Massage Therapy Journal Summer 2024

Summer 2024 • 13

AMTA’s Advocacy Work Wins Awards

We work with the health care community, including medical associations and partner organizations such as the American Medical

Association, U.S. Pain Foundation, Alliance to Advance Comprehensive Integrative Pain Management, and Voices for Non-Opioid Choices, where our goals and interests overlap. AMTA encourages private and public health insurance plans to cover massage therapy as a non pharmacological treatment for managing pain and health conditions. In addition, we encourage medical practitioners and providers to prescribe the use of massage therapy as an effective tool for health and wellness. AMTA educates and engages our

AMTA was recently recognized for our Massage Therapy for Pain Management Integrated Communications and Advocacy campaign with a Hermes Gold Award and an APEX Award of Excellence in 2023.

Visit the QR code to learn more about AMTA’s award-winning advocacy efforts and how you can get involved.

• Massage therapy for pain management (as an alternative to opioid use) is now a recognized supplemental benefit in Medicare Advantage plans. • Massage therapy is now a covered benefit for our nation’s veterans and active duty personnel. • The NCCIH supports the value of massage therapy for both acute and chronic pain, including low back pain, neck and shoulder pain, and side effects associated with certain cancers, as well as HIV/ AIDS and fibromyalgia. • Massage therapy is now endorsed by the American College of Physicians and The Joint Commission. • At the state level, AMTA monitored 145 bills during the 2023 legislative session related to non-pharmacological approaches for pain management. We provided input for bills related to the study of alternative treatments for chronic pain, removing barriers to non-opioid pain management and requiring insurers to cover non-pharmacological approaches, including massage therapy. The significant number of bills and activity indicates we are making great strides in this arena.

members, consumers, and the general public on state and federal legislation and our advocacy efforts, so they

can lend their voices and support for important bills related to advancing the massage therapy profession.

We remain committed to seeking out opportunities for supporting sound research and the creation of standards. Research and standards drive policy

change by providing the necessary evidence and insights to inform decision-making. This helps ensure that policies are well-informed, effective, and address the underlying issues they aim to solve. Why Massage Therapists are an Important Part of Advocacy • As a massage therapist, your voice is important— your experience and expertise can have a powerful impact on lawmakers who rely on subject-matter experts. • Your involvement as a massage therapist can elevate the entire massage community. • Your advocacy grows the awareness and visibility of the massage therapy profession.

In addition, AMTA continues to work to promote responsible and inclusive massage therapy licensing and portability across all 50 states and territories, as well as to protect and support massage therapy schools and students.

The advancements in massage therapy research and standards. • AMTA’s advocacy work helped lead to the

How are AMTA’s Advocacy Efforts Creating Change for Massage Therapists? The expansion, recognition and

introduction of S. 2922, the Advancing Research for Chronic Pain Act. This crucial legislation will fund new research to better understand pain conditions and inform interventions for improving care and reducing associated costs.

ONYXprj / Alexandr III / FeelplusCreator / Voodoodot / shutterstock.com acceptance of massage therapy in the integrative health care community.

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