Many people feel it was a long time coming - all massage therapists now are required to be licensed.
Each massage therapist now has to have 600 hours of formal training and 24 hours of continued education every two years, which Cindae C. Wilson, licensed massage therapist, said is a good thing.
"We are professional," Wilson said.
By having a license, massage therapists are taken more seriously and those who just read a book and consider themselves a therapist are weeded out if they are not dedicated enough to be licensed.
"It legitimizes our profession immensely," said Lana Kline, licensed massage therapist and certified Reiki master at Muncy Massage Clinic. "Before licensing, whoever felt like they could give a good back rub could hang a sign and (take) money."
Dedicated therapists have been getting their licenses, "some reluctantly, some kicking and screaming," Kline said.
"Some therapists are not happy," she said. "They didn't want the government intervening, charging for licensing fees."
There also are less appropriate forms of massages available that will be removed because of licensing.
" 'What kind of massage are you doing?' " Wilson said people often wonder of therapists. "There's a cloud over massage therapy."
By having licensing, people do not need to worry about whether a massage therapist actually is a coverup for prostitution.
Now people can focus on using massage therapy as a complement to their health care. Wilson explained that people feel healthier because of massage therapy.
"It's not strange," Wilson said. "It's not scary anymore. It's educating people it's safe. It's not something you need to feel awkward or embarrassed about."
Another benefit of requiring massage therapists to be licensed is more insurance companies are willing to pay for sessions, she said.
With an ever-increasingly tense society, massage therapists become more necessary to help people relax. Cellphones and chatter are not allowed because they can be physically or mentally stressful.
In every person is the "fight or flight" reflex that protected early humans when they were threatened by animal predators.
"It goes away and we're safe or we're eaten," Wilson said. "(Now) we're attacked by technology, deadlines."
However, a massage sets up an environment where a person will not be attacked by anything.
Massages also help physically because when the muscles soften, they release toxins.
"People have physical benefits because of that," Wilson said. "They can prevent some of the problems."
Massages are not about fixing problems, just temporary releases that can make people's lives more bearable by reducing inflammation or removing a spasm.
