Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 30 - Professions and Occupations › Part 2501 - Massage Therapy, Board of › Chapter 7 - Professional Responsibilities › Rule 30-2501-7.5 - Duties and Responsibilities of Licensed Massage Therapists

Current through June 25, 2024
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 hi story/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.