The Practice of Massage Therapy is the assessment of soft tissue and the joints of the body and the treatment and prevention of physical dysfunction and pain. Techniques are used to maintain, rehabilitate or augment physical function and decrease pain. The soft tissues include muscle, skin, tendons and associated fascia, ligaments and joints. Theses structures are what holds the bones of the body together and creates movement at the joints. The use of massage therapy affects all the systems of the body, in particular, the muscular, circulatory, lymphatic, and immune and nervous systems.

Massage therapists are required to cover/drape you with a sheet so that they expose only the area which they are working on. You may need to undress for therapy. However, you do not need to expose yourself in any way that you are uncomfortable.

It is possible to work on a client who is dressed. So just let your therapist know your comfort level.

On the first visit you will complete a confidential health history as part of your assessment. This is important as the therapist needs to know if you have any medical conditions or are taking any medications. The therapist will listen to your concerns and assess your individual needs, as well as other factors that may be contributing to your injury (lifestyle, nutritional status, etc.). The therapist will then develop a treatment plan with you to ensure you receive appropriate treatment that will help you to return, as much as possible, to your normal activities.

As with many treatments affecting the soft tissue, there are times when massage therapy can cause some light discomfort but it is not harmful. Discomfort usually diminishes and no technique of this nature is used without the therapist first discussing it with you and obtaining your permission. A comfort scale will be established and the work done will only be within your tolerance level. You can stop or change the treatment at any time or the techniques can be modified to meet your needs / concerns.

Many of today’s health problems can benefit from Massage Therapy because the manipulation of soft tissues affects so may of our bodily systems. Message treatments aim to: Decrease muscle tension Decrease lower and upper back pain Improve athletic performance Increase circulation Increase range of motion Decrease headaches Massage Therapy is also effective in the control of chronic or acute pain, stress reduction, and increasing a sense of relaxation and well-being.

No. Massage therapy treatments are not covered under OHIP, regardless of whether the treatments are provided by a Massage Therapist directly, by a physician or required by a physician. Most progressive extended health benefit plans do cover massage therapy treatments when provided by a Registered Massage Therapist and most do not require a physician's order to do so. Contact your employer for more information.

Most progressive extended health insurance plans cover massage therapy treatments when provided by a Registered Massage Therapist. Most do not require a physician's order for treatments, although a few may still have this requirement. Most plans require that the covered individual pay for the treatment and submit the expense for reimbursement. Contact your employer for more information. Most Massage Therapists will require payment upon the provision of services. As most are operating as an independent practitioner, they are not in a position to provide credit, that is, wait until payment is received under extended health plans, before receiving payment. Discuss this with your Massage Therapist before treatment.

In Canada, before a health profession can be exempted from charging GST (the federal Goods & Services Tax), the profession must be regulated in a minimum of five (5) provinces. Massage Therapists are a regulated health profession currently in only three (3) Provinces, Ontario, Newfoundland and British Columbia. Legislation is in progress in several other provinces at various stages. These include Alberta, Manitoba and Nova Scotia. The OMTA, in concert with its national alliance, the Canadian Massage Therapist Alliance, is working to ensure that Massage Therapists become regulated in other provinces and will be asking the Canadian Government to allow the exemption as soon as possible. In the meantime, most Massage Therapists are a registered business and in Ontario, are required to obtain a GST number and charge GST.

The practice of massage therapy is regulated under the Regulated Health Professions Act and the Massage Therapy Act. These pieces of legislation establish the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO) and the profession of massage therapy as a self-regulating health profession in Ontario. The CMTO exists to protect the public interest and to regulate the profession of massage therapy, through the maintenance of high professional standards. The CMTO also ensures ethical, high-quality health care. Questions regarding the conduct of a Massage Therapist must be addressed to the CMTO. The RHPA requires the CMTO to have a formal complaints process. This process gives any member of the public the right to have his/her complaint about a Massage Therapist's behaviour, conduct or practice investigated by the College's Complaints Committee. Each step of the process is designed to ensure fairness to both the complainant and the member who is the subject of the complaint. You may file a complaint with the Registrar in writing, recorded on audio tape or on video, submitted on disk or on other permanent medium. The complaint should include the name of the Massage Therapist, the time, place, date(s) and details of the event(s). You may file the complaint as follows: Deborah Worrad, Registrar College of Massage Therapists of Ontario 1867 Yonge Street, Suite 810 Toronto, Ontario M4S 1Y5 For more information about the College, you may visit their website at www.cmto.com.