News release

New Act Sets Out Requirements for Massage Therapists

Health and Wellness

Nova Scotians should have confidence that the massage therapists they visit are trained professionals. That is why government is taking steps to regulate the profession.

The Massage Therapist Titles Protection Act requires anyone using the title massage therapist, registered massage therapist or variations of the terms has to meet certain conditions first.

“There are many highly trained massage therapists working in our province, providing important care to Nova Scotians,” said Minister of Health and Wellness Randy Delorey. “This legislation will create consistency in the profession through professional standards and oversight.”

The legislation sets out requirements for massage therapists around education, liability insurance, membership in good standing in a recognized professional association and must provide information on criminal charges or convictions.

Over the years massage therapists have formed associations to set standards for their profession on a voluntary basis. This bill will require everyone practising in this field to be a member of an association in Nova Scotia.

Quotes:

“MTANS believes that this legislation is an important step to protect the public and support the standards of massage therapy. We were happy to work with government to achieve this and look forward to continuing discussions to achieve full self-regulation.”

– Amy-Lynne Graves, president, Massage Therapists’ Association of Nova Scotia (MTANS)

“Massage therapists take great pride in the level of training we have received and appreciate that this government has recognized our professional qualifications and 2,200-hour standard as worthy of title protection. This legislation appropriately protects the public from unqualified practitioners using the title of Registered Massage Therapist, while allowing therapists to continue with the association of their choice. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the department of health and wellness as we support our members and the people they serve.”

– Alicia Stacey, president, Massage Therapists’ and Wholistic Practitioners’ Association of the Maritimes

“For many years, the Natural Health Practitioners of Canada (NHPC) has been advocating for the regulation of massage therapists across Canada. This legislation will add strength to the high standards required for membership in the NHPC and is a step toward regulation”.

  • Kathy Watson, director of Government Relations, Natural Health Practitioners of Canada

Quick Facts:

  • there are three associations in Nova Scotia representing about 1,500 massage therapists
  • five provinces regulate the profession
  • massage therapy is the manual manipulation of the soft tissues of the body to achieve a therapeutic response, such as enhancing the function of muscles and joints, improving the circulation of the blood and lymph, and relieving pain and stress
  • in Nova Scotia massage therapists work in private practices and their services are not covered by MSI

Additional Resources:

  • Massage Therapists’ Association of Nova Scotia (mtans.ca)
  • Massage Therapists’ and Wholistic Practitioners’ Association of the Maritimes (mtwpam.com)
  • Natural Health Practitioners of Canada (nhpcanada.org)