Increase in Massage Table Claims

ABMP’s insurance carrier has seen an increase in claims from massage tables collapsing or malfunctioning while a client is on the table. In the last few years, there have been more than 20 of these claims presented for review/payment, with a total payout approaching $200,000 from these types of client injuries. An incorrect setup could result in an expense of $10,000 or more.

With this in mind, please take the following steps to protect your clients:

  1. Maintain your equipment. Clean it, and also make sure all the pieces and parts are operating correctly. Equipment should be checked at least weekly. (Your inspection should include checking for loose screws or bolts that may cause your table to become unstable.)
  2. Check to make sure your table legs, supports, and face cradle are free from any signs of wear or tear that may cause the table to break and/or collapse. 
  3. Keep track of your inspections in a recordable format.
  4. Check the floors around your massage table or chair for hazards, obstacles, or any substance on the floor that may lead to a client slipping and falling.
  5. If you are ever in doubt of your equipment’s stability, find an alternative until repairs or replacement can be obtained.
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News

Tennessee Increases Minimum Education Hours

On April 16, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed into law House Bill 1610 and Senate Bill 1588, increasing the minimum massage curriculum hours that an applicant for massage licensure must complete at an approved school for massage, bodywork, or somatic therapy to be eligible for licensure under the Massage Licensure Act. Find out the new state minimum requirement.

Alaska Massage Board Remains Independent and Autonomous

Executive Order No. 129 sought to dissolve the Alaska Board of Massage Therapists and transfer its functions to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED). The executive order was successfully overturned.

Gainful Employment Rules Compliance Updates

Over the past two weeks, the US Department of Education issued updates to the new “Gainful Employment” (GE) regulations for vocational programs published last fall. This web post addresses the updates to prepare school owners and educators ahead of the July 1, 2024, new GE rule effective date.

Blog

Avoid Pulling Clients' Hair

Massage therapy students practicing in a classroom.

It’s the finer details that matter in a massage therapy session, and unintentional hair pulling is a detail that carries more weight than you might think.

Faces of Bodywork: Adriane Maxwell

Massage therapist Adriane Maxwell stands in front of a palm tree.

Adriane Maxwell is the owner of One Healing Touch Reiki & Massage for Women in Charleston, South Carolina. Maxwell was featured in the May/June 2024 issue of Massage & Bodywork magazine in “Faces of Bodywork.”

Benefits

Podcast: Cancer, Clots, and COVID—A Complicated Client

A client was recently treated for colon cancer—and it didn’t go well. She had surgical complications, a bout of sepsis, and more. Is massage therapy safe? We discuss on this episode of “I Have a Client Who . . .” Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner.

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