Member Edition

January 2003 | Vol. 4, No. 1
© 2003 American Massage Therapy Association^®
All rights reserved.

Hello, e-touch reader!

2003 is now upon us, and it is time to begin a fresh new year. AMTA and the profession of massage therapy had quite a year in 2002. Several highlights include the United States Department of Education's recognition of the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, massage therapy licensure in Illinois and public relations efforts spearheaded by AMTA. Can't remember the top news stories last year? Then sit back and enjoy the feature article below, which recaps the major happenings of 2002 that relate to AMTA and the association's advancement of the massage therapy profession.

Best wishes in the new year!

The Editors
E-mail: etouch@amtamassage.org

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2002: A YEAR OF PROFESSIONAL ADVANCEMENT FROM AMTA

Much awaits the massage therapy profession in 2003, including the celebration of AMTA as the professional association organized to advance the profession 60 years ago. But what were the big news events of 2002 that brought attention to AMTA and the advancement of the massage therapy profession?

This article summarizes some of the most significant contributions AMTA made to the massage therapy industry last year, especially in the key areas of education, business development, public relations and legislation.

Education

In mid-July 2002, the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation became the first nationally recognized accrediting agency dedicated solely to accrediting schools and programs of massage therapy and bodywork to improve the quality of massage therapy and bodywork education. Only three other complementary and alternative medicine groups—chiropractic, osteopathy and acupuncture—have nationally recognized accrediting agencies. This accreditation, considered one of the professional cornerstones of a profession, will enable COMTA-accredited schools to apply for participation in financial aid programs (grants, guaranteed study loans and work-study programs) offered through the Title IV program.

In another new venture launched late in 2002, AMTA initiated distance learning on the Web site. Now, massage therapists can earn continuing education units (CEUs) in the comfort of their own home at any time of the day! With this new program, AMTA makes it easy for therapists to learn from home and not take time out of their busy schedules to attend a class. Continuing education is recognized as a cornerstone of a profession, and AMTA continues to encourage the professional development and personal growth of massage therapists.

Business Development

A new venture initiated by AMTA, the Business of Massage textbook, made its debut last year. The textbook was written by—and for—professionals in the field of massage therapy, and serves as an informative guide for establishing a successful massage therapy practice. This textbook is an example of how AMTA strives to improve the business conditions of the profession as a leader in, and resource for, the massage therapy community.

Public Relations

One of AMTA's ongoing strategic goals is to promote and advance the profession, and this was successfully accomplished in many ways in 2002.

For example, in 2002, more than 10,000 articles about massage were published in local and national magazines and newspapers—a 25 percent increase from just two years ago. Many of these articles mentioned AMTA’s Find a Massage Therapist^® national locator service and the AMTA 2002 Consumer Survey. An article in the highest-circulation magazine in the country—Parade magazine (with more than 35 million readers)—generated more than 500 calls to the locator service after its appearance in weekend newspapers across the country in mid-October. AMTA’s continual work to place messages about massage in the media ultimately increase awareness of massage and the massage therapy profession.

The last full week of October every year is designated as AMTA’s National Massage Therapy Awareness Week™ (NMTAW), an annual celebration of the profession, promoted by AMTA, its chapters and its members. In conjunction with this program, AMTA again partnered with Home Depot stores to bring massage therapists into stores through Home Depot’s Building Better Health program. Last year, more than 500 stores contacted AMTA about participating in NMTAW. This positive relationship between AMTA and Home Depot establishes a high-profile presence for massage provided by massage therapists to employees.

AMTA's 2002 Consumer Survey shows such findings as how many people are receiving massage, why people receive massage and where they go for massage.

Results of AMTA's 2002 Consumer Survey were also released in conjunction with NMTAW. Information from the survey has been used in various publications across the country. The survey showed that 18 percent of the adult population indicated they had a massage in the past 12 months. These findings, commissioned by AMTA, continue to establish massage therapy as a recognized and respected profession.

AMTA reached out in 2002 to physicians to encourage them to join with massage therapists to relieve pain in their patients. An ad placed in Practical Pain Management recommends the massage therapist as “A pain management partner you may not have considered.” The ad prominently lists the toll-free number for the locator service [888-THE-AMTA] and AMTA’s Web site [www.amtamassage.org]. The January/February 2003 issue of the magazine will feature an article on the same subject from AMTA President Brenda L. Griffith. The development of appropriate messages about massage for select media vehicles helps increase awareness of the profession, in this case to physicians who work with patients in pain.

Legislation

The end of 2002 brought passage of massage therapy regulation in Illinois. The Massage Licensing Act went into effect January 1, 2003, with a compliance date set for January 1, 2004. Illinois becomes the 31st state, plus the District of Columbia, that regulates the massage therapy profession. The AMTA-Illinois Chapter and a statewide coalition supported the passing of the bill, which helps give greater credibility to the profession by reassuring clients that they are receiving massage from an adequately trained therapist. AMTA supports high standards of massage for the public as represented by state-level regulation.

The accomplishments highlighted above sum up just some of the work done by AMTA in 2002 to advance the massage therapy profession. To read more about these and other programs, scroll down to “News of Interest” on AMTA’s home page. For the most current and up-to-date information from AMTA and the massage profession, be sure to check the AMTA Web site at: www.amtamassage.org.

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Business TIPS

The following recordkeeping reminders may help to lower your taxes, as well as make the preparation of next year’s return a less taxing experience.

• If you have a separate business account, deposit all money from the business into that account. Money can then be transferred (as needed) to your personal account.
• As much as possible, write only business checks out of your business account and personal checks from your personal account.
• Use one of your credit cards only for business expenses. The card does not need to be in the business name. While personal credit card interest is no longer deductible, business credit card interest is 100 percent deductible.
• While it’s true that you don’t need to keep receipts if the expense is less than $75 (increased recently from $25), you still need to record all information about the expense: how much it was, to whom payment was made, what type of expense it was and the date paid.
• Your appointment book or calendar is an important part of your tax materials and should be kept with them from year to year. Notations can provide back up information about items, such as telephone expenses, business mileage and business trip expenses.
• Keep a record of every single deposit made to each of your bank accounts. Record all money coming in, whether taxable or not. At the least, note in your checkbook the source of each deposit. Gifts and loans are not taxable but careful records should be kept if you receive either of them.
• The IRS has no tolerance for incorrectly withheld and remitted payroll taxes. If you have employees, learn how to correctly withhold and deposit taxes, hire a payroll service to handle the task or consider leasing workers.
• On December 31, write down your car’s odometer reading. If you do this every year, you’ll know how many total miles you drove during the year. If you didn’t do this last year, look for repair receipts that show your odometer reading and the date. You’ll still need to have records showing how many of your total miles were driven for business.
• Each year by January 31, you need to issue a 1099 Form to anyone to whom you paid $600 or more in the previous year for business services or office rent. Don’t wait until then to get that person’s address and Social Security number—both of which must be included on the 1099 Form.

Reprinted from “Tips For Better Record Keeping” by Jan Zobel, MASSAGE THERAPY JOURNAL, Summer 1999, Page 92. Zobel, EA, a San Francisco Bay area tax professional, is the author of Minding Her Own Business: The Self-Employed Woman’s Guide to Taxes and Recordkeeping, from which this information is excerpted.

© 2003 American Massage Therapy Association
All rights reserved.

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SEVEN POSITIONS OPEN AT NATIONAL BOARD LEVEL FOR 2003-2004

AMTA wants you to express your dedication to the massage therapy profession through volunteer service on the National Board of Directors. Request a candidate application from:

2003 Commission on Nominations
American Massage Therapy Association
500 Davis Street, 9th Floor, Suite 100
Evanston, IL 60201-4464
Fax: 847-864-1178
E-mail: mlove@amtamassage.org.

The packet includes a candidate application, the nominations and elections policy, job descriptions of the open offices, and the AMTA Strategic Plan. AMTA must receive your completed application by 5 p.m. Central time on March 17.

The offices open for election this year are president-elect, vice president (two positions) and member-at-large (four positions). For more information, contact Steve Olson, chair of the Commission on Nominations, at: 701-232-2010, or via E-mail at: stevefargo@msn.com. The 2003 Commissioner of Elections, Jean Middleswarth, can be reached at 336-926-1589, or jemstone@triad.rr.com.

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AROMATHERAPY FOR YOUR PRACTICE: AIDING STRESS IN CLIENTS

By Françoise Rapp

While many of your clients may complain of physical symptoms, such as muscle tension, headaches and insomnia, these and many other ailments are usually directly related to high stress levels. Essential oils are a versatile tool to help your clients heal from both the physical and emotional aspects of stress.

Try aromatherapy blends when working on a client experiencing a lot of stress.

On the physical side, essential oils can help increase metabolism, enhance the removal of metabolic waste, improve the circulation of the blood and lymph and relax the muscles. Emotionally, essential oils trigger positive hormonal responses via the nervous system. When you use essential oils, your clients will feel more physically relaxed with less pain and aches, and their mood, anxiety and nervous tension will be eased.

Create one of the aromatic blends below for your clients. As an added perk, you could prepare a bottle of their custom blend for them to take home and use everyday. Suggest pouring a few drops into a warm bath, inhaling the blend deeply during the day as needed, and massaging their solar plexus with the blend.

To prepare the blend, pour the essential oils into a 30-milliliter bottle, followed by your favorite massage oil or lotion to fill the bottle.

Relieve Muscle Tension
This blend can relax the muscles while removing metabolic waste.

• 9 drops birch
• 9 drops ravensara
• 10 drops lavender

Muscular Stiffness
This blend can improve blood and lymph circulation while removing metabolic waste.

• 10 drops birch
• 10 drops rosemary
• 6 drops peppermint

Nervous Tension
This blend can relax the nervous system, ease tension and bring emotional equilibrium.

• 10 drops lavender
• 10 drops petitgrain
• 4 drops Roman chamomile

Nervousness / Anxiety / Insomnia
This blend can profoundly relax the individual, induce sleep and bring calm to an active mind that is preventing the correct emotional balance and total relaxation.

• 10 drops lavender
• 10 drops basil
• 3 drops neroli

~ Françoise Rapp is an internationally renowned aromatherapist and alchemist who was trained more than 10 years ago in France by priests and alchemists from all over Europe. She has taught aromatherapy for many years in massage schools and hospital facilities in the United States and France. She has been featured in national and international media outlets. Rapp is the author of an aromatherapy e-book specially designed for professionals, and offers e-courses on her Web site. She can be contacted at: francoise@aromalchemy.com, www.aromalchemy.com or 619-299-2335.

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POLL QUESTION

Have you ever been in any situations where you did not feel safe as a practicing massage therapist?

Tell us at: etouch@amtamassage.org. Then watch the February issue for an article on this topic.

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Foundation’s New Web Site Has Something For Everyone
Check out the AMTA Foundation’s newly designed Web site at: www.amtafoundation.org. The site has a new look, simple and easy to use navigation bars, new information and more frequent updates. Listed below are just a few examples of the helpful information on their new site:

• Applications and instructions about how to apply for a grant to fund a massage therapy research project, community service project or a scholarship for school or continuing education.
• Free access to the AMTA Foundation Massage Therapy Research Database^SM. This electronic resource provides information about past and current research, and best practices in the areas of massage therapy and bodywork.
• A list of donors who support the foundation’s granting programs and a list of past and present grant recipients and the projects the donors helped fund.
• Links to important massage therapy research sites, magazines and other useful Web sites for massage therapists or anyone interested in learning more about the benefits of massage therapy.

Conferences Of Interest
The AMTA Foundation continues to keep track of events and conferences where the profession of massage therapy should be represented. The foundation sends representatives to various research conferences each year so that the massage therapy profession continues to remain in the foreground of all integrated health and research conferences. See the 2002-2003 list below.

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TIP FROM A MASSAGE THERAPIST

Do your arms, wrists and hands hurt from using the computer? When you've been overusing your computer and find that your wrist, arm and hand are hurting, try this massage technique. Gently lift and squeeze the muscle of your forearm from just below the elbow, working down toward the wrist and back up several times. This will bring fresh circulation to the area, and may help prevent repetitive use syndrome.

Trudy Lacour
River Ridge, Louisiana
AMTA Professional Member

For a different massage tip each week, visit AMTA’s Massage Room at: www.amtamassage.org/massageroom/massage.html.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

2003

January 9 [9-10 p.m. EST]
Free TeleConference: Develop & Grow Your Business Now! Secret Keys to Effortless Marketing and Practice Development for Massage Therapists and Bodyworkers
631-871-6344

EricH@longevityconcepts.com
www.longevityconcepts.com/mitintroclass.htm

January 16-19
Healing Touch International Conference
Colorado Springs, Colorado
303-989-7982
www.healingtouch.net/con2001/index.shtml

January 19-20
National Coalition of Esthetic & Related Professional Associations 3rd Annual General Meeting & General Members Meeting
Orlando, Florida
201-670-4100

January 20-21
COMTA Accreditation Workshop
Clearwater Beach, Florida
847-869-5039, ext. 140

January 21-25
AMTA Council of Schools Leadership Conference & Annual Meeting
Clearwater Beach, Florida
847-864-0123, ext. 143 (registration contact)
847-864-0123, ext. 113 (exhibitor contact)

February 7-9
AMTA Board Of Directors Meeting
Chicago, Illinois

February 22-23
AOBTA Eastern Regional Workshop
Baltimore, Maryland
856-782-1616
www.aobta.org

March 9-12
Annual CME Conference—Integrating Complementary Therapies Into Clinical Practice: Cases And Evidence
Boston, Massachusetts
617-384-8600
www.symbiotixonline.com/COMPMED

March 27-30
AMTA New England Regional Conference
Boxborough, Massachusetts
401-233-8108

May 16-17
AMTA Board Of Directors Meeting
Teton Village, Wyoming

May 17-20
AMTA 2003 Specialty Retreat
Teton Village, Wyoming
847-864-0123, ext. 143

June 19-25
Thirteenth Annual International Society for the Study of
Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine (ISSSEEM) Conference
Boulder, Colorado
303-425-4625
www.issseem.org/2003subs.html

June 26-29
American Holistic Nurses’ Association 23rd Annual Conference
Scottsdale, Arizona
800-278-2462
www.ahna.org/events/confer.html

September 19-21
Craniosacral Therapy Association Of North America 2003 Conference
Boulder, Colorado
info@craniosacraltherapy.org
www.craniosacraltherapy.org/Conf.htm

October 12-15
2003 ISPA Annual Conference
Dallas, Texas
888-651-4772

October 19-21
AMTA Board Of Directors Meeting
Richmond, Virginia

October 22-26
AMTA 2003 National Convention
Richmond, Virginia
847-864-0123, ext. 143 (registration contact)
847-864-0123, ext. 113 (exhibitor contact)

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SHARE YOUR VALUABLE KNOWLEDGE WITH OTHERS

If you have written, or would like to write, an article on a specific topic dealing with your area of massage expertise, send an E-mail to: etouch@amtamassage.org. Articles should be an original work. The editors of e-touch reserve the right to edit articles for space and for appropriateness to AMTA members, nonmembers and consumers. Please follow the Author’s Guidelines for submission posted on the AMTA Web site at: www.amtamassage.org/media/eguide.htm.

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COPYRIGHT PERMISSION REQUESTS

If you would like to reprint any of the e-touch issues or articles for handout or promotion of your practice, you need to first obtain copyright permission. To do this, click on the following link: www.amtamassage.org/news/copyrequest.htm.

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HOW TO ADVERTISE

Your ad can appear in e-touch for a month, two months, a year or more. Would you like to reach massage therapists and consumers interested in massage and massage-related products and services? Contact Christina Rompon at: 847-864-0123, ext. 113, or by E-mail at: adsales@amtamassage.org.

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HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
Click here: www.amtamassage.org/publications/mailist.htm.

HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE/CHANGE E-MAIL ADDRESS OR EDITION
Click here: www.amtamassage.org/publications/unsub.htm.

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LEGAL NOTICE: Articles submitted by individual authors are copyrighted by those authors and reprinted with their permission. Views expressed in these articles are not necessarily the views of the American Massage Therapy Association^®, and should in no way be construed as an endorsement. They are for informational purposes only.