About Massage Therapists
Most Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs/MTs) in Ontario are self-employed health professionals. They work in a variety of settings, most often in Massage Therapy clinics and multidisciplinary health clinics. Other workplaces include:
- Private practice
- Rehabilitation centers
- Health and fitness clubs
- Nursing homes
- Community health clinics
- Hospitals/hospices
- Health spas
RMTs assess and treat physical dysfunction and pain of the soft tissue and joints of the body, mostly by hands-on manipulation.
Assessment and treatment can include orthopaedic and neurological testing, soft tissue manipulation (Swedish massage is the most commonly used technique), hydrotherapy, remedial exercise programs and client education programs.
Education and Training
Training to become an RMT in Ontario consists of a two to three-year diploma program from one of a number of recognized Massage Therapy schools in the province. Applicants who trained in Massage Therapy internationally or in a Canadian province where Massage Therapy is not regulated must undergo the Massage Therapy Education and Credential Assessment (MTECA) to ensure qualifications are equivalent to those provided by Ontario’s education programs in Massage Therapy.
After education is completed, all candidates must take the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario’s (CMTO) Certification Examinations and register with CMTO to be eligible to practise. Only people registered with CMTO are permitted to use the protected titles “Registered Massage Therapist” or “Massage Therapist” and use the letters “RMT” or “MT” with their names. Both titles are equivalent and mean that the holder of the title is registered with CMTO.
Scope of Practice
The Massage Therapy Act, 1991, the provincial legislation for Massage Therapy in Ontario, defines the practice of Massage Therapy as “the assessment of the soft tissue and joints of the body and the treatment and prevention of physical dysfunction and pain of the soft tissue and joints by manipulation to develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment physical function, or relieve pain.” This is referred to as the Scope of Practice.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture falls within the Scope of Practice of Massage Therapy because it constitutes a “manipulation” within the meaning of the Massage Therapy Act, 1991 and the Scope of Practice. As a modality, acupuncture can have an effect on the soft tissues and joints of the body and constitutes the “treatment and prevention of physical dysfunction and pain of the soft tissues and joints by manipulation to develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment physical function, or relieve pain.”
RMTs limit their use of this modality to the treatment of generally accepted physical disorders within the Scope of Practice of Massage Therapy. The practice of acupuncture as a Massage Therapy modality requires specialized training and Massage Therapists who provide it must confirm that they have obtained minimum educational requirements for acupuncture set by CMTO.
Professionalism
In addition to maintaining their registration with CMTO, RMTs in Ontario:
- Practise according to a Code of Ethics;
- Meet or exceed defined Standards of Practice;
- Take part in a Quality Assurance Program that encourages the evaluation and improvement of their knowledge and skills through self-assessment, peer assessment and continuing education;
- Have received education around the prevention of all forms of client abuse, particularly sexual abuse.
