I hear a lot of people talk about Massage Therapy’s scope of practice, but I rarely meet someone who has read the statutes of our profession. If you have never read them, I don’t blame you, they are hard to find. This leads me into another issue I have with our massage education system, we aren’t taught how to find quality and relevant information that could have a meaningful impact on our career. This is another should. We should be taught how to research, critically think, and investigate data.
Sometimes people say: “Well if something should be a certain way, why aren’t you doing anything about it?” Well, I agree with them. When I say something should be done, I work to make it happen. So, here it is, I have posted it here for you to read, and provided the link for you to find it yourself.
Scope of Practice
(7) “Massage therapy“, a health care profession which involves the treatment of the body’s tonus system through the scientific or skillful touching, rubbing, pressing or other movements of the soft tissues of the body with the hands, forearms, elbows, or feet, or with the aid of mechanical apparatus, for relaxation, therapeutic, remedial or health maintenance purposes to enhance the mental and physical well-being of the client, but does not include the prescription of medication, spinal or joint manipulation, the diagnosis of illness or disease, or any service or procedure for which a license to practice medicine, chiropractic, physical therapy, or podiatry is required by law, or to those occupations defined in chapter 329;
I have also included the scope of practice for hairdressers, manicurists, and estheticians as well. Their scope of practice is often a topic of debate within massage circles as well. This should bring those arguments to a close.
a) “Class CH – hairdresser” includes arranging, dressing, curling, singeing, waving, permanent waving,
cleansing, cutting, bleaching, tinting, coloring or similar work upon the hair of any person by any means; or removing superfluous hair from the body of any person by means other than electricity, or any other means of arching
or tinting eyebrows or tinting eyelashes. Class CH – hairdresser also includes any person who either with the person’s hands or with mechanical or electrical apparatuses or appliances, or by the use of cosmetic preparations,
antiseptics, tonics, lotions or creams engages for compensation in any one or any combination of the following:
massaging, cleaning, stimulating, manipulating, exercising, beautifying or similar work upon the scalp, face, neck,
arms or bust;
b) “Class MO – manicurist” includes cutting, trimming, polishing, coloring, tinting, cleaning or otherwise
beautifying a person’s fingernails, applying artificial fingernails, massaging, cleaning a person’s hands and arms;
pedicuring, which includes cutting, trimming, polishing, coloring, tinting, cleaning or otherwise beautifying a person’s toenails, applying artificial toenails, massaging and cleaning a person’s legs and feet;
(d) “Class E – estheticians” includes the use of mechanical, electrical apparatuses or appliances, or by the
use of cosmetic preparations, antiseptics, tonics, lotions or creams, not to exceed ten percent phenol, engages for
compensation, either directly or indirectly, in any one, or any combination, of the following practices: massaging,
cleansing, stimulating, manipulating, exercising, beautifying or similar work upon the scalp, face, neck, ears, arms,
hands, bust, torso, legs or feet and removing superfluous hair by means other than electric needle or any other
means of arching or tinting eyebrows or tinting eyelashes, of any person;”
