On Monday, the Los Angeles Times Health section ran a cover story discussing the upcoming California state massage certification.  The article also points out some of the medical benefits massage promotes.  Click here to read the complete article.

On Saturday, Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 731 into law, at long last providing state certification for massage therapy here in California!

Don’t tear up your local permits just yet.  Certifications will not be issued until at least September 1, 2009.  Between now and then, a governing board must be created to develop policies and establish the necessary infrastructure.  The law only defines the general terms; we must wait for this new Massage Therapy Organization (MTO) to flesh out the details.

This is a voluntary certification.  So, if you’re happy with your current local status, then you don’t have to do it.  However, those who do get a state certification can practice anywhere in the state without having to secure massage therapy licenses from individual cities or counties.  But, considering 83% of respondents to a recent ABMP poll were in favor of the state law, it’s likely that many cities and counties eventually will stop issuing their own local licenses in favor of the state certification.

The ABMP’s Bob Benson says, “While highly imperfect, and some distance from the original legislative draft, SB 731 appears to solve a huge problem with the practice of massage within California. This law looks at bona fide massage therapists as professionals, not as suspect providers of illicit services. Those electing to become certified will be able to have their qualifications vetted by a knowledgeable massage organization rather than by local police departments. Discriminatory zoning rules singling out massage therapists could no longer be enforced against individuals certified by this new massage organization.”

The law defines a massage therapist as having 500 hours or more of training, but makes accommodations for those currently working who may have fewer hours of formal education than that.  Some of your heads may be spinning with questions right now.  I recommend holding off until we know more.  As the MTO takes shape and more specifics fall into place, this blog will keep you informed.

Many people have worked years to make this happen.  Among them, we’d like to thank the AMTA, ABMP, Massage Envy, the California Chiropractic Association and State Senator Jenny Oropeza who sponsored the bill.

You can read more at ABMP.com and AMTA-CA.org.

Curious about the California state massage certification bill?  Having fully passed out of the legislature after many years, it is currently awaiting the Governor’s signature.  Unfortunately, he has vowed to sign no bills until the state budget has passed.  We’re crossing our fingers that the budget and subsequently the massage bill are signed soon.  Assuming that happens, we could have a state certification as soon as September 1, 2009.

While this bill does not solve all problems, it’s a good start.  Of course, some opposition remains.  Mainly, those opposed prefer little to no regulation and/or training hour requirements below 500 hours.  Without debating the merits of those arguments, that doesn’t seem to be a realistic option.

Let’s look at a couple of examples to demonstrate my point.  I could make a case that there are advantages to driving on the left-hand side of the road as they do in England.  But, since the rest of our country drives on the right-hand side of the road, it would be costly, time-consuming, difficult, and dangerous to convert everyone to my line of thinking.  Similarly, Betamax and VHS once fought it out to be the standard for videotapes.  By all accounts, Betamax was the better technology.  But for better or worse, the people went with VHS.

Thirty-nine states regulate massage, with more doing so each year.  The national standard for training in those states is 500 hours, but that too is increasing.  New York and Nebraska are already at 1,000 hours.  Additionally, the federal government requires a minimum of 600 hours to receive federal student loans and even more training hours to be eligible for federal grants.  So, regardless of whether you like the idea of regulating massage or agree with the 500-hour minimum, that’s where the tide is going.

Massage in California is already regulated, just not uniformly.  Every city or county decides and enforces its own rules.  This practice continues even as we look toward a future with state certification.  Just this week I was interviewed on the subject by a reporter for the San Bernardino County Sun.  He was researching an article about the city of Fontana recently upgrading their massage requirements to 600 hours.  You can read about it below:

http://www.sbsun.com/search/ci_10394126

While state regulation may not solve all problems (and may even create a few new ones), the current regulation patchwork is a disaster for the vast majority of massage therapists across the state.  Paying for multiple licenses, meeting different requirements, and increased competition from better trained therapists are just three of the many issues faced now by therapists.  Let’s hope the state bill becomes effective soon for the benefit of all!

As promised yesterday, here is KNBC’s news story about the California State Massage Certification bill featuring NHI.

On Monday, it seemed like NHI popped up wherever you looked.  For the early risers in Los Angeles, we appeared on KNBC’s Today in L.A. discussing the California state massage certification bill that currently awaits the Governor’s signature.  It was a very nice segment that we hope to have up on the website soon.  (You’ll be the first to know, of course!)

Later in the day, we made our way onto YouTube courtesy of Mahalo Daily.  Leah D’Emilio visited us in Encino to learn some tips on how to give a 15 minute relaxation massage.  Over 25,000 people have viewed it so far!  You can add to those numbers by clicking below.

Who knows where we’ll pop up next!