Why Choose a Registered Massage Therapist - RMT

British Columbia has the highest professional standards for Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs) in North America. To become an RMT in BC, you must have at least 3,000 hours of training over three years at an accredited college. Just to compare, someone taking a four-year university degree has only 1,400 hours of in-class education.

Massage therapy students are put through a grueling medical program ... and that's in addition to the endless hours of hands-on training. This extensive education is necessary because massage therapists are part of the provincial health care program - they need to know the intricate details of how the body works and how to identify health problems.

Registered Massage Therapists are more than hands-on professionals. They will also help you correct your posture, they will provide strengthening and stretching exercises that will help improve your condition and RMTs will instruct you on proper ergonomics at home and at the office, providing tips on desk, chair and computer adjustments. By correctly positioning your workstation or table and stretching, you can avoid painful problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis.

RMTs can help recognize conditions you have yet to notice. Tumours or skin cancer are just two of the disorders your massage therapist might find - and, upon their discovery, send you directly to your physician. Registered Massage Therapists have stringent education requirements to protect you.

The College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia (CMT) was created to protect you. The CMT operates much like the College of Physicians and Surgeons. The CMT Therapists examines and licenses all therapists and acts as the profession's regulatory body, ensuring you receive safe and ethical care.

Registered Massage Therapists are different than those who call themselves masseuses or body workers. There is even one person who has come up with the term "Masseologist". When you're looking for a massage therapist, find a Registered Massage Therapist -- their high-level of training makes them experts in hands-on treatment, injury rehabilitation and prevention. The term "Registered" tells you that the person has three years of training and is regulated by the CMT.

People without the "Registered" designation cannot bill to the BC Medical Services Plan and do not have to follow regulations on professional standards, ethics, scope of practice and advertising. And if something goes wrong - for example, your injury or condition could actually be made worse - you would likely have no recourse against the service provider.

Information courtesy of the Massage Therapists' Association of BC