The Registered Massage Therapists’ Association of Ontario (RMTAO) is a member-driven, not-for-profit professional association for Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs) in Ontario. The RMTAO exists in order to advance the profession of massage therapy in Ontario. The RMTAO advocates on behalf of the profession and provides resources and opportunities to help RMTs improve their knowledge, navigate the latest research and grow their practices.

Vision

We are leaders in the promotion of massage therapy by advancing the profession through advocacy and supporting members through professional engagement and development, to deliver quality care in Ontario.

Mission

Strong, purposeful relationships within the healthcare system; striving for quality and excellence.

The Voice of the Profession

The RMTAO is the only organized and recognized voice for practicing massage therapists in Ontario. The RMTAO undertakes a large number of activities on behalf of all RMTs intended to increase the awareness of Registered Massage Therapists as regulated health professionals and to ensure fair access to the services of RMTs by all Ontarians. We also advocate for high standards of practice for RMTs and fair and equitable access to insurance funds for all RMTs.

The RMTAO advances the massage therapy profession by promoting massage therapy to the public, educational institutions, government agencies, insurance organizations, businesses and other health care professions.

Our History

Massage therapy was first regulated in Ontario under the Drugless Practitioners Act of 1919. From its beginnings as a small emerging profession that gained increased prominence treating wounded soldiers after World War I, the massage therapy profession has transformed into an increasingly recognized and respected health care profession that can help a wide range of patients.

The introduction of the Drugless Practitioners Act in 1919 meant that massage therapists had to meet certain standards of training as well as pass an exam to prove they were qualified to practice. A separate register of massage therapy and physiotherapy practitioners was established in 1925, and in 1935 massage therapists received their own distinct organization to govern the profession called the Board of Directors of Masseurs. The Regulated Health Professions Act and the Massage Therapy Act were introduced in 1991, and the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO) was established to regulate massage therapists in Ontario.

Associated Masseurs was established in 1936 to advocate on behalf of the massage therapy profession. The name was later changed to Society of Registered and Remedial Masseurs of Ontario, and in 1973 the organization was chartered under the name of Ontario Massage Therapist Association. In 2010, the Association's name was amended to the Registered Massage Therapists' Association of Ontario.

When massage therapy was first regulated, there was a focus on the rehabilitation of injured soldiers returning from World War I. After the war, there was a shift in focus to treating people with polio to help restore some function and helping to rehabilitate victims of both industrial accidents and increasingly common automobile accidents. Today, RMTs help people cope with the physical symptoms of anxiety, recover after a sports injury, relieve some of the aches and pains associated with aging or with pregnancy, recover after surgery, and much more.