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Local Legislation Often a Disgrace to Massage Therapy

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.” READ MORE....

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Comment by Daniel Cohen on March 30, 2011 at 10:02pm: Isn't this about local jurisdiction, not state? In California legislation strengthened our voluntary state system last year. The result is more cities dropping their local massage laws. Others kept their old massage parlor adult entertainment laws and licensing. This has pushed many employers to require state certification of therapists in order to avoid local licensing. In effect this makes state certification mandatory for many. Currently it is a mixed bag in California.

Comment by Mike Hinkle on March 30, 2011 at 1:10pm: Massage Therapists need to organize or as in FL, a school can simply get law changed to allow unlicensed therapists to practice. Massage Therapists need to organize or regulation is going to overtake them, there is no resistance as of now. Legislators are writing the laws with little input. Massage Therapists need to organize and quit waiting for others to lead. The main people, that should be watching the legislatures are massage therapists and ways are being planned to do this.