Recent News and Legislative Updates

2016 International Massage Therapy Research Conference Call For Abstracts

09/29/2015

The Massage Therapy Foundation (MTF) will host the 2016 International Massage Therapy Research Conference, which will take place at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel in Seattle, Washington, May 12–16, 2016.

This is the foundation's fourth research conference, which brings together massage and manual therapy practitioners, educators, CIM researchers, and allied health professionals.

Attendees will have the chance to attend a variety of speeches and classes spotlighting the latest cutting-edge massage therapy scientific research.

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Call for MTs: Week-Long Training in Elite Sports Massage for NFL Hopefuls

09/28/2015

XPE Sports and CORE Institute, two industry leaders in sports training and clinical sports bodywork, recently announced they will offer advanced certification training in CORE Sports & Performance Bodywork through a week-long program at their facility in Boca Raton, Florida.

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Do You Accept Credit Card Payments from Your Clients?

09/28/2015

How Chip-Enabled Cards Could Affect You

You’ve probably already heard that the United States is transitioning to full adoption of EMV (Europay MasterCard Visa) chip-enabled cards to reduce credit card fraud. The change is coming October 1, 2015, so we wanted to remind you about EMV and what it means for you.   

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More Evidence for the Effectiveness of Soft-Tissue Therapies

09/24/2015

A systematic review published in Manual Therapy found that manual soft-tissue therapies are effective in treating certain musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome, lateral epicondylitis, and plantar fasciitis.

The review critically appraised seven articles published between 1990 and 2015, with the purpose of clarifying the role of soft-tissue therapies in the management of upper and lower extremity musculoskeletal disorders and injuries. The review concluded that:

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Universal Companies Acquires Retail Resource À la Mode

09/22/2015

Spa supplier Universal Companies has acquired À la Mode Partners, a retail resource focused on spa retail products and marketing. À la Mode Partners—the brainchild of Founder and CEO Tracie Wertz and Chief Marketing Officer Bill Barczy—will bring a collective 40 years of retail expertise and products to the Abingdon, Virginia, spa supplier.

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Wildfires Ravage Harbin Hot Springs Resort

09/17/2015

Harbin Hot Springs Resort, the oldest of its kind in California, and a beloved destination within the holistic healing community, was nearly completely destroyed by the California wildfires on Saturday, September 12.

The once-luxurious campus of pools, meditation gardens, camping areas, and fountains was virtually leveled by what is being called the Valley Fire. A total of 295 residents, practitioners, and local staff were displaced as a result of the devastation.

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Green Spa Network Announces New Sustainability Assessment Tool

09/16/2015

In an effort to build on the success of its popular Sustainability Assessment Tool (SAT), Green Spa Network (GSN) has expanded the survey to benefit the spa industry in an even more comprehensive way.

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ABMP’s recent letter to the California Veterinary Board

09/11/2015

Please click here to read ABMP’s recent letter to the California Veterinary Board regarding the Board’s proposal which would affect the practice of animal massage in California.

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Current Virginia Massage Certification Law

09/11/2015

Our last Virginia Legislative Update discussed 2012 HB 543, which initially proposed a new mandatory state license requirement for Virginia massage therapists. The bill was substantially amended during the legislative process, and the final version of the bill made only minor changes to the existing law which did not include a mandatory licensing provision. The amended bill became law in April 2012, and is codified at

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Current Massage Establishment Law in Texas

08/14/2015

2009 Texas SB 854, discussed in our 2009 Legislative Update, failed in the state legislature and has not been reintroduced. The current law governing massage establishments in Texas can be found in the Texas Massage Therapy Act, which is available here.

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Recent News and Legislative Updates

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