In previous blogs, I have outlined what constitutes Remedial Massage, but do you know who
is treating you? What are our actual qualifications and what does it mean to be a Remedial
Massage Therapist?
To be quite honest, our industry is UNREGULATED! It does peeve us, just a little bit. But
what does that mean to you the consumer/client? Firstly, in Australia, anyone can call
themselves what they like in our industry! I know right! So frustrating! Just because they call
themselves Remedial Massage Therapists, it doesn’t mean they actually are. They may
have done a two day weekend workshop, or maybe a 6 week Swedish massage course or
may have no qualifications at all
Let me ask you this, if your car had a problem with the engine, would you go to a petrol
station and ask the cashier to see about fixing your car or would you go to a mechanic? All
too often we face this problem in the massage industry. A new client walks in after seeing a
‘massage therapist’ with terrible back pain, worse than before they had the massage. Why?
The person they saw had NO formal qualifications, and basically no knowledge of anatomy,
or any idea of what they should or shouldn’t do to treat an injured back Maybe also they
should have referred the person to another health professional!
So how do you know who to trust? How can you be sure of getting a massage from a
qualified therapist?
When you enter the clinic is there evidence of qualifications hanging on the wall from
a recognized RTO (Recognised Training Organisation) oh and if there is more than
one therapist there should be evidence for EVERY Therapist who works there. These
are:
Diploma of Remedial Massage
Certificate IV in Therapeutic Massage
Are they a member of a massage association? There are three major association that operate in Australia and all registered members can be searched on their websites: Massage and Myotherapy Australia Association of Massage Therapists Australian Natural Therapists Association
Do you see evidence of the Code of Ethics for Massage and Myotherapy displayed in
the clinic?
Has the therapist obtained Professional Indemnity and Public Liability Insurance?
Unless qualified as a Therapeutic Massage Therapist with a Certificate IV in
Massage or the Remedial Diploma in massage you CAN NOT be insured to give
massage.
Can you claim with your health Insurer? Most major Health Insurers recognize
Diploma’s in Remedial Massage. Therapeutic Massage cannot be claimed.
When you go in to have your massage – are you asked to fill in a Client History
Form? This is where your therapist checks for allergies, medications, past history,
disease/illnesses, and contraindications to massage. If you are not filling in one of
these forms I’d be quite concerned.
Do they have Senior First Aid Certificate?
Finally, does your therapist review the form, obtain written consent and discuss a
treatment plan with you?
At Hills Massage we are ALL highly trained professionals. Michelle, Eilish and Jackie have
all received their Diploma’s in Remedial Massage and Sona, our most recent therapist, is a
Therapeutic Massage Therapist, studying to obtain her Remedial Diploma (NB Sona has 6
years’ experience as a qualified Therapist in her native Czech Republic, but is being diligent
and getting formally recognized here in Australia).
Jackie, Eilish and Michelle and Sona
We are all members of a reputable Massage Association, which requires us to continue our
professional education to maintain our education standards. We all have our Senior First
Aid, Professional Indemnity and Public Liability Insurance. Each new client that visits us fills
in a confidential Client History Form and we discuss and assess all clients and refer to other
healthcare professionals when beyond our scope. We have a HICAPS terminal that allows you to claim on the day, if you have opted for remedial massage cover with your health
insurer.
So I hope this has helped you understand a little bit more about how to choose a qualified
therapist, and how seriously we take on board providing you with the best care possible. We
are a highly professional team that LOVES Massage