Bodyworker’s Resource Page

Comment to let me know of any helpful resources we may have missed!

(Listing on this page is for informational purposes only, listing below does not constitute an endorsement of product or service)

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Associations
Massage Schools (Oahu)
Continuing Ed
Licensure and Business Registration
Insurance
Research
Publications
Blogs and Websites
Supplies
Other

see also:
Helpful Links and Resources
Selected Podcasts
Meditation Nexus

Associations

ABMP – Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals - Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) is a national membership association that goes above and beyond great liability insurance to make it easier for massage and bodywork practitioners and students to succeed. Founded in 1987, ABMP is the largest massage therapy membership organization in the country for two main reasons:

1. ABMP’s comprehensive program of liability and business property insurance sets the standard for the profession. Specifically tailored to meet the needs of massage therapists and bodyworkers, the policy included in membership offers “occurrence form” coverage; professional, general, and product liability coverage with the highest limits available; no additional charge for Additional Insured Endorsements; and no “shared member” aggregate, like some other associations.
2. Our business philosophy is summed up by our credo: expect more. ABMP members receive the most responsive, knowledgeable service and a comprehensive package of member benefits that includes free CE hours, dozens of member discounts, a free business website, the award-winning Massage & Bodywork magazine, dedicated legislative advocacy, and more.

AMTA – American Massage Therapy Association - The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) is the largest non-profit, professional association serving massage therapists, massage students and massage schools. It is the most trusted and respected name in massage therapy.

AMTA provides our members with the strongest benefits in the profession. We promote massage to the public, the health care community and other important groups. We work for fair licensing of massage in all states, and actively support research. Your voice is heard in AMTA as we are governed by massage therapists. And, we provide a wealth of local and national networking and continuing education opportunities.

NCBTMB – National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork - The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) is an independent, private, nonprofit organization founded in 1992.  The mission of NCBTMB is to define and advance the highest standards in the massage therapy and bodywork profession. In support of this mission, NCBTMB serves the profession through Board Certification, Approved Providers, and Assigned Schools.


ISPA – International Spa Association - Since 1991, the International SPA Association has been recognized worldwide as the professional organization and voice of the spa industry, representing health and wellness facilities and providers in more than 70 countries.

Members encompass the entire arena of the spa experience, from resort/hotel, destination, mineral springs, medical, club and day spas to service providers such as physicians, wellness instructors, nutritionists, massage therapists and product suppliers.

Green Spa Network - At Green Spa Network we believe spas play a meaningful role in supporting the health and well-being of people and their communities. While traditionally spas have been marketed as a pampering indulgence and are often viewed as a symbol of excessive disposable income, a shift is taking place. In the years to come, spas will become a recognized venue for physical, emotional and spiritual wellness, respected and supported by the medical profession and enjoyed by all.

AFMTE – Alliance for Massage Therapy Education - The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education is a non-profit organization established to serve as an independent voice, advocate and resource for the entire education sector – from entry-level massage training programs through post-graduate studies. The Alliance is the only organization that brings Schools, Teachers, Continuing Education Providers, and Allied Industry Partners together under one roof.

The Alliance provides a comprehensive range of services to this community, and represents their interests in all domains. This advocacy comes into play in dealing with regulatory issues, accreditation, standard-setting initiatives such as theAlliance’s National Teacher Education Standards Project, as well as ongoing efforts to get massage therapy better recognized by and integrated into the health care delivery system.

As the field of massage therapy moves forward in its evolution, it is clear that the education sector must have a champion of its own. In fact, nearly all professions have an organization of this type. And by strengthening and improving massage education, the Alliance will bring great benefit to massage schools, teachers and practitioners, along with everyone in the general public who receives massage therapy.

FSMTB – Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards - The mission of the FSMTB is to support its member boards in their work to ensure that the practice of massage therapy is provided to the public in a safe and effective manner. In carrying out this mission, the FSMTB shall:

• Facilitate communication among member boards and provide a forum for the exchange of information and experience
• Provide education, services, and guidance to member boards that help them fulfill their statutory, professional, public, and ethical obligations
• Support efforts among member boards to establish compatible requirements and cooperative procedures for the legal regulation of massage therapists, in order to facilitate professional mobility and to simplify and standardize the licensing process
• Ensure the provision of a valid, reliable licensing examination to determine entry-level competence
• Improve the standards of massage therapy education, licensure, and practice through cooperation with entities that share this objective, including other massage therapy organizations, accrediting agencies, governmental bodies, and groups whose areas of interest may coincide with those of member boards
• Represent the interests of its member boards in matters consistent with the scope of the bylaws

COMTA – Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation - The Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA) accredits both educational institutions and programs offering instruction in massage therapy and bodywork or esthetics and skin care. The organization was formed to establish and maintain the quality and integrity of the profession and is governed by a Commission of elected volunteers. COMTA was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a specialized accrediting agency in 2002, an acknowledgement of its expertise in ensuring quality education and allowing programs to access federal student aid funds.

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Massage Schools (on Oahu)

Hawaii Healing Arts College - Hawaii Healing Arts College and Massage Professionals incorporates a competency-based training approach which is built on actual career expectations and applications.  We include performance activities as early in the program as possible, and require students to think and perform as professional massage therapists.

Remington College Massage Therapy Program - Remington College’s nine-month diploma program in Massage Therapy at our Honolulu, Hawaii Campus provides training that helps to prepare you for an entry-level position as a massage therapist.⁽¹⁾ Our massage therapy school program consists of eight learning units called modules. Once you complete the first six modules, you’ll participate in an internship at the on-campus Massage Therapy Clinic.

Kapiolani Community College Massage Therapy Program - Kapi‘olani Community College’s Massage Therapy Program is a 608 hour non-credit, evening/weekend program comprised of coursework with theory, hands-on practice, competency testing and clinical experience. The length of the program is approximately 11 months to complete. It includes two certificates of competence, one in General Massage Therapy and another in Specialty Massage Therapy.
Students who successfully complete both certificates in its entirety at Kapi‘olani Community College will be eligible to take the Hawai‘i State Board of Massage License Examination, as well as the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

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Continuing Ed

North Shore Ashiatsu and Massage – Ashiatsu, NCBTMB approved provider

Hawaii Healing Arts College - 2016 Continuing Education Classes.  Please call (808) 266-2467 or email studentaffairs@hawaii.rr.com for more information or to register for any classes. *denotes a class or workshop open to non-therapists

Tom Myers – Anatomy Trains & Kinesis Myofascial Integration – Not often in Hawaii, but courses are available internationally. Courses

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Licensure and Business Registration

Professional & Vocational Licensing | Licensing Area: Massage Therapy – Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing

Also see the PDF PVL FAQ’s  for the answer to “What must I do to request for a duplicate pocket card?” 

Professional & Vocational Licensing | Registering a new Business Online - Sign up for a free account with Hawaii Business Express (HBE) to register a new business, tradename, trademark or service mark online by (1) using a step by step wizard to guide you through the process or (2) filling in the form on the computer using the QuickFile.

Hawaii Domestic Limited Liability Company Information – Hawaii DCCA

Hawaii DCCA Resources page –

How to form an LLC in Hawaii – Nolo

General bookkeeping or massage related questions? Check out Taking Care of Your Taxes from the AMTA

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Insurance

HOTA – Hands On Trade Association - Hands On Trade Association provides Professional Liability (malpractice) and General Liability (slip & fall)Insurance Coverage with business tools including a website.

ABMP – Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals - ABMP offers liability coverage with the profession’s highest aggregate coverages available: $2 million per incident, $6 million total per policy year. And these coverages protect you no matter where, or how many places, you work. These totals are per member, per year.  In addition, ABMP has procured coverage for hot stone massage and cupping—two modalities that are not always covered through other associations.

AMTA – American Massage Therapy Association –

Beauty and Bodywork Insurance –

Massage Magazine Insurance Plus – Includes professional liability (malpractice), general liability (trip and fall), and product liability coverage, as well as rental damage insurance.  Plus, we offer occurrence form coverage, meaning any claim filed after your policy expires will still be covered, as long as the actual incident took place while your policy was active

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Research

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health - The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is the Federal Government’s lead agency for scientific research on the diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine.

Touch Research Institute - The Touch Research Institute is dedicated to studying the effects of touch therapy. The TRIs have researched the effects of massage therapy at all stages of life, from newborns to senior citizens. In these studies theTRIs have shown that touch therapy has many positive effects.

Massage Therapy Foundation - Our Mission: The Massage Therapy Foundation advances the knowledge and practice of massage therapy by supporting scientific research, education, and community service.

The Massage Therapy Foundation commits to:

• Upholding the principles of philanthropy
• Contributing to the understanding and appreciation of massage therapy
• Increasing the Foundation’s influence, credibility, and visibility in health and wellness
• Sustaining the Foundation’s organizational effectiveness
• Fostering the spirit of collaboration

Duke University Integrative Medicine - Duke Integrative Medicine provides customized, patient-centered healthcare that combines conventional medicine with proven complementary techniques to motivate and assist clients to optimize their health. With an emphasis on prevention and wellness, we offer an array of evidence-based treatment modalities that address the whole person — mind, body, spirit, and community.  Caring relationships, honest, open communication and focused attention empower our patients to fully engage the healing process and embrace lifelong wellness.

Rolf Research Foundation – Not a lot of research on this site, included here mostly out of respect and as a portal to other resources.

Program on Integrative Medicine – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - The mission of the Program on Integrative Medicine (PIM) is to enhance the public’s health and to improve effectiveness and safety of health care through the appropriate integration of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) with mainstream health-care. Areas of emphasis include research, education, clinical practice, and community collaboration. PIM serves UNC faculty, staff, students, and health professionals and the public throughout the State.

Samueli Institute – Exploring the Science of Healing - Samueli Institute is advancing the science of healing worldwide by applying academic rigor to research on healing, well-being and resilience; translating evidence into action for the U.S. Military and large-scale health systems; and fostering wellness through self-care to create a flourishing society.

The Bravewell Collaborative – Returning Healing to Medicine – Now closed, the Bravewell Collaborative’s research and resources posted on this website are available free of charge for the next five years (from 2015) for anyone who wishes to use them.

PubMed Search: Massage Therapy (Link jumps to current Search Results)

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Publications

Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies – “brings you the latest therapeutic techniques and current professional debate. Publishing highly illustrated articles on a wide range of subjects this journal is immediately relevant to everyday clinical practice inprivate, community and primary health care settings.

“Essential reading for all those involved in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal dysfunction.”

International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork – “The IJTMB is a peer-reviewed journal focusing on the research (methodological, physiological, and clinical) and professional development of therapeutic massage and bodywork and its providers, encompassing all allied health providers whose services include manually applied therapeutic massage and bodywork. The Journal provides a professional forum for editorial input; scientifically-based articles of a research, educational, and practice-oriented nature; readers’ commentaries on journal content and related professional matters; and pertinent news and announcements.”

Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical  – Therapy – “JOSPT publishes scientifically rigorous, clinically relevant content for physical therapists and others in the health care community to advance musculoskeletal and sports-related practice.

Now in its 37th year, JOSPT aims to be the preeminent source of scientific evidence to optimize musculoskeletal and sports-related rehabilitation and health in the global community.”

Manual Therapy – “Manual Therapy publishes papers that show depth, rigour, originality and high quality presentation which inform the evidence base relating to mechanisms of function/dysfunction; treatment methods; best clinical practice; clinical reasoning and decision making processes; assessment and clinical management of musculoskeletal disorders; exploration of relevant clinical interventions; multi modal approaches; psychosocial issues; and service user expectations, experiences and perspectives.

The journal employs a double blind peer review process for all original articles and has a current Impact Factor of 1.869.


Massage Therapy Journal – Publication of the AMTA

Massage Magazine – Comprehensive website, publication, and store for massage therapists

Massage & Bodywork Magazine -  a bimonthly journal for a national audience of massage, bodywork, and somatic professionals. Each issue (included as part of ABMP membership) offers in-depth articles on subjects important to the practicing professional and the layperson. The latest research, historical perspectives, massage techniques, business information, professional trends, and a variety of regularly featured columns keep Massage & Bodyworkreaders in touch with their work, their clients, and their health.

Massage Today – (Link jumps directly to current issue) A glossy coffee-table type massage magazine (the Cosmo of massage?) “While encouraging the free expression of opinion by contributors, neither Massage Today nor its staff members necessarily support or endorse the content or statements represented in advertising or in articles which appear in Massage Today…”

American Spa – “American Spa is dedicated to helping spa professionals better their businesses. We provide spa owners and managers with inside information and trends on everything from the bottom line to wellness. Through the use of evocative photographs and an elegant design, we build a community by taking our readers deep inside the spa world. Twelve times throughout the year American Spa delivers the highest quality news and stories in the spa industry. Quality editorial is driven by experienced and excellent editors, disseminating more relevant information than any other industry publication.”

Organic Spa Magazine - Organic Spa provides readers and viewers with insight and informed advice on natural beauty and skin care, health and wellness topics, fitness and food, eco fashion and design, green travel, and much, much more. And our audience benefitsfrom the knowledge, wisdom and inspiration of today’s thought leaders who grant exclusive interviews that provide insights that can be applied to everyday living.

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Blogs and Websites

SomaSimple - is a forum focused on bringing modern pain science and neuroscience into the practice of manual therapy (registration required, free). Predominanated by physical therapists, other science-based manual therapists are welcome. The enormity of the site and the vigor of the discussion can be intimidating to the average massage therapist.  Alice Sanvito  wrote a helpful  massage therapist’s guide to the overwhelming Soma Simple site.

RMT Education Project – Comprehensive blog and resources by prolific massage writer Richard Lebert.

Body in Mind – “a credible and reliable channel through which clinical pain scientists can bring their scientific discoveries straight into the real world.” Edited by Professor Lorimer Moseley

Painscience -“Hundreds of self-help articles, plus several big tutorials about common musculoskeletal pain problems, routinely updated, and readable enough for anyone but heavily referenced for professionals.”

Kinda sassy, kinda snarky.

Better Movement - Better Movement includes almost two hundred high-quality and free articles that discuss the science of movement and pain. The articles are well-written, well-referenced, and generally contain information that is both practical and non-intuitive.  The main theme of this blog is probably that the brain and nervous system has more control over pain, strength, flexibility, and endurance than most people think. Another theme is that mainstream ideas about pain, posture and corrective exercise are riddled with misinformation.

HumanAntiGravitySuit is the blog of Canadian PT Diane Jacobs, who talks about her life but also a lot about Neuroscience (with many interesting and useful links to other resources).

Also of note is the Neurotonics blog, a collaborative and well documented effort along with fellow PTs Cory Blickenstaff and Matthias Weinberger

Bboy Science – The other blog of Tony Ingram, Physical Therapist, researcher, and dancer.  Although this blog is now on permanent hiatus, there is still over 100 useful articles and resources within.

Mind and Movement -The other blog of Tony Ingram, Physical Therapist, researcher, and dancer.  “Our goal is to connect cutting-edge neuroscience to the everyday.” Tony Ingram and fellow PhD Candidate in Neuroscience Christopher Lee Friesen create entertaining and educational content, “hope to expand the reach of motor neuroscience research, and to stimulate accessible, inclusive discussion around the ever-fascinating black-box that is the human brain.”

Ask the Therapist – St. Louis Massage Veteran massage therapist Alice Sanvito writes clear, balanced, evidence-based articles and ideas.  She has more in her “Best Of” than most massage bloggers have on their whole site, and wrote a helpful  massage therapist’s guide to the overwhelming Soma Simple site.

Massage Sloth – Website of Ian Harvey, who teaches massage via his YouTube channel “with a myofascial perspective.” Ian also hosts a self-care YouTube channel for therapists.

Massage Nerd – “The Information Highway of Massage Therapy!
Massage Nerd is: the largest massage website with 3,500+ massage videos,10,000+ massage pictures, 4,000+ massage test questions and so much more!”

 LiddleKidz – Website of Tina Allen, founder of leading children’s health and nurturing touch organization Liddle Kidzâ„¢Foundation (LKF), is an internationally respected educator, lecturer, author and expert in the field of infant and pediatric massage therapy. She is the author of the bestselling book, “A Modern Day Guide to Massage for Children”.

Massage Therapy 101– “a site written by a Registered Massage Therapist to introduce consumers – and future students – to the wonderful world of massage therapy!”

Massage Business Blueprint – Free and paid marketing, promotion, and business ideas for the massage therapist.  Also, podcast of same

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Supplies

Vistaprint – Ok, so not the best quality, but their prices are already cheap and sales and discounts are frequent, so with good timing you can mass produce stuff on the cheap

Moo – Top-of-the-line quality, premium price.

Printing For Less – Greater minimum purchase than Vistaprint (e.g. 500 business cards instead of 100)

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Other

Vitacost - Healthful shopping delivered to your door, on the cheap! (cross-posted from the “grab bag“)

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