* The CMTA ( Canadian Massage Therapy Alliance ), a nationwide organization established in 1991 , has been hard at work in trying to make massage therapy a key component of the Canadian healthcare system . Their goals in the next years include advancing the massage therapy profession in the area , encouraging the regulation of the practice and collaborating with more industry partners to make it available , affordable and accessible to Canadians suffering from a range of conditions . In order to do so , however , there is a need for a clear distinction between a registered massage therapist and an individual who performs massage techniques without having the proper , required training to do so .
* In Ontario for instance , this therapy is deemed to be a regulated health profession and requires professionals to be registered with the body who oversees professionals and establishes guidelines and best practices . As opposed to someone who followed a month long course or even worse , did not follow any sort of training at all , a registered massage therapist has to have successfully completed at least 150 hours of clinical hours , a competency-based curricula at a Government accredited institution which includes studying anatomy , pathology , neurology and more , and participate in continuous education and skill honing .