to be healthcare providers.
One of the biggest challenges has been defining the massage profession and in particular terms related to massage therapy in healthcare such as Medical Massage, Certification vs Certificate and other terms.
Timeline History of the battle over the term Medical Massage. Part 1 Medical Massage Part 11