RMT = Registered Massage Therapist  

 To start, like all healthcare professions in Canada, the profession of massage therapy is regulated by each province. In BC, the title RMT is given to an individual who has received 70% or greater on the provincial board exam. This exam is administered by our regulatory body, The College of Massage Therapy of BC (CMTBC).

To write the board exams you need to have studied massage therapy at one of BC's acredited colleges. The program is set at 3000 hours and is taken over 3 years. If you are from out of province you will need to show documented proof of equivalent training before you write the provincial board exams. Ontario and Newfoundland Labrador have an agreement of internal trade (AIT), this allows an RMT to practice in each of these provinces after they fullfill some basic provincial upgrading.

In Canada the national standard for education of an RMT is 2200 hours.  In the USA, training is set at a 500 hours. The highest level in the USA is 1000 hours and that is in New York state.

You will hear a lot of terms used for people who practice massage therapy. licensed, certified, registered.... THe only people licensed to practice massage therapy in BC are RMTs. This means if you want to have coverage under an extended healthcare plan you will need to see an RMT.

Click RMT to read an article on common running injuries.