Appendix 34 – Modalities List for Manual Osteopathic Therapists

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 Massage Therapist, please refer to Appendix 19 for a list of modalities that are related to your professional practice. If you are a practicing Spa Therapist, please refer to Appendix 42 for a list of modalities that are related to your professional practice.

Section 1 Student Manual Osteopathic Therapist Member Core Modalities

Criteria: A member must meet the eligibility requirements to become a student manual osteopathic therapist member which are indicated under CMMOTA Bylaw 3.2.7.. The following core modalities may be practiced under supervision (defined as direct supervision with supervisor in the room) only while they are a “Student Manual Osteopathic Therapist Member:”

• Manual Osteopathic Therapy (includes the following: Osteoarticulation, Advanced Myofascial Release, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Craniosacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation, Joint Mobilization, Muscle Energy Technique)

Section 2 Full Manual Osteopathic Therapist Member Core Modalities

Criteria: A member must meet the eligibility requirements to become a full member which are indicated under CMMOTA Bylaw 3.2.2.. The following core modalities may be practiced without supervision while they are a “Full Manual Osteopathic Therapist Member:”

Section 3 Manual Osteopathic Therapy Additional Modalities

Criteria: In order for a “Full Manual Osteopathic Therapist Member” to practice any of the following modalities, the modality must be granted by CMMOTA’s Professional Liability Insurance provider. 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 the approval of the Professional Liability Insurance company.

Modalities listed in this section must be incorporated into a manual osteopathic therapy treatment and are not to be billed as Manual Osteopathic 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 a separate additional service. A technique or modality is only to be considered as a stand-alone treatment if and only if one modality or technique is the ONLY modality or technique that is provided in the treatment session. The moment that a therapist uses any one of the core modalities listed above in Section 2, or if two or more of the modalities listed under this section are used in a treatment session that treatment is considered to be “Manual Osteopathic Therapy” and would be billed/receipted as such.

This is the list of additional Manual Osteopathic Therapy 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

• 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)

• Athletic Taping and Bracing *

• Bowen Therapy

• Certified Athletic/Sports Therapist *

• Concussion Care *

• Fascia Stretch Therapy

• Feldenkrais Technique

• Graston Technique

• Hellerwork*

• Hot Stone Therapy

• Hydrotherapy

• Infant Craniosacral*

• Infant/Pediatric/Toddler Osteopathy*

• Infant Visceral Manipulation*

• Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Manipulation (IASTM)

• Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT)

• Jin Shin Jytsu

• Ki-Hara Resistance Stretching *

• K-Taping

• Lensen

• Low Level Laser

• MPS – Microcurrent Point System

• Muscle Activation Technique *

• Neurofascial Therapy

• Neuromuscular Therapy

• Oncology Treatment *

• Onsen

• Orthobionomy

• Orthopedic Certification

• Photobiomodulation (Thor)

• Pilates * (one-on-one instruction)

• Qi-Gong (one-on-one instruction)

• Radial Shockwave

• RAPID NeuroFascial Reset

• Red Light Therapy

• Reflexology

• Rolfing

• Shockwave Therapy

• Soft Tissue Manipulation

• Somatic Exercise/Essential Somatic (no psychotherapy components)

• Somatic Teaching * (no psychotherapy components)

• Strain/Counterstrain

• Structural Integration

• Suction Cupping

• Tai Chi (one-on-one instruction)

• TENS Therapy

• TMJ Intraoral

• Trager

• Ultrasound Therapy (not diagnostic imaging or any application to a fetus as these are restricted activities under the Health Professions Act of Alberta)

• Vagus Nerve

• 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 4 – Services/Modalities Outside of Scope

Members practicing or offering any modality or services not listed above, please contact the CMMOTA office to assist in obtaining additional professional liability insurance coverage. Practice or offering of additional services which are not listed above cannot be billed or invoiced using a CMMOTA Manual Osteopathic Therapist membership number.

Section 5 – Regarding Massage Therapy Training

CMMOTA has designated this modality as a separate professional designation.

Massage Therapy or Spa Therapy may not be practiced as part of a manual osteopathic therapy treatment plan. As a separate professional designation, practice of massage therapy or spa therapy must have a separate appointment time, separate billing, and separate treatment notes.

Date of Last Revision: March 3, 2026