Duties and Responsibilities of Licensed Massage Therapists

Duties and Responsibilities of Licensed Massage Therapists. A. All licensed massage therapists shall: 1. Perform only those services for which they are qualified and which represent their training and education; 2 Acknowledge their professional limitations and refer the client to an appropriate health professional when necessary, in cases where massage may be or is contraindicated; 3. Recognize and respect the rights of all ethical practitioners and cooperate with health professionals in a professional manner; 4. Obtain and keep an overview or profile of the client’s state of being and health history and discuss any problem areas that may contraindicate massage; 5. Keep accurate and up-to-date records regarding a client’s condition before and after massage therapy session in cases of a client being treated for a specific condition. Public, sports and on-site seated massage sessions are exempt from documentation; sports massage sessions are exempt from post event documentation. Regardless of the modality employed by the massage therapist, a “specific condition” shall exist for a client who requests massage in conjunction with circumstances including, but not limited to: a. any client's self-reported complaint of pain/discomfort or tension or limitation in range of motion related to soft tissue b. any soft-tissue conditions identified by the therapist and evaluated / treated in the course of the massage, even if the client did not self-report that specific condition or only requested "relaxation" c. a medically-diagnosed condition d. an accident, injury or trauma e. post-surgical recovery f. a valid medical prescription or medical orders for massage from a licensed healthcare worker 6. Provide sensitive attention and response to client’s comfort levels for pressure and touch, and shall not cause bruising with any regularity; 7. Maintain clear and honest communications with their clients, and acknowledge the confidential nature of the professional relationship with a client and respect rights to privacy; 8. Abide by all laws that pertain to their work as a massage therapist and comply with all Federal and State regulations including but not limited to HIPAA; 9. In no way instigate or tolerate any kind of sexual advance while acting in the capacity of a massage therapist; 10. Provide and use draping to cover all genitalia; 11. Clean/disinfect hands immediately before each massage session and/or use medical gloves; 12. Prior to the use of electrical hand held massagers, must obtain Board approved education regarding use and contraindication for use of such instruments. The massage therapist must document the education, send it to the Board along with the fee in Rule 2.1, and request a device-specific approval of the education prior to using each device, including, but not limited to, the following: a. the manufacturer and model of the electrical hand held massager; b. how the education was obtained (e.g., either self-study, or via classroom / distance learning, including the name and qualifications of the person providing the instruction); c. the specific learning objectives covered in the education (e.g., modes of operation of the device, appropriate uses for the electrical hand massager on a client’s tissue, contraindications for use of the electrical hand massager on a client, sanitation for the electrical hand massager, etc.); d. the resources that were used in the education training (e.g., user manual from the manufacturer, written training materials, one-on-one instruction from a knowledgeable user, etc.); e. the means (e.g., oral or written exam, practical demonstration, etc.) used to assess the massage therapist’s comprehensive understanding of the education material; and f. the approximate duration of the education training. If a different device is added or replaced, all of the above requirements must be submitted to MSBMT for approval. The above referenced training does not qualify for continuing education credit with the Board unless the Board has previously approved a provider / program for the specific training. 13. No massage therapist shall diagnose or prescribe medicine, drugs or treatment; 14. The massage therapist shall provide and use draping to cover female breast unless prior written consent is given for breast massage. 15. Client intake forms must be signed and dated by the massage therapist. 16. The massage therapist shall abide by all Rules and Regulations set forth by the Mississippi State Board of Massage Therapy. 17. The massage therapist shall retain all required client documentation of massage sessions for a period of two (2) years, unless the massage establishment has the responsibility for maintaining such documentation, and insure that it is readily available for inspection at the request of the Board or their duly appointed representative. This includes, but is not limited to client history/intake forms and client release forms, as well as SOAP notes, appointment schedule book and client evaluations if requested by the Board or their duly appointed representative.