American Massage Therapy Association^®

Massage Therapists Deserve Professional Respect

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The practice of massage therapy is focused on health and wellness. It can help alleviate the effects of a broad range of health conditions, including pain, stress and muscle injury.

The growing popularity of massage therapy in recent years has attracted greater attention to the profession and its practitioners by the media and the public. While this increased attention has resulted in a wider recognition of the many benefits of massage, occasionally some public figures attempt to link the practice of massage therapy to sexual activity.  Perpetuating this view not only demeans the profession of massage therapy, but also can threaten the physical safety of massage practitioners when an assumption is made that someone can demand sex from them.

AMTA and its members understand good-natured humor, but call on the media and public figures to not allow their comments to denigrate the massage therapy profession, stereotype massage therapists, or threaten their safety.  Public comments about the profession should never imply an expectation of or a connection with sexual activity.

Massage therapists are trained professionals who have completed specialized education in their field. Those who belong to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), for example, have demonstrated a level of skill and knowledge through education and testing, adhere to a code of ethics and must meet continuing education requirements to retain membership.

© 2008 American Massage Therapy Association^®

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