Is Massage dangerous?
Back in 2012 I wrote a blog post about the safety of massage following a well publicised court case against a male massage therapist in North London.
In that post I wanted to highlight that this sort of thing is not common place and also what you as a member of the public should be looking out for and asking.
2 days ago the BBC News wrote a piece on their website regarding "home massage dangers". The piece was an expose of some people who were hired as massage therapists to do a home visit massage. Within the article all of the practitioners in question were male and their victims were female.
These sorts of things make me so sad for the victims and angry that these people are using this as a chance to assault another person.
Within the article they interviewed a few of the victims and how they found and contacted the people to come and do a massage for them.
What was clear was that these "massage therapists" were not legitimate and were using the massage industry as a way to fuel their crimes. Sadly, one of them was on a well known home massage app called Urban where you would think that you are getting people who are vetted but that is not the case.
Therapy regulation
From these investigations the BBC is looking at why the massage industry is not more regulated, and I have to agree.
It's been a real issue for so long and something that has angered me. Currently someone could do a 6 hour online course and call themselves a massage therapist - actually anyone could set up as a massage therapist even without doing a course. These people would be set up without insurance or membership to any professional association as you could not get these without a formal qualification.
There is an accredited register for properly qualified and insured massage therapists, but this is totally self voluntary and costs money so you find that some do not add themselves to it. And as it isn't compulsory it's only got a limited benefit.
How can I get a properly trained practitioner?
Receiving a good massage is the most wonderful thing, in clinic or in your own home. And for the majority of the time it is total professional and safe.
You may have been recommended a practitioner, or found them yourself, either way I'd advise the following.
When you book to see a practitioner there are few things you should check with them:
- What sort of training did they receive?
- Are they fully insured and with who?
- Are they a member of any governing body or professional association?
- What type of massage do they offer, and what do you expect from it?
- Use an affiliated professional association to search for practitioners in your area, such as the FHT, CNHC and AoR (see below).
Having public liability insurance is a legal requirement and a clear sign that they are professional but also protects you should anything go wrong at all.
Being a member of a professional association is not a legal requirement, but this shows again that they are a professional and also means that they are bound by that association's codes and practices.
They also would need to be insured and properly trained to join the association in the first place. The codes and practices, as well as good training, guides the practitioner about advising a client and protecting them from any misunderstandings or anything that might make them feel uncomfortable.
Most practitioners I know, whatever their gender, follow the simple things outlined below. These are designed to make the client feel as comfortable as possible and explain things as much as possible.
- Explain / communicate what to expect during the course of a treatment
- Explain which areas of the body will be treated and ask if there is any part of the body the client would not like to be treated. This area would then be avoided and a note made on your consultation records. If avoiding this area could potentially impact the result/benefit of treatment, the client would be advised accordingly, but the practitioner would never pressure them into having something they didn't want. One radio station mentioned that massaging the thighs is illegal in the UK, however that is not true at all.
- If a treatment requires touching the client in or near an intimate area (i.e. close to groin area), this would be explained to the client in advance. The client should sign a relevant document, such as the consultation form, stating that they are giving consent to the treatment and that it has been explained to them. Some practitioners also ask the client to sign the form again at the end of the session, which says they agree that no intrusion into their privacy/dignity occurred and that the treatment was within the area indicated.
- All clients have the right to stop the treatment at any time, for whatever reason, and this should be explained before the treatment commences.
- Most massages require clients to remove their clothing. This should be explained clearly to the client, including which items of clothing need to be removed, how to position themselves on the couch, and which towels they should use to protect their modesty. Most practitioners would under no circumstances ask a client be asked to remove underpants for the purposes of a massage treatment.
- The practitioner will always leave the room and allow a reasonable amount of time to allow the client to undress down to their underwear before the start of a treatment, and also to re-dress at the end of the session. They will always knock before re-entering the room. The practitioner will not remove client's clothing for them, including bra or underpants. Any towel adjustments will be explained and done with agreement only.
So what's next?
I'd be interested to see what comes from this, and I'm sure most of the major governing bodies and professional associations will be looking into this. One thing I will say is that within the local councils and in government the staff dealing with the licences and the massage therapy industry seem to need more training and education about the industry as a whole. Over the years, and especially during the pandemic, what became clear was that they grouped us in with the sex industry and that just acts to perpetuate this image of massage industry being a sexual thing.
What I will say is that I know some fabulous massage therapists, of all genders, and I really hope that the actions of these few awful people using our industry for their own perverse needs doesn't affect their business going forward.
Why Choose me, Rima?
At Calm and Clear Complementary Therapies, I am proud to have the very best training, be fully insured and member of a number of the top governing associations.
These include Association of Reflexologists (AoR) Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) and Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT). I've got links on the website showing that I'm on the register and you can contact them directly to check the credentials of any practitioner. If you are looking for someone then use the find a therapist links on all of these professional association websites.
You can also read more on my website about all of my qualifications, insurance and what experience I have.