2025 Winter Rubdown

Healwell's Glossary of the Massage Therapy Profession

New Healwell Class: Cultural Competency for Bodyworkers and Healthcare Providers

Healwell News 1:24

State and National News 2:13

Association News 8:13

Events 10:58

Davonna Willis Interview

Beneficial Ownership Checklist

COMTA Likes Us!

ABMP Events

AMTA Call for Speakers

MTF Grants
IMTRC Registration
ABMP News
AMTA News

Transcript

Corey Rivera 0:00

The American Massage Therapy Association is proud to sponsor the Rub Podcast . With AMTA , you'll gain access to a welcoming community dedicated to supporting your career every step of the way . As a nonprofit association in the profession , amta is focused on award-winning advocacy , research and education for massage therapists . Ensure you're at the forefront of your profession with benefits such as comprehensive liability insurance , discounts on products and services , the Massage Therapy Journal , networking opportunities and top-tier continuing education , including free online courses . Join AMTA today and become part of a dynamic , inclusive community dedicated to shaping the future of massage therapy . Visit amtaorg to learn more .

Corey Rivera 0:47

Welcome to the Rubdown , a news update about massage therapy . I'm your host , korya Rivera , licensed massage therapist and correspondent . Every month , the Rub will bring you news from the world of massage therapy . Today's Rubdown will include news from December 2024 to February 2025 . Don't forget the HealWell blog has a helpful glossary of terms . You can find the link to this guide in the show notes . If we've missed any , please let us know by emailing us at podcast at HealWellorg First up HealWell

Healwell News

Corey Rivera 1:24

news . Emailing us at podcast at HealWellorg First up HealWell News . If you have been desperately waiting to see if HealWell broke 10,000 massages in 2024 , the moment is here . Healwell provided 10,504 sessions in 2024 . The current tally for 2025 is 1,406 sessions in the DC , maryland , virginia area . Comta , the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation , has added HealWell to its new resource page . Alongside the national associations and other leaders , we appreciate COMTA's recognition of our efforts and would like them to know that we think they're pretty awesome too and we appreciate all the work they do . Healwell would also like to note that we are not a national association . We are a nonprofit who happens to be a little mouthy and really into collaboration . Up next , state and national news

State and National News

Corey Rivera 2:13

In 2021 , the US government enacted the Corporate Transparency Act because corporations are often not transparent about their actions , which leads to fraud , embezzlement and other crimes .

Corey Rivera 2:23

The law now includes what is called beneficial ownership information , which requires a company to state who owns the company . If you think it's kind of weird that we need a law about that , you should check out the Laundromat on Netflix , which may not be a stunning movie but does show the hide-and-go-seek methods of corporate crime . The beneficial ownership information does apply to LLCs , so if you are a sole proprietor , you might need to register . To see if you are required to register , please use the link in the show notes . You will need to register your company by March 21st . Since last summer , amta has been , and still is , defending the 150% rule at the federal level , which allows students to obtain federal funding for career schools even if the program exceeds the minimum hour requirements for a state license in that profession . Amta's case in defense of the rule has made progress in a Washington DC court , but currently a two-month stay has been issued .

Corey Rivera 3:17

The Interstate Massage Compact has been introduced in the following states Maine , illinois , alabama , new York , arkansas , montana , virginia , connecticut , georgia and Iowa . Two states , ohio and Nevada , have officially joined the compact . Five more states are needed before a committee can be formed to hammer out the rules . If you live in one of these states , or really any state , and are interested in supporting the compact in your state , please visit the ABMP link in the show notes for more information . You can even support the compact by reaching out to legislators in neighboring states . Legislators everywhere need to know that massage therapists care about this , so you don't have to wait until it's introduced into your state . You can stir the pot now .

Corey Rivera 3:57

The Virginia legislature introduced a bill that would increase its massage therapy minimum required education hours from 500 to 625 . The bill did not pass , but it will come up again in the next session . The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has stopped confirming CE credits for massage therapy license renewals . Instead , the department will now be doing a random audit to check that massage therapists have taken the full 12 CEs every two years . The Arkansas Senate has proposed a bill that would create a state licensing exam that massage therapists have taken the full 12 CEs every two years .

Corey Rivera 4:25

The Arkansas Senate has proposed a bill that would create a state licensing exam for massage therapists that would replace the MBLECs . While Hewell doesn't know the contents of the exam , abmp has pointed out that such an exam could be a burden on the Arkansas Department of Health and it might make license portability a challenge . Amta has stated that the bill doesn't require the exam to be psychrometrically validated , which is the process of making sure the test is reliable . Validation is a difficult and continuous process that can be costly , but it is an important part of what makes an exam useful and fair . Also , as you just heard , arkansas is one of the states that recently introduced the Interstate Compact . The current wording of the compact essentially requires practitioners to pass the MBLECs , although those requirements are not set in stone . However , there are also valid reasons for Arkansas to create its own exam . New York State has its own exam because the MBLEX doesn't cover traditional Asian modalities , which are part of foundational education for the state .

Corey Rivera 5:21

An attempt in Utah to begin deregulating massage has been halted due to massage therapist feedback and pressure . Let me say that again . A bill to deregulate massage therapy in Utah has been halted because massage therapists spoke up . The bill would have established a registered massage practitioner tier that would require no education , examination or safety standards . The current bill has removed that language , passed the Senate and is waiting for the governor's signature . I would like to note that in some provinces in Canada the term registered massage therapist is part of a tiered system , but it is the title with the most rigorous standards , not the least , and there is no tier that allows a person to provide massage without education or safety standards .

Corey Rivera 6:02

Minnesota has introduced bills in its House and Senate to establish licensing for massage therapy and Asian bodywork therapies . The bill is currently in the Committee for Health and Human Services . The bill would define terms for massage therapy and Asian bodywork therapy , create a temporary permit for working in the state and override municipal licensing laws . Municipalities would still be able to enforce business licensing requirements . The bill includes a procedure for grandfathering currently practicing therapists , and Kansas has introduced a Senate bill to create licensing . Kansas licensing would be held under the Board of Healing Arts , which includes 16 other professions such as medical doctors , physical therapists , respiratory therapists and contact lens distributors . For real . The contact lens people beat us to licensing . There is less information available about the Kansas bill than there is about Minnesota's , but there will be a transitional status to prevent massage therapists from having to stop practicing in order to obtain a license .

Corey Rivera 7:04

If you live in Minnesota or Kansas and would like to support licensing in your state , obtain a license . If you live in Minnesota or Kansas and would like to support licensing in your state , both ABMP and AMTA have resources to help you . Neither of these states have ever had licensing before , so this is a big deal , and today we have our first public service announcement . Facebook , instagram and Threads have announced that they have essentially given up moderating their spaces . You should default . Assume that everything on those sites , including things from people you know , are incorrect until proven otherwise , particularly things that want your information . Healwell saw an ad this week claiming to help massage therapists reclaim money from 2021 . We found nothing about it on Snopes and no trace of the company listed on the internet . We checked the reviews on the company's Facebook page and all of them started with the word scam . If you can't verify a claim like this with AMTA or ABMP , please assume that it is untrue . Healwell doesn't have enough staff to keep up with information like this , but if an offer like this was legit , you can bet that AMTA and ABMP would both be telling their members .

Corey Rivera 8:06

Our next segment is news from the Massage Therapy National Associations .

Association News

Corey Rivera 8:15

Ncbtmb has elected a new president , chris Deary . Chris has been active and involved with the Massage Therapy Association since 2003 , and he volunteers with the Massage Therapy Foundation , the Massage Therapy Foundation . The Massage Therapy Foundation has two programs accepting applications . The Practitioner and Student Case Report Contest have a deadline of June 1st and the Bob King Community Service for Schools Award also has a deadline of June 1st .

Corey Rivera 8:40

The new issue of the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork was issued in December . It includes a systematic review on the effects of massage therapy for children with autism and their parents , a study about pediatric acute burns , a study about pediatric IBS , the effect of massage on blood glucose and cardiovascular function and an article on upper trapezius trigger points . The journal is open access , which means there is no paywall to read these articles . If you're interested , you can find them at IJTMBorg , the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards . Fsmtb has announced the upcoming launch of its new exam service center , featuring a range of technological upgrades designed to improve user experience . As part of this transition , fsmtb will migrate hundreds of thousands of files to the new system , ensuring more efficient and streamlined services for candidates and schools . To facilitate the migration , a temporary technology blackout has begun and is expected to last up until March 15th . For updates and further details , everyone is encouraged to visit the FSMTB website .

Corey Rivera 9:46

Amta has announced it will contribute $2.5 million over the next five years to the Massage Therapy Foundation . This money will directly fund research activities that will benefit the profession . Amta is active in supporting the operational costs of the Massage Therapy Foundation and this contribution is in addition to that support . We look forward to hearing more about the priorities for this new funding . Friend of HealWell . Devana Willis , founder of the Black Massage Therapy Conference , was featured on the AMTA website . You can read her interview at the link in the show notes . This year , devana presented at the AMTA School Forum and has been interviewed by SOMA , the Society of Massage Archives podcast .

Corey Rivera 10:26

The AMTA Call for Speakers for 2026 programming is now open . It is looking for expertise in the categories of business , ethics , healthcare , practical techniques , research , self-care and massage education . Applications will be accepted through March 28th to speak at the 2026 National Convention School Summit or to write an online course for the AMTA Library . Click the link in the show notes to apply . And last , here are massage therapy events coming up .

Events

Corey Rivera 10:58

For HealWell Live events on March 11th from 6 to 8 pm we'll be holding a new class called Cultural Competency for Body Workers and Healthcare Providers , taught by Mako Montherville . The Heal Well Oncology Massage Workshop will be in Virginia March 21st through 23rd . Our Pediatric Stewardship will be in Washington , dc , april 2nd through 5th . Our Hospital-Based Massage Therapy Stewardship will be in DC October 28th through November 1st . And we have two SCAR classes with Kathy Ryan , one in Keene , new Hampshire , september 27th through 28th and one in Salt Lake City October 3rd through 4th . Abmp events include the free online event ABMP CE Social Tuesday , march 25th . The ABMP School Forum in Denver , colorado , friday and Saturday , april 4th and 5th . And the free online event ABMP CE Summit on the Neck , may 6th .

Corey Rivera 11:49

The Massage Therapy Foundation's IMTREC or International Massage Therapy Research Conference , is Sunday April 27th to Tuesday April 29th . Hul Executive Director Cal Cates will be participating in a debate titled Debating Massage Therapy's Unifying Healthcare Domain Public Health , rehabilitation and Palliative Care , along with Dr Nikki Monk , dr Anne Blair Kennedy and moderated by Adrienne Asta . This conference is held every three years and brings together massage therapy field leaders , clinicians , educators and researchers to discuss the practice implications and applications of current research . A note for listeners IMTREC is much more like a traditional conference than other massage therapy events , but there will be a lot of massage therapy nerds . So if you're a massage nerd looking for your people , they'll be in Virginia in April .

Corey Rivera 12:36

The HealWell community has started a new monthly event titled we Are the Ones We've Been Waiting For . This event is to help massage therapists write academic articles based on their interests . You may be surprised to know that you don't need a PhD or a big university budget or really any to meaningfully contribute to academic literature . Your experiences and questions are worth writing about and pursuing . The first meeting will be March 11th at 7 pm Eastern and will open with a short presentation by Dr Amanda Baskwell , editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork . You can join us with a three-day free trial at communityhealwellorg . You can join us with a three-day free trial at communityhealwellorg .

Corey Rivera 13:16

If you have any national or state-level news about massage therapy that you would like to share , please send an email with your news and a link to your source to podcast at healwellorg . You can now text the show by clicking the link in the show notes . Each news update , I'll be asking a question and reading responses the following month . This month's question is if you knew someone was going to do a comparison of licensing rules in the United States , what would you want to know ? This has been your Winter News Rubdown . Thank you for listening .