Media Corner

What is Massage Therapy?

Consumer Protections

Types of Massage and Bodywork

Benefits of Massage

Who Performs Massage and Bodywork?

What Happens at a Massage Session?

Medical Conditions that Preclude Massage or Bodywork

How Are These Services Regulated?

Finding the Right Massage Therapist or Bodyworker

What Does Massage Cost?

Does Insurance Cover It?

A Brief History of Massage

Glossary of More Than 250 Entries on Massage Treatments

Searchable Archive of More Than 1,000 Articles, from Acupressure to Zen

How Are These Services Regulated?
State requirements for training and licensing of massage therapists and bodyworkers represent a wide range of approaches to governing the profession. ABMP supports a fair and balanced approach to regulation that is responsive to the needs of individual states. Different standards reflecting local education, traditions and public-protection needs may be appropriate. See Public Policy and Licensing.

Regulations may be pending in some states listed here. For the most current information, check with the State Departments of Regulatory Agencies.

These states have statewide regulation in effect, or in a few cases, in process. Some local governments in the unregulated states govern massage on a local level. Visit www.municode.com and click on Online Library to search for local regulations.

Alabama
Arkansas
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Nevada
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin

The District of Columbia and other U.S. territories may have regulations of their own.

Glossary of More Than 250 Entries on Massage Treatments
Searchable Archive of More Than 1,000 Articles, from Acupressure to Zen

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