On June 2nd, the Governor of Colorado signed into law the legislation (SB08-219) that will register massage therapists at the state level, eliminating our current system that licenses city-by-city, if they license at all.

The law takes effect on July 1st and registration is expected to begin in April, 2009.

For several reasons, the bill was changed from “licensing” to “registration”, with almost all of the same provisions:
1. Definition of scope of practice.
2. Title protection.
3. Grandfathering for a period of one year (April 2009-March 2010).
4. A mechanism for consumer complaints

If you’d like to read the full text of the act, here’s a link to the Colorado General Assembly website page that lists all versions of the bill as it passed through the House and Senate. From this page, you can download a pdf file of the Final act.:
http://tinyurl.com/3nxknv

Although some massage practitioners feel there should be no regulation of our field, I personally think that, in the long run, it’s better for us to work collectively, as we did here in CO, to define and regulate ourselves proactively, than to have outside interests define our scope of practice and impose onerous regulation. After reading over several drafts of the bill, I think we got it right. We had the advantage of learning from the mistakes made in other states, we had excellent lobbyists/advisers, and we had coalition members with a wealth of experience to draw upon.

A special thank you to Jean Robinson, ABMP Government Relations and primary author of the bill; Kathryn Stewart, AMTA-Colorado Chapter Government Relations Chair, and Susan Grubb, AMTA-Colorado member, Coordinator of Massage Therapy Legislative Awareness Day, and Manager of the Legislative Alert Network. These three powerful women worked ceaselessly to shepherd us through this process.

I am delighted to announce that Full Body Presence is stepping out into a wider audience ? New World Library (think Eckhart Tolle?s publisher of “The Power of Now”) has bought the rights to the second edition of “Full Body Presence”! Coming to a bookstore near you early next year. I am feeling deep gratitude to everyone who has helped me, my work and my first book arrive at this point.

The buzz about the book is growing steadily, and I am touched by how many people of all different ages, professions and walks of life are being positively impacted by what the book has taught them. I love hearing about it. It is encouraging and heartwarming for me. 

Have you read Full Body Presence yet? If so, please comment here on my blog or email me directly at healingfromthecore@comcast.net . Please, share any insights you may have gotten as you read it and listened to the audio. Tell me how this book has made a difference in your life. Please, also let me know if I can quote you on my website.

AND, the upcoming second edition means that the remaining books are now limited edition items. So, in celebration of the contract with New World Library Publishers, all books sold through our website in the next month will be personally signed by me. 

One of the other ways I am celebrating is with an Author?s Party, given for me by a local friend and colleague. If I am in your area in the next year, I would love to come and celebrate with you as well! Contact my office athealingfromthecore@comcast.net if you are interested. 

Coming next month.…the book will be on iTunes, and on our website totally in MP3 audio format – I’ll keep you posted when that is available for those of you who are audio book fans! 

And now you can also keep up to date with me and Healing From the Core with Twitter, Facebook  and LinkedIn. Stay in touch, and, enjoy!

Hello again,
I have great news to share!  The value of massage in hospice care has been endorsed  by the AMTA.  I offer my thanks to my collegue Lisa Parenteau and others who worked very hard to present a position statement to the 2009 House of Delegates at the 09 convention.  Read on…

AMTA House of Delegates approves two position statements (from www.amtamassage.org)
The AMTA House of Delegates debated proposals for association position statements that express the sense of the membership on matters pertaining to massage therapy. This year, the delegates approved two position statements, which are now official positions of the association.Details on the approved position statements will soon be available on the AMTA website and will become part of the association?s efforts to promote the value of massage therapy, supported by research.

The approved statements are:
- It is the position of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) that massage can aid in pain relief.
- It is the position of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) that massage therapy can improve the quality of life for those in hospice and palliative care.

This kind of endorsement will help to call attention to the role massage therapists play in end of life care.  Those of us who have been serving this special population surely know the value of our work– but the good news is that it’s not just us saying it now!

Grace and good fortune to you,
Ann

Many therapists ask me about diffusing essential oils in their practice space.   The first thing you have to decide is what do you want to offer to your clients.  There are different grades of essential oils and which grade you use will determine the result you will get.

If I just diffuse an essential oil does it matter what grade I use?  The answer is yes, if you want to receive the benefit of the essential oil.  Can something that smells good but is not pure make you feel good?  Sure. Think of cookies baking. They smell mighty good and can induce an emotional response but don’t you want more for yourself and your clients than a temporary response?  

Most often, the essential oils found in spas and at essential oil retailers are Grade A (even if they say therapeutic grade on the bottle) which means they are manipulated to a standard. Any oil that is produced to smell the same from one bottle to the next is manipulated to meet the standard of smell.  Nature does not adhere to this standard.  A true therapeutic grade oil will have a different smell each time it is produced due to variations in soil conditions, weather, and other natural factors.  What will remain the same is the therapeutic indicators which must be tested to insure purity and quality.

By diffusing a true therapeutic grade oil you will bring the whole property of the oil in the olfactory (the seat of emotions), and into the lungs where they can circulate through the body and continue their work at a deeper cellular level. 

I began using essential oils by diffusing them at night for my son’s chronic sinus infections.  He would breathe in the oils for hours, and due to the anti-inflammatory action of the oils, his tissues began to heal.  I also diffused oils that were able to clean receptor sites, allowing cellular communication to become optimized. Through the process of diffusing the therapeutic grade oils as well as topical application, he was able to not only sleep through the night, but eventually be free of the infections. This is the power of choosing the right grade of oil to work with!

The National Certification Board  hit a bump in the road this weekend when Whitney Lowe resigned from the Advanced Certification Task Force, citing differences of opinion over how the project should proceed.

In a letter to NCB staff and fellow Task Force members, Lowe acknowledged the effort that has been put forth during the process, and expressed his concern about the timeline of the process, which he feels is being rushed to the detriment of the project.

His resignation stated in part, “I have long felt our profession is in need of an advanced credential. I recognize it is not an easy task and there are a number of people who have put forth significant efforts on behalf of this process. It is a complex issue and requires a great deal of thought, input, and insight into what is best for the profession. I have been greatly dismayed by the process that has been used so far to create this credential. Crucial discussions have been brushed aside in a rush to meet an unrealistic timeline for deployment of this exam. Yesterday we were informed that the eligibility criteria had been established and a job task analysis would be begun in approximately two weeks.”

Lowe went on to say that he felt many concerns that he had brought up about possible flaws in the exam construction had been ignored or glossed over, and that he could no longer support the process being used to create the exam.

Just a few days ago, I wrote in this blog that there was something going on at the NCB–that they were actually listening to the stakeholders–a dramatic improvement from the past few years–but apparently, I may have spoken too soon, as Lowe feels as if they weren’t listening to him. Since Lowe is universally respected in our profession and is in fact a former chair of the NCBTMB, one can assume that he has valid concerns, and his abrupt resignation from the Task Force is not reassuring.

I contacted Paul Lindamood, CEO of the NCBTMB, for a comment, after I received a copy of Lowe’s resignation. Speaking on behalf of the Advanced Certification steering committee, Lindamood’s comment was “We were very sorry to see Whitney drop out of the project. He is an acknowledged expert in his field, and we will miss his participation.  We want to thank him for his input and advice while he was part of the task force.”

Lindamood went on to share further details about the project:

The coordination of all major tasks required to develop a new credential follows an established timeline designed by experts in exam creation. Both the steering committee and the test vendor, Pearson VUE, have approved the timeline. Note that it is flexible and can be revised as needed.Tasks are assigned to different subgroups. The work of these subgroups may go on concurrently. The Exam Development timeline will be available for review on NCBTMB?s website next week at www.ncbtmb.org.

The Needs Assessment, a description of what an Advanced Credential should be, is based on input from people in the field. This information was obtained through a Needs Assessment survey, which was circulated nationally to all certificants directly, as well as practitioners through the assistance of ABMP and AMTA, among others. The responses, totaling nearly 7,000, serve as the body of information used by the task force to determine some very important things that form the basis of the test.

According to Lindamood, subgroups have made preliminary determinations and the task force members are commenting amongst themselves in two key areas:

(1) the definition of Advanced Certification as provided by the Needs Assessment, and

(2) the eligibility requirements to sit for the exam.

His statement said, “Overall, the progress of the group has been as planned. We are excited at the direction emerging from these very engaged and committed task force members. Bear in mind that this is a project that people feel very passionate about, and we expect there will be an occasional bump in the road. We know that close communication and tolerance will keep the team unified and the project moving forward.”

I don’t expect that Whitney Lowe’s departure is going to stop the NCBTMB from forging ahead with this project, and only time will tell whether or not Lowe’s obviously heartfelt concerns prove to be true.  It’s no little irony that the NCB criticized the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards and accused them of rushing the MBLEx to the market. Now it appears they may be doing the same thing. A flawed exam will not stand up to scrutiny for long, and Pearson Vue, the test administrators, wouldn’t  risk their own reputation in the testing industry just to pacify the Federation or the NCB. Along with everyone else, I’ll be waiting to see what happens, and reporting on that here.

Lindamood stressed that the NCB would post continuous updates on the process on the website beginning next week.  He urges those who have any questions about the project  to email  advanced@ncbtmb.org.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

I had a blast at the National Convention in Orlando last week. There was so much going on, both in the open and behind the scenes, it was a whirlwind just trying to take it all in. The Rosen Shingle Creek Resort was a beautiful venue for our meeting. My only complaint was that the room was way too small for the opening ceremony; many people couldn’t get in or had to stand the whole time. Otherwise, the accommodations were superior, the food was good, and the staff was very personable and friendly.

I?m sure it will surprise my readers to know that one of the high points of my trip was the better part of an hour that I spent with Paul Lindamood, CEO of the NCBTMB. I?ve written many things about the NCB in the past two years, the majority of it uncomplimentary, and have openly criticized Mr. Lindamood personally on several occasions, so it was quite shocking to some of the membership who chanced to walk by to see us sitting in an open area having a chat. Rick Rosen, newly installed at the helm of the recently formed Alliance for Massage Therapy Education, couldn?t resist taking a picture.

I have to give him credit; Lindamood listened to what I had to say about the NCB and the disappointment I and many others have felt about the direction the organization has taken in the past few years. Whether he acts on any of it is yet to be seen, but I did come away from our conversation feeling like he paid attention to my long litany of woes. He even made the comment that although a lot of my blog posts have been distressing to him, he admired me for speaking out about it. No, this does not mean I have had a sudden change of heart about the NCB…however, I have always said that I did not want this organization to go away; I want them to get back on task, so I’ll be watching them like a hawk and seeing what happens–and of course reporting on it.

Speaking of Rick Rosen, it appears he has manifested his appeal for a ?dignified sunset? of the Council of Schools. That in fact is happening; the Board of Directors voted to adopt bylaw changes that elminate the COS and all language relating them. The Alliance is the logical entity to replace that organization. At this stage, the startup of the Alliance is being guided by a six-member Leadership Team of veteran educators. They are in the process of incorporating the organization, creating an administrative headquarters, and planning for the first Annual Meeting in mid-2010.

I’m sure one of the highlights of Rick Rosen’s trip was watching with pride as his wife Carey Smith was given the Jerome Perlinski Teacher of the Year Award. Carey has been educating students as well as other educators for many years, and her award was well-deserved.

Another highlight of the trip for me was meeting so many Facebook friends. Most of you know I?m a huge proponent of Internet networking and I was just thrilled to death to meet so many in person that I?ve known through Facebook, Twitter, and the massageprofessionals.com website. A group of Facebook friends gathered on Wednesday evening, and I met others throughout the convention. Xerlan Geiser-Deery, who practices in Oklahoma and who just started a blog of her own, was one of my favorites, as was Allissa Haines from the MA chapter. Alissa appointed herself the Fashion Police during the convention, and I must say, her critiques were spot-on. Lounging by the pool is one thing, but is it really acceptable to attend a class or a business dinner with your belly-button hanging out? A number of people apparently think it is. Allissa was taking names.

I spent quite a bit of time at the booth of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards. I?m North Carolina?s delegate this year and was pleased to see so many folks stopping by the booth to inquire about the MBLEx and the other benefits of Federation membership. I spent some quality time with Sally Hacking, who was given a very beautiful award from AMTA; also visited with Debra Persinger, Kevin Snedden, and Scott Miller, all of whom I’ll be seeing again in a couple of weeks at the Federation’s annual meeting.

I was also pleased to meet Glen Moyle, who will be our national president during 2011, and her husband Gordon. In fact, I spent quite a bit of time talking with Gordon, who is a fascinating person with a lot of interesting stories to tell. I sat with them during the Massage Therapy Research Foundation reception. I took a picture of Gordon with Ruth Werner?s husband Curt, who also sat with us. These two are the prime illustration of good men being behind great women.

Diana Thompson had great news to report about the donations the Foundation has received in the past year, and Ruth gave a short speech about her upcoming term as the new leader, just before her beautiful donated quilt was raffled off.

Thursday night I enjoyed the annual LWW author’s dinner. It’s fun meeting all the other Lippincott authors and hearing what everyone is up to. I gave Nina McIntosh, who is ill and couldn’t be with us this year, a quick call and we all yelled our greetings to her. She was with us in spirit.

Also seen and heard: I met Michael Reynolds, president of the Indiana chapter, who is also a FB friend and someone I have long admired from a distance. His company, Spinweb, makes fabulous websites, and Michael is very generous with the marketing advice he shares on FB. He is every bit as charming in person as he is on FB?..also pleased to finally meet Leslie Young Giase, editor of Massage & Bodywork Magazine; Sid Duncan, who does marketing for Massage Magazine, Kim Goral, whom Allissa predicted will one day be president of the Foundation; Cliff Korn, snappy-looking in a green blazer. I was also glad to see many AMTA friends from NC, SC, and GA.

I did hear the distressing news that Florida is considering the passage of HB139, which will exempt graduates from accredited schools from taking any kind of licensure exam. I strongly urge our neighbors to the south to nip this action in the bud. Sometimes schools are guilty of passing students who aren’t up to par just to get rid of them. I don’t think this is a good move, and I hope this bill is soundly defeated.

All in all, it was a great trip. If YOU have never attended a national convention, you are missing out on one heck of a good time. Even the ABMP folks were there; you don’t have to be a member to attend. There is something totally awesome about being among 1000 or so other massage therapists. It’s absolutely restorative! Next year’s convention will be held in Minneapolis, so make plans now to join us.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen

Hold still… do you feel it? There is a wave of change underfoot.  It seems like EVERYTHING is changing– have you noticed?  Most certainly theres a lot of change happening in our profession. I like to think of the changes as growing pains.  A big change that we all are aware of is the aging of our population, with the fastest growing segment being 85 yrs and over.  Lately I’ve been exploring this question: With so many elders emerging in the United States — are massage schools acknowledging this as an emerging market for our profession?  After a little investigating it seems that the answer is mixed.  The emphasis schools place on massage for those in later life stages ranges from simply showing a video (quite possibly outdated); to  a few hours and visiting a local nursing home; to none at all.  While I know there is value in giving massage students a taste of many different approaches I believe what is being overlooked is how important this special population is, and will be, to a successful career. 

I want all massage therapists to succeed and have the career dreamed of when they decided to pursue massage school.  I think it’s the responsibilty of schools to prepare students in skill sets that are in step with current societal trends and needs to give their graduates a fair shake at success.  If more emphasis was placed on the growing need of an aging population, I think more massage therapists might feel a little more confident in reaching out to those potential clients.  At the very least, students would understand that serving this special populationis a viable choice. 

I’d like ask a favor of you.  If any of what I’ve said resonates with you, join me in the conversation with our massage schools.  Let them know this is important!  If massage schools put just a little more emphasis on this special population we, as a profession, will be there to answer the needs of millions.

Best regards,
Ann

Greetings, colleagues! I’m excited today to announce that I have put “Massage Collage,” my old blog, to rest. From now on, I’ll be writing on this website as The Massage Pundit.

Several weeks ago, I put a request out to my mailing list asking for suggestions for a new name for the blog, one that would reflect the fact that this blog is about the politics of the massage and bodywork profession. The winning suggestion came from Erica Bliss Winston, a massage therapist from Cary, NC.

According to dictionary.com, a “pundit” is someone who offers to mass-media his or her opinion or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically political analysis) on which they are knowledgeable. I received dozens of great suggestions, so thank you to my readers, but this was the one that jumped out at me.

In the 2 years I’ve been writing this blog, I’ve written about a variety of subjects, but as time went on I started to realize I really just want to focus on the politics of massage. I received a negative comment on the old blog about writing about the NCBTMB, so let this serve as an announcement: I will be writing about the NCBTMB, AMTA, ABMP, FSMTB, AFMTE, state boards, and any government, professional association, or other body who stands to affect this profession on the whole in any way. This blog is directed at the massage therapists out there who want to be informed about the associations and the legislation that affects us.

I welcome all comments, and print them all whether they agree with me or not. I particularly welcome comments from representatives of any of the entities I write about, and any of the concerned individuals I mention by name. I’ll be glad to present your side of the story.

I also couldn’t do this without the help of my network of MTs across the country and around the world who help me stay informed.  If something important is happening in the profession in your neck of the woods that you’d like attention called to, feel free to let me know. Thank you all.

Peace & Prosperity

Laura Allen

In challenging economic times, retaining current clients is easier, and probably more important, than recruiting new ones. It’s easy to become complacent and forget to treat our loyal clients with the same enthusiasm we might have for a new client.

There are many ways to express appreciation to current clients, including, but not limited to, greeting them with positive energy at each visit, remembering what happened in the previous session, keeping your work fresh by not falling into the “same old routine” at each appointment, saving or e-mailing newspaper or magazine articles of interest to them, and many more.

I recently celebrated my 20th year in practice in Colorado Springs (plus seven in CA prior to that), and several of my clients have been with me since I started here. Although I always go the “extra mile” for these select clients, I decided to show my thanks for their loyalty in a non-massage way. I have a friend and client who owns a popular restaurant here. He made me a deal on gift certificates, so I was able to gift each of these 20-year clients with a $50 G.C. They really appreciated the gesture and I thoroughly enjoyed making it.

What do you do to show clients how much you appreciate their continued business?

Cerebral lateralization has been a hot topic in neuroscience for centuries. How does it apply to body patterns we see in clinic, i.e., does right motor dominance cause hypertonicity in highly innervated tissues such as iliopsoas, rotatores, multifidi, scalenes, suboccipitals? Recall that the 11th cranial nerve innervates the upper traps and SCM. Do you look for and/or expect to see certain repeated structural patterns possibly due to motor dominance?

Check out this intriguing article in the new Scientific American:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=evolutionary-origi…