The following is a list of modalities which CMMOTA recognizes for the purpose of granting insurance through our liability insurance provider. In order for a member to gain recognition for the Modalities listed below, they must meet the criteria laid out under each section. If you are a practicing Spa Therapist, please refer to Appendix 42 for a list of modalities that are related to your professional practice. If you are a practicing Manual Osteopathic Therapist, please refer to Appendix 34 for a list of modalities that are related to your professional practice. If you are a practicing Registered Massage Therapist member, please refer to your regulated college regarding modalities which may be practiced in your jurisdiction.
Section 1 Student Massage Therapist Member Core Modalities
Criteria: A member must meet the eligibility requirements to become a student member which are indicated under CMMOTA Bylaw 3.2.4.. The following core modalities may be practiced under supervision (defined as direct supervision with supervisor in the room) only while they are a “Student Massage Therapist Member:”
• Relaxation Massage
• Swedish Massage
Section 2 Associate Massage Therapist Member Core Modalities
Criteria: A member must meet the eligibility requirements to become an associate member which are indicated under CMMOTA Bylaw 3.2.3..
The following core modalities may be practiced under supervision (defined as direct supervision with supervisor in the room) only while they are an “Associate Massage Therapist Member”, unless special written permission has been provided by the Association:
• Relaxation Massage
• Swedish Massage
• Therapeutic Massage
Section 3 Full Massage Therapist Core Modalities
Criteria: A member must meet the eligibility requirements to become a Full Massage Therapist Member, which are indicated under CMMOTA Bylaws 3.2.1.. The following core modalities may be practiced without supervision while they are a “Full Massage Therapist Member”:
• Deep Muscle
• Hydrotherapy
• Joint Mobilization
• Manual Lymphatic Drainage
• Myofascial Therapy
• Pre & Post Natal Massage
• Relaxation Massage
• Swedish Massage
• Therapeutic Massage
• Trigger Point
Section 4 Massage Therapy Additional Massage Modalities
Criteria: In order for a “Full Massage Therapist Member” to practice any of the following modalities, the modality must be granted by CMMOTA’s Professional Liability Insurance provider. Please note that Associate Massage Therapists cannot practice any of these additional massage modalities. A modality may be granted if the following are provided to the Association:
1. A Certificate from a CMMOTA approved Continuing Education Course which meets both the approval of the Professional Liability Insurance company, and CMMOTA’s minimum standard of hours and hands on training required to grant the specified modality; or
2. Diploma from a CMMOTA accepted Massage Therapy programme accompanied by Transcripts and Course Outlines which include hours of training in any specific modality type – the course outline, preferably with a breakdown of theoretical hours and practical hours, would have to be from the specific year that the programme was delivered to the therapist, as we recognize that programmes change from time to time. Any modality would need to meet the minimum standard of hours and hands on training required to grant the specific modality and would require approval from the Professional Liability Insurance provider as sufficient proof of education.
Modalities listed in this section are to be incorporated into a massage therapy treatment and are not to be billed as Massage Therapy when performed as a stand-alone treatment. In such cases where a modality listed in this section is delivered as a stand-alone treatment (meaning that the treatment used only the singular modality), it would be required to be billed as if it were a separate service.
This is the list of additional Massage Related Modalities that CMMOTA recognizes. Any Modality not on this list would have to be considered by, Administration, the Board of Directors, and the Liability Insurance Provider before it would be added to the list. If there is a modality that you would like to have considered that is not currently on this list below, please contact info@cmmota.com so that we can inquire directly with our liability insurance provider to see if it may be added to this list. The Association reserves the right to add to or remove any modality on this list at any time for any reason it deems necessary.
• Active Release
• Acupressure
• Alexander Method
• Aqua Lymphatic Therapy *
• Aroma Massage (use of industrial produced/blended oils only)
• Aromatherapy (requires 200 hours CE training, allows for therapist produced/blended oil use)
• Aroma Touch (use of industrial produced/blended oils only)
• Ashiatsu
• Athletic Taping and Bracing *
• Bowen Therapy
• Certified Athletic/Sports Therapist *
• Craniosacral
• Feldenkrais Technique
• Fire Cupping *
• Graston Technique
• Healing Touch (hands on work only)
• Hellerwork*
• Hot Stone Therapy
• Indian Head/Foot Massage
• Infant Massage
• Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Manipulation (IASTM)
• Integrative Manual Therapy & Orthopedic Massage
• K-Taping
• Ki-Hara Resistance Stretching *
• Kinetic Massage
• Lensen
• Lomilomi Massage
• Low Intensity Laser Therapy
• Lymphatic Drainage Therapy (LDT)
• Meridian Massage
• Muscle Activation Technique *
• Muscle Energy Technique
• Neurofascial Therapy
• Neuromuscular Therapy
• Oncology Massage *
• Onsen
• Orthobionomy
• Raindrop Therapy
• Red Light Therapy
• Reflexology
• Reiki (hands on work only)
• Salt Stone
• Shiatsu *
• Shockwave Therapy
• Somatic Exercise/Essential Somatic (no psychotherapy components)
• Somatic Teaching * (no psychotherapy components)
• Sport Massage (includes athletic taping and bracing) *
• Strain/Counterstain
• Structural Integration
• Suction Cupping
• TENS Therapy
• Therapeutic Touch (hands on work only)
• TMJ Intraoral
• Touch for Health/RESET
• Traditional/Thai/ Thai Yoga Massage
• Trager
• Ultrasound Therapy (not diagnostic imaging or any application to a fetus as these are restricted activities under the Health Professions Act in Alberta )
• Visceral Manipulation
• Yoga (one on one instruction)*
PLEASE NOTE that those modalities followed by a * may require an insurance surcharge for professional liability insurance coverage – please contact the office for current pricing.
Section 5 – Manual Osteopathic Therapy
CMMOTA has designated this modality as a separate professional designation. As such while we are able to offer professional liability insurance coverage for those members who are enrolled as a student in an Manual Osteopathic Therapy program as an add on to your Massage Therapy policy with a surcharge, it may not be practiced as part of a Massage Therapy Treatment Plan, and must be billed separate from Massage Therapy, and any receipts issued by the member for Manual Osteopathic Therapy services shall not include the Member’s CMMOTA Massage Therapist or Spa Therapist Registration number.
Once a member has graduated from a Manual Osteopathic Therapy program, in order to continue practice as a Manual Osteopathic Therapists, we do require registration as an individual professional designation, and an upgrade in insurance coverage.
As a Massage Therapist member, if you have met the eligibility requirements for either a Manual Osteopathic Student membership or Full Manual Osteopathic members listed under CMMOTA Bylaws 3.2.2 or 3.2.7. and wish to have the coverage for Manual Osteopathic Therapy added to your professional liability coverage, please contact the CMMOTA office directly to get the process started.
IF You are practicing or offering any services not listed above, please contact the CMMOTA office to assist in obtaining additional professional liability insurance coverage. Practice or offering of additional services cannot be billed or invoiced using a CMMOTA membership number.
Date of Last Revision: October 25, 2024
©2024 CMMOTA, All Rights Reserved.