The Laws of Massage

The art of massage has been around for thousands of years, but licensure to practice has only come around within the last century. Forty-six states have laws in place that regulate massage licensure (Kansas, Oklahoma, Vermont and Wyoming are the only ones that do not currently have statewide licensure, but some of the cities within these states have created regulations that massage therapists must meet).

In 1995, Tennessee became the 18th state to require licensure of therapists. Therapists in Tennessee are licensed under the Massage Licensure Board, which is a division of the Health Related Boards. When you think of people who hold a license from a health related board, doctors and nurses come to mind, but most people don’t think about massage therapists.

Most people don’t even realize that massage therapists have to go to school or maintain licensure.

In order to become a Licensed Massage Therapist in the state of Tennessee, one must attend a massage program that is at least 500 hours in length, pass the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (a nation-wide exam issued by a third party that is used to ensure that the applicant has a base level competency of massage), and pass a background check issued by the FBI, TBI, and homeland security. Once an LMT is licensed, they then have to maintain their license, which includes paying a renewal fee and obtaining 24 hours of Continuing Education. CEs are not only required, but an important tool for keeping massage therapists up with the latest techniques that they need to help their clients.

The next time you meet someone who is a Licensed Massage Therapist, make sure to refer to them as such (or at the very least “massage therapist”).

“Masseuse” is an outdated term that will make most massage therapists cringe, plus, they have put a lot of time and money to obtain the “Licensed” part of their title.

written by Mandi Parker
Tennessee Chair Massage
tnchairmassage.com/