In FY 2022/23, AMTA marked the beginning of its 80^th anniversary alongside another historic milestone – reaching over 100,000 members! With the largest membership in history, and in the profession, our AMTA community is stronger than ever and our members continue to be the heart of our association. With your support, we are advancing the massage therapy profession by investing in research, raising educational standards, promoting self-care, and health and wellness for both therapists and the public.

Our association continues to be an inclusive community for all massage therapists, as we come together to move the profession forward and help people lead better lives through the power of massage. As we look to the future, you can count on AMTA to continue to be your voice and your advocate, and to support you throughout your massage therapy career.

AMTA’s Important Advocacy Work on Massage Therapy for Pain Management

This past year, AMTA continued its important advocacy work to enhance the reputation and acceptance of massage therapy as part of an integrative approach to health care. This included AMTA’s ongoing efforts at the federal and state levels to enact responsible policies that expand access to massage therapy for pain management. In addition, we collaborated with key partner organizations to educate health care providers, insurance companies and patients on the benefits of massage therapy.

AMTA’s advocacy efforts also support health equity by increasing affordable access to massage therapy for pain management and health conditions, through the expansion of coverage and removal of economic barriers. And, as massage therapy gains more recognition as an important part of integrative healthcare, this creates more opportunities for massage therapists.

In a huge win for the massage profession, AMTA helped ensure the passage of the NOPAIN Act in December 2022. AMTA was an early endorser and supporter of The NOPAIN Act, which aims to help increase access to non-opioid approaches for pain management, while helping stem the opioid epidemic across the nation. We want to thank our massage community for your advocacy and support in helping pass this crucial legislation. Together, our collective voices made all of the difference. 

We’re also pleased to share that AMTA was recognized for our Massage Therapy for Pain Management 2022 Integrated Communications and Advocacy campaign with a Hermes Gold Award and an APEX Award of Excellence. These awards typically have thousands of entries from corporate marketing and communications departments, advertising agencies and PR firms across the country. 

AMTA is The Non-Profit Organization Representing the Massage Profession

As we look ahead, AMTA continues to be the non-profit entity representing the massage therapy profession. We believe it is our responsibility to give back. That’s why over 80% of each dollar that AMTA spent last year went directly to our member programs, advancement initiatives, and the activities of our chapters. AMTA continues to be financially sound, which ensures that we can do the most in the profession to actively support all massage therapists, as well as incoming students and schools.

Our benefits and liability insurance are still the strongest in the massage therapy profession. And, we are always working to make them even better, which contributes to AMTA being recognized as the most respected and most trusted name in massage therapy. 

AMTA focuses on helping our over 102,000 members practice successfully so you can focus on serving your clients. This is our goal every day.

Member Services and Programs

Continuing Education to Meet Your Needs

AMTA’s extensive library of high-quality online courses offers the most efficient way for massage therapists to access timely and trusted information while enhancing their skills. Our courses cover topics that allow massage therapists to better help clients’ conditions, invest in self-care and manage their practices. All massage therapists can now choose from more than 100 rigorously-vetted courses to expand their knowledge and satisfy CE requirements.

AMTA’s top-quality education portfolio grew in 2022 and early 2023, with the help of leading experts in the massage therapy field. We added the following new online courses to our library:

• Headaches: Relief with Massage Therapy
• Ethical Decision-Making
• Starting Your Massage Private Practice: A Step-by-Step Guide to Success
• The Ethics of Information
• Turn Your Passion for Teaching into Student Success
• TMJ Dysfunction
• Essential Elements of Career Services
• Chronic Pain: Relief with Massage Therapy
• Reflexology and Massage Therapy

AMTA also worked on upgrading the online courses system to provide an improved user experience for our members and learners. The enhanced features of the new system, which launched in the spring of 2023, include clear course information at a glance, improved search function and quick links to purchased courses.

Browse all of AMTA's online courses

2022 National Convention

In 2022, AMTA brought together massage therapists from across the country for our first in-person convention in three years. This annual event is an amazing week of high-quality education, engaging speakers, and opportunities to reconnect with our massage therapy community. The convention featured a new keynote speaker each day to inspire attendees, with Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, kicking off the week in the Opening Session and Business Meeting. 

Free CEs for Massage Therapists

AMTA continues to offer a wide range of free CE courses so massage therapists can take continuing education at no charge to meet state licensing requirements or to learn new skills. We are offering free online courses in ethics, research, business and marketing and massage educator courses to the entire profession. Since March 2020, massage therapists have taken over 1.2 million hours of free online CE from AMTA. Thousands of members and non-members, as well as schools and students, are taking advantage of these high-quality massage education resources, as they continue to find value in online learning options.

Supporting Our Schools and Teachers

In February, AMTA hosted our 2023 Schools Summit event in Kansas City, Missouri. This annual event provides a great opportunity for teachers and schools owners to reconnect and learn from their peers. It is one of the many ways that AMTA supports schools and the next generation of massage therapists.

Student Scholarships Resources and School Grants

AMTA continued to provide an array of benefits to students this past year. More than 156,000 massage therapy students have downloaded AMTA’s free MBLEx Study Guide, and more than 70,000 students and practicing massage therapists have downloaded AMTA’s free anatomy app. The Study Guide can be used on both desktop and mobile devices to allow seamless studying anywhere. AMTA’s Massage Anatomy App has also been utilized by thousands of massage students in the classroom to complement the Books of Discovery series and help them prepare for exams.

AMTA awarded several types of scholarships to massage therapy students to give back and support the future of the profession. This program offers financial assistance to help students become the best massage therapists they can be as we work together to advance the profession. Your member dollars have contributed to more than $280,000 in scholarships to massage therapy students since the program began.

In 2022, AMTA also partnered with Massage Envy to launch the Schools Grant program which awarded $10,000 grants to five massage schools, all funded by Massage Envy. The grants are intended to provide additional resources to these schools as they aim to attract, train and graduate future generations of highly qualified massage therapists.

Discounted Products and Services

We know our members love the profession and understand that operating a practice comes at a price. AMTA maintains relationships with practice-building partners that offer discounts on products important to a massage business, including Massage Warehouse (up to 30% discount), BodyworkSites website builder, MassageBook practice management software, Vistaprint, Schedulicity, Quickbooks and Constant Contact.

Monitoring Trends and Educating Consumers about the Benefits of Massage

In today’s environment, monitoring trends in the massage profession and consumer behavior is more important than ever. AMTA continued to conduct research surveys in 2022 to keep a pulse on how consumers are viewing massage therapy. This information was then compiled and shared with our members in the 2023 Massage Profession Research Report.

Our most recent AMTA research indicates that 94% of consumers believe that massage therapy can be effective in reducing pain and 95% feel it can be beneficial for health and wellness, while 86% of consumers agree that massage should be considered a form of healthcare. Finally, more consumers are getting massage at medical locations than in previous years – these settings include chiropractor’s offices, physical therapist’s offices, alternative therapy clinics, hospitals, and physician’s offices.

Last October, AMTA’s 26th annual National Massage Therapy Awareness Week promoted the value of massage for health and wellness as part of AMTA’s ongoing consumer awareness outreach. AMTA also shares articles and research throughout the year on our social media platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to connect with consumers about the health benefits of massage therapy. With informational content such as 25 Reasons to Get a Massage, AMTA is meeting consumers where they are, educating them on the value of massage therapy and the science behind it. These shareable resources allow members to engage with their own community of clients and friends. 

As a result of our outreach, hundreds of thousands of massage consumers continued to use AMTA’s FindaMassageTherapist.org to search for AMTA massage therapists, bringing more potential clients to our members. FindaMassageSchool.org also continued to serve as a lead generator for school members, directing potential massage students to AMTA’s massage school members.  

AMTA also does ongoing outreach to national consumer, business and healthcare media to educate the public on the growing body of massage therapy research. Our press releases on the benefits of massage are published by major media outlets across the country.

Advocacy

Partnerships, Research and Education

AMTA strategically collaborates with associations and organizations who share a vision for the importance of massage therapy in one’s health and wellness regimen. This past year, a crucial part of that outreach included joining forces with other health experts on massage and pain. Here are some of the 2022-2023 highlights of AMTA’s efforts in this arena:

Massage Therapy for Pain Management Efforts  

• During 2022, we worked with a broad-based coalition to help enact the NOPAIN Act; AMTA estimates our members sent over 10,000 letters to Capitol Hill over the last few years to support this legislation. The NOPAIN Act primarily addresses non-opioid devices in the ambulatory setting, but we worked hard to include a specific provision that requires CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) to report to Congress on gaps in coverage for pain management, specifically those areas (such as massage therapy) that are mentioned in the HHS (Department of Health and Human Services) Pain Management Task Force.

• While we were pleased to see the NOPAIN Act finally pass in December 2022, we were disappointed that the final language postponed implementation. We are now working in 2023 with the same coalition to increase awareness about the problems inherent in the U.S. opioid crisis, the importance of non-opioid pain therapies to reduce opioid reliance, and the need for CMS to implement the law immediately.

• AMTA meets regularly with our colleagues on the Pain Care Forum, and we have both organized and participated in House and Senate congressional meetings to educate offices about massage therapy and to discuss our key issues, which include: research, implementation of the HHS Pain Management Task Force; and continued emphasis on massage as a non-opioid alternative for pain management.

• As part of our efforts, we submitted an official statement to the Senate Appropriations Committee in support of massage therapy and integrative approaches in the FY 24 bill, and we were extremely pleased that the current Senate report acknowledges the importance of non-opioid pain management alternatives. We also drafted a letter for our key congressional supporters to contact the CMS, noting the areas in the HHS Task Force that need oversight. This remains a work in progress, but we were pleased to see many of our issues discussed during a Spring 2023 congressional hearing on opioids by the House E&C Committee. 
  
  
• AMTA also worked in collaboration with HHS Healthy People to spearhead and carry out a webinar in May 2023 focused on best practices in pain management.

Making Massage More Accessible through Medicare Coverage

AMTA continues to explore various avenues to increase availability of massage therapy through Medicare coverage; we have had initial conversations with CMS as well as the major acupuncture national associations, and we continue our own advocacy efforts. We anticipate including this issue among the discussion points for the new AMTA-member legislative committee for further direction.

Supporting New Massage Therapy Research in Congress

AMTA regularly supports the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research efforts to ensure a stable and predictable funding level for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).  The Ad Hoc Group includes patient, provider, and scientific organizations; we believe that publicly voicing AMTA’s support at key junctures over the year as the annual budget process unfolds is the most practical and cost-effective way for us to urge Congress to support massage therapy research. We are also an active member of the Friends of VA (FoVA) to support ways to increase massage therapy availability for our nation’s veterans.

AMTA Participated in the NCCIH’s Whole Person Health Symposium

In October 2022, we were pleased to be invited by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) to serve as participants in a 2-day stakeholder symposium on whole person health. And, since AMTA was represented by a practitioner as well as our advocacy staff, we were able to cover more ground by participating in various breakout sessions to discuss the role of massage therapy.

AMTA’s New Legislative Committee

AMTA formed a new legislative committee that regularly follows federal issues of interest to the association and updates our membership as needed. In addition, we hold weekly internal strategy sessions where we explore additional ways to increase AMTA’s footprint in the advocacy community. We are optimistic that this new legislative committee will facilitate even more grassroots interest and support for our efforts.

Government Relations

AMTA believes massage therapy is essential to a person’s overall health and well-being, and that legal recognition of massage therapy and clearly-stated requirements are critical to the profession’s advancement. Our Government Relations team is constantly striving to reach the goal of having licensure in every state, promoting fair and consistent regulatory laws, and—at all times—protecting a massage therapist’s right to practice.

To support the Government Relations mission, AMTA attended in-person state board meetings in Maryland, Alabama, Ohio, Florida, and Utah. AMTA also attended virtual state board meetings in Tennessee, South Dakota, Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Alabama, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Arizona, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.

AMTA Monitored Bills at the State-Level Related to Non-Opioid Pain Relief

The 2023 legislative session ushered in a new trend for the profession – AMTA monitored 142 bills related to non-opioid pain relief, several of which specifically mention massage therapy. The sheer volume of bills on this topic, on the heels of the NOPAIN Act passing in December, is an upwards trajectory for the inclusion of massage therapy as a part of the healthcare community. Some of these bills include:

Connecticut: House Bill 6835 (HB 6835) was introduced concerning various revisions to public health statutes. This bill included language directing a practitioner who prescribes an opioid for the treatment of pain for longer than 12 weeks to establish or discuss a treatment plan. Massage therapy is listed in the alternatives to opioids for chronic pain. HB 6835 was signed into law.

New Hampshire: House Bill 66 (HB 66) establishes a committee to study non-pharmacological treatment options for patients with chronic pain. AMTA sent a letter of support to the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services. HB 66 was signed into law.

North Carolina: Carolina Complete Health (CCH) is an MCO (Managed Care Organization) that reached out to AMTA-NC via our lobbyist regarding the creation of a massage therapy bill in-lieu-of service for a non-opioid alternative to pain management in North Carolina. Since the spring of 2021, we have been working with CCH to create an onboarding process for licensed massage therapists who wish to become a provider under this new program. In addition, we have been working with the AMTA-NC chapter and their legal representation to address the NCBMBT’s (North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy) overreach regarding establishment licensing. The Board has not been honoring the initial agreed-on exemption for solo practitioners, and we are working on a bill draft to address and rectify this issue.

AMTA worked diligently with chapters, local boards and other stakeholders in the following states to uphold licensing and professional standards for massage therapists:

Alabama: The Alabama Board of Massage Therapy was scheduled for their ‘sunset review’ in 2023. Sunset is a term used when referring to a provision sometimes included in a statute or regulation that has an ‘end date’ for the bill to be in effect. In the context of a licensing board, it gives a chance for the legislature to extend some oversight to the Board’s functionality and efficacy. In most cases, Massage Board’s sunsets are fairly straightforward. However, HB 192 was amended mid-April to remove all fee increases that were passed in 2022, and extend the board’s sunset for one year, instead of the usual four years. It is extremely rare for a sunset bill to be amended, and sets a concerning precedent. HB 192 was enacted into law in June, and we will continue to be involved as the board continues their rulemaking process.

Arizona: House Bill 2826 (HB 2826) granted the continuation of several health-related boards, including the Arizona Board of Massage Therapy. HB 2826 was signed by the Governor on May 19^th and enacted into law.

California:  The AMTA Government Relations team launched a series of educational webinars for the AMTA-CA chapter on the topics of grassroots advocacy; understanding the difference between licensure, certification, and registration; and understanding the California Practice Act. We additionally presented in-person regarding pain management and massage therapy, as well as a “State of the States” update.

Montana: We monitored four bills moving through the Montana legislature. House Bill 87 (HB 87) related to standardizing all licensing boards organization, was enacted into law in May. House Bill 152 (HB 152) which allows for military spouses to receive a temporary license to practice a profession or occupation regulated in Montana, and licensed in good standing in another state, died in standing committee. House Bill 115 (HB 115) clarified penalties for unlicensed practice of any licensed profession, and also amended language to include title protection for licensed massage therapists, was enacted into law in May. Senate Resolution 23 (SR 23) sought to confirm the Governor’s appointees for the Board of Massage Therapy. This resolution failed in February, and we will look for it to be refiled in 2024.

Ohio: A loophole currently exists in Ohio law that allows individuals to perform massage therapy, as long as they do not call what they are doing “massage therapy” or advertise their practice as “medical” or “therapeutic massage.” House Bill 81 proposes to delete the words “the treatment of disorders of the human body by”. This would clarify the action and not just the intention. House Bill 81 passed the House in June of 2021 and is currently in the Senate Committee on Health. Our team and AMTA-Ohio will continue to work with the legislative sponsors and Senate leadership to pass the bill.

AMTA continued to advocate for licensure legislation in the following states:

Kansas: Our Kansas Chapter and the Government Relations team continued to make strides towards licensure for all massage therapists in Kansas. We introduced Senate Bill 305 in March, and while we were hopeful for a hearing during the 2023 session, the legislature was busy with other issues and priorities. Our allies and supporters within Senate Leadership have ensured us that SB 305 will be a priority at the start of 2024 session.

Minnesota: Senate File 967 (SF 967) Minnesota Massage Therapy Act and House File 973 (HF 973), “A bill for an act relating to health occupations; establishing licensure for massage therapy” were introduced during the 2023 Legislative session. Despite the hard work of our AMTA-MN Chapter, lobbyist, and the grassroots support, we were unable to secure a hearing. The Minnesota Legislature was focused on the state’s budget, and determined that licensing and scope of practice bills would not move forward until 2024.

Wyoming: Unfortunately, Senate File 0091 (SF 0091), a bill to regulate massage therapy, was withdrawn by the bill sponsor. The November 2022 elections saw a dramatic shift in the legislature, and there was no longer an interest in the regulation of massage therapy at this time. We will continue to monitor massage therapy legislation in Wyoming in 2024 and beyond.

AMTA Worked to Defeat Deregulation and Reduction of Massage Therapy Standards Bills

Our Government Relations team also worked to defeat deregulation and reduction of standards bills. Thanks to support from AMTA members and stakeholders in the profession, our community was active in fighting these bills:

Utah: Senate Bill 42 (SB 42), formerly Senate Bill 180 (SB 180) was created at the request of a handful of spa owners who sought to create a pipeline of “relaxation only” workers or “massage assistants”. These massage assistants would be trained by any Licensed Massage Therapist with 6,000 hours of massage therapy practice, and they can have up to six of these trainees under them. The training would consist of only 150 hours of education, and it was unclear how soon these individuals would be hands-on with a client. The scope of practice for this second tier was identical to the scope for LMTs, which is clearly problematic. We worked diligently with the AMTA-UT chapter, and retained a lobbying team in 2021. Despite our best efforts, SB 42 passed and was enacted into law. AMTA continues to be involved as the Utah Board of Massage Therapy begins the rulemaking process.

Oklahoma: AMTA continued to fight multiple bills that would reduce the standards of the massage therapy profession in Oklahoma. Senate Bill 633 (SB 633) and House Bill 2514 (HB 2514) would have required an establishment license with no sole practitioner exemption. Both bills failed. House Bill 2333 (HB 2333) sought to create the “Oklahoma Massage Parlor Licensing Reform Act of 2023”. Language was not released with HB 2333, and it remained a “shell bill”, and is still languishing in the House Committee on Rules. We will monitor this situation closely in 2024.

Rhode Island: House Bill 6064 (HB 6064) sought to protect witnesses and victims of crimes. Unfortunately, the massage therapy practice statute was included in this bill without context, clarity, or intent. While AMTA appreciates the bill’s intent to protect witnesses and victims of crimes, we also have a duty to ensure that licensed massage therapists are not subjected to negative potential impacts. AMTA-RI, their lobbyist, and the National GR team submitted letters and information to the House Judiciary Committee. The bill failed, and was held back by the committee for further study. We will continue to monitor this legislation in 2024.

AMTA is Advocating at the Local Level Too

AMTA sent letters and guidance documents regarding offensive terminology and or/overly burdensome local ordinances in the following cities: Baton Rouge, LA, Skokie, IL, Rochester, MN, and Green Bay, WI. In addition, we have recently acquired Curate, a platform that offers our government relations team the means to monitor potential changes in local ordinances and to stay ahead of the game on this growing issue for our members.

Interstate Compact for Massage Therapists

The Council of State Governments (CSG) and the Department of Defense (DoD) have partnered with FSMTB and other industry stakeholders, including AMTA, to create legislation for the Interstate Massage Therapy Compact (IMpact), with the purpose of supporting the mobility of Licensed Massage Therapists (LMTs) across the country and to ease the burden of license portability.

Seven states must enact the bill in order for the IMpact to go into effect. Five states introduced legislation in 2023: Ohio (OH SB 56), Nevada (NV SB 270), Georgia (GA HB 466), Washington (WA HB 1437), and Nebraska (NE LB 280). In June, Nevada was the first and only state to enact the Interstate Massage Therapy Compact to date. 

While AMTA supports greater mobility for massage therapists through use of an interstate compact, we are concerned with the barriers and restrictions currently in the IMpact that could impose unnecessary hurdles and exclude many licensed massage therapists from immediately participating in it. That’s why, AMTA's recently announced that its current position is to oppose the IMpact until substantial changes are made to the legislation to benefit a larger majority of massage therapists across the U.S.

Learn more about why AMTA currently opposes the Interstate Massage Compact (IMpact)

Support for the Massage Therapy Foundation 

AMTA continued to be the primary benefactor of the Massage Therapy Foundation with financial support of $300,000. The association directly supported the MTF’s fundraising and awareness-building efforts for the profession, including Team MTF at the Boston Marathon.

AMTA also joined forces with the MTF to help massage therapists learn the latest science and the best practices in massage to ensure optimal results for clients. In the spring of 2022, the association was the presenting sponsor for the Foundation’s 2022 International Massage Therapy Research Conference (IMTRC) in Alexandria, VA.

Chapters

AMTA’s chapters are a unique benefit of AMTA membership and enhance the ability for members to connect at a local level. Your chapter membership enables you to take advantage of continuing education classes and opportunities to network with massage therapists near you, and actively participate in your association. AMTA’s 51 chapters reflect the passion and dedication shared by AMTA members.

In 2022, the AMTA Volunteer Development and Chapter Programs team worked in concert with member volunteers and leaders to plan and execute a series of in-person events to welcome back our volunteers and members. A “Bounce Back Better” theme commenced the volunteer training season followed by a re-introduction of AMTA training basics and an inspirational and emotional volunteer reunion that was attended by over 200 volunteers.

A celebration was held for members that had over the past 3-years achieved AMTA membership anniversary milestones as well as acknowledgement of award winners at both the national and chapter levels for volunteer services. The return to in-person events over the course of the year included: Annual Meetings and Education, Volunteer Leadership Conference, Chapter Volunteer Orientation Programs, Chapter Presidents Council, and the Assembly of Delegates.

Governance and Volunteers 

Our National Board of Directors is elected by members to make decisions based on our mission, future directions and vision. The board is also charged with establishing and maintaining the strategic plan, monitoring policies, ensuring the availability of adequate resources, and recruiting new board members and volunteers. These leaders are supported by national committees and other volunteer groups. Expenses related to board and volunteer meetings, training and planning are included in this category.

Administration

Guided by the direction of the AMTA Board of Directors, our staff is charged with evaluating, developing and delivering career-related resources that don’t just meet, but exceed our members’ professional needs. Administration expenses make it possible for us to deliver exceptional and relevant resources, support and services to all members.