“Massage Therapy” means the health profession in which a person provides, for the purposes of developing, maintaining, rehabilitating or augmenting physical function, or relieving pain or promoting health, the services of
(a) assessment of soft tissue and joints of the body, and
(b) treatment and prevention of physical dysfunction, injury, pain and disorders of soft tissue and joints of the body by manipulation, mobilization and other manual methods.
[am.B.C. Reg. 58/2015, s.1.]
Education and Training
Standard educational requirements include comprehensive studies in health sciences such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, kinesiology and neuroanatomy. Other studies include clinical sciences such as manual skills, orthopedics, remedial exercise, hydrotherapy and patient education. The management of chronic diseases, injuries and the effects of long-term stress are also studied extensively.
It is widely understood that massage therapy decreases stress and helps control pain. Perhaps less known is the effectiveness of massage therapy in treating deeper structures of the body such as ligaments, bones and joints, fascia, blood vessels, organs and other soft tissues of the body. Massage therapy can provide relief for many common conditions such as:
- Migraine headaches
- Whiplash
- Pregnancy
- Cancer
- Low Back Pain
- Stress Release
- Tendonitis
- Arthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Fibromyalgia
- Sports injuries
- And many other common conditions related to soft tissue and joint dysfunction
GOVERNING BODY
