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What's Happening at the RMTAO
AGM Recording Available
Did you miss our Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was held on February 2, 2020 in Toronto?
You can now watch a recording of the AGM online!
This is a great opportunity to hear an update of the RMTAO's activities over the past year and some of our upcoming initiatives.
For further information about the activities of the RMTAO in 2019, you can also read our Annual Report.
If you have any questions about the AGM recording or the Annual Report, you can contact the RMTAO at info@rmtao.com
Member Question of the Week
Last week, we introduced a new feature to the Friday File - the Member Question of the Week! We asked our members to submit any question they had about an issue in their practice, or the activities of the RMTAO for publication in the Friday File. The answer to our first question of the week is published below!
If you had a question that you would like the RMTAO to answer and publish in the Friday File, email info@rmtao.com. We will answer all questions we receive regardless of whether they're published.
You can read our first ever member question of the week below.
Member Spotlight
The RMTAO is pleased to announce our February Member Spotlight  Dan Carell! Dan Carell is a Registered Massage Therapist in Barrie, Ontairo, and has been a dedicated RMTAO member for 9 years, since he became an RMT. He served on the RMTAO Board of Directors from 2013-2019 and was the Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee for three years. He serves on several RMTAO committees including the Publications Review Panel, Research Committee, Educational Advisory Committee and Conference Committee.
Why did you choose to become a Registered Massage Therapist?
Dan: I had a workout partner who was an RMT. He did mostly sports therapy but he was telling me about the athletes he was working with; one in particular was a strongman power lifter. Every spring he would close his Barrie, ON clinic for about a month while he traveled with the strongman through the European competition circuit. Our profession is versatile and transfereable to many different countries; meaning that we can create more opportunities for ourselfs than some other professions.
What do you like best about your job?
Dan: Working for myself and creating my own hours is pretty great. The even better is all the wonderful people from different backgrounds and vocations that I meet and interact with. I think the best part is seeing the positive changes patients receive from their care: when they have a grimace on the first session and a big smile at the end of the treatment plan, that's the best.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Dan: I like cycling, and recently I've been getting into doing some carpentry and woodworking.
What advice would you give new Registered Massage Therapists?
Dan: Make some RMT friends and ask questions. Go to the CBN meetings. Having a strong professional network is an important thing in health care - we can all learn from each other and it helps us be the best version of ourselves while helping others be the best version of themselves.
Why did you choose to join the RMTAO?
Dan: It's the right thing to do. Imagine a world without professional associations; one without the programs that help to make your life a little easier; one without the work they do to make the profession better... You'd be trying to do all that stuff by yourself. Associations are our own little village where we can band together and make positive changes that benefit us and our patients, it's the right thing to do.
Connect with your Peers - Community Based Networks
Many RMTs work in relatively isolated environments and have difficulty finding peers to connect with. The RMTAO has created Community-Based Networks to help strengthen and connect local communities of RMTs.
Community-Based Networks (CBNs) are groups of RMTs within local communities all across Ontario. These networks allow RMTs to get together to share knowledge and seek support. There are active CBNs across Ontario that meet for networking, social and educational meetings. CBNs are open to all RMTs and massage therapy students in Ontario, not just RMTAO members.
There are currently upcoming meetings scheduled for the following CBNs: Quinte, Guelph and London.
If you don't see a meeting scheduled in your local CBN, contact the CBN coordinator with suggestions. If you don't see a CBN in your region, and are interested in starting one, contact Laura Fixman, Manager of Communications at laura@rmtao.com.
Lumbopelvic Muscle Imbalances - Early Bird Ends Today
The early bird rate for the popular assessment course Lumbopelvic Muscle Imbalances ends today!
This course, which is being held on March 1 in Kemptville will focus on the therapist’s ability to assess and treat common low back stability dysfunctions in the clinic. Techniques will be focused on assessing the inner and outer unit muscles of the low back for decreased control, decreased endurance and imbalances. The therapist will learn how to identify patients that will benefit from a stability exercise program.
Space is limited, and after tomorrow, prices go up, so register online now.
Member Question of the Week
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I thought that RMTs would become automatically HST exempt as soon as we were regulated in five provinces. What is the hold up in the process?
The Ministry of Finance set down the requirement that a health profession must be regulated in five provinces in order to make an application for tax exemption.
This is not an automtic process, and when naturopaths became regulated in their fifth province in 2012, it took them just over two years to obtain tax exemption.
This is a national initiative, which we are working on with our partners in the Canadian Massage Therapist Alliance (CMTA) to move this initiative forwards. We need to lobby the federal government to give up the revenue they get from the tax collected on massage therapy, and then get them to include tax exemption for massage therapy in a federal budget, which would be the most time-consuming part of the process. We will be able to accomplish this by making them aware of the varied health benefits of massage therapy, and emphasizing that tax exemption will increase patients' access to the health care they need.
The first stage of this initiative was to raise awareness and support for this campaign, which we did through the website RMTACT.ca. We also need to demonstrate that the majority of RMTs in Canada are united behind this initiative, which is one of the reason's it's so important that RMTs join their provincial association.
We encouraged RMTs across Canada to sign up for updates, share their stories, use our tools for engagement, participate in surveys and share our massage therapy facts with their networks. Thousands of Canadian RMTs stepped up to the plate, and the fact that we can use this site to demonstrate the support we receive will greatly strengthen our case when it comes time to being our formal lobbying efforts, which will begin over the next few weeks.
Based on our conversations with other health professional associations, this process takes from two to five years.
Do you have a question? Email info@rmtao.com
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Business Tip of the Week
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Stop Trying to Tackle Too Many Goals at Once
Most of us know that trying to tackle too many goals at once is a bad idea. It’s tough to make meaningful progress on any of them, and you’re more likely to just give up. So take a step back to determine which goal deserves your focus right now. Make sure your goal is aligned with your company’s strategic vision. The most direct way to do this is to ask your boss for input: What do you think is the most important goal I can be working on this year? If you’re choosing between equally compelling goals, the next step is to put them in chronological order to determine their optimal sequence. Make a list of what you’ll need to have in place — skills, knowledge, connections, assets, etc. — in order to accomplish your longer-term goals. Be on the lookout for a “keystone goal,” that, if accomplished, makes everything else easier or more attainable. And commit to sticking with your goal for a predetermined amount of time. If you don’t see immediate progress, don’t be tempted to switch course. Give it at least six months. By then you’ll have a better sense of whether you’re on the right track.
Adapted from "Don’t Bog Yourself Down with Too Many Goals,” by Dorie Clark
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Research Article of the Week
The effect of lumbar stabilization and walking exercises on chronic low back pain
Background: Pain levels in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee are commonly assessed by using a numeric scoring system, but results may be influenced by factors other than the patient's actual physical discomfort or disease severity, including psychosocial and demographic variables. We examined the possible relation between knee-pain scores and several psychosocial, sociodemographic, disease, and treatment variables in 355 patients with knee OA.
Methods:The pain-evaluation instrument was a 0- to 10-point rating scale. Data obtained retrospectively from the patients' medical records were demographic characteristics, body mass index (BMI), concomitant disorders, illicit and prescription drug use, alcohol use, smoking, knee OA treatment, and severity of knee OA indicated by Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) radiographic grade. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine whether these variables correlated with reported pain scores.
Results: On univariate analysis, higher pain scores were significantly associated with Native American or Hispanic ethnicity; a higher BMI; current prescription for an opioid, antidepressant, or gabapentinoid medication; depression; diabetes mellitus; fibromyalgia; illicit drug use; lack of health insurance; smoking; previous knee injection; and recommendation by the clinician that the patient undergo knee surgery. Neither the patient's sex nor the KL grade showed a correlation. On multivariate analysis, depression, current opioid prescription, and Native American or Hispanic ethnicity retained a significant association with higher pain scores.
Conclusion and implications: Our results in a large, ethnically diverse group of patients with knee OA suggest that psychosocial and sociodemographic factors may be important determinants of pain levels reported by patients with knee OA.
Eberly, L., Richter, D., Comerci, G., Ocksrider, J., Mercer, D., Mlady, G., Wascher, D., & Schenck, R. (2018). Psychosocial and demographic factors influencing pain scores of patients with knee osteoarthritis. PloS one, 13(4), e0195075.
Read the full article...
The Learning Curve - The RMTAO Education Series
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The Learning Curve - The RMTAO Education Series
The Learning Curve provides education to massage therapists in a variety of hands-on workshops and lecture-based seminars across Ontario focused on three main areas-Competency, Business, and Modality. The Continuing Education Program is designed to help massage therapists increase their knowledge base to continuously improve for both their own personal success and that of the client.
Click here for more information about the courses that are offered by the RMTAO.
Surface Anatomy: Lower
February 23, 2020 - Peterborough
Lumbopelvic Muscle Imbalances
March 1, 2020 - Kemptville
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunctions
March 8, 2020 - Cambridge
Ankle and Foot Dysfunctions
March 22, 2020 - Kingston
Rib Mobilizations
April 5, 2020 - Toronto
Mid/Lower Cervical Mobilizations
April 19, 2020 - Ottawa
Lumbar Mobilizations
May 24, 2020 - Windsor
The Hidden Cause of Low Back Pain: The Hip
June 7, 2020 - Ottawa
Upper Cervical Spine Mobilizations
June 14, 2020 - Sudbury
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Upcoming Community Networks and Related Activities
The RMTAO has created a feature on RMTAO.com for Community Networks. Members and non-members can access information about the latest upcoming network activities on our list of upcoming events! Don't see a Community Based Network near you? You can contact Laura Fixman at laura@rmtao.com to learn more about starting one!
Quinte Community Based Network
Date: Saturday, February 22, 2020
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Kerr Chiropractic, 34 Bridge St W, Belleville, ON
Topic: Meet & greet, bookkeeping & taxes, online SOAP & booking systems.
Contact: Stephanie Webb at stephaniewebbrmt@gmail.com
Read more about the event
Guelph Community Based Network
Date: Monday, February 24, 2020
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Fionn MacCools, 494 Edinburgh Rd S, Guelph, ON
Topic: General Discussion
Contact: Renata Deforest, renatarmt@bell.net
Future Meetings: March 16
Read more about the event
London Community Based Network
Date: Friday, March 6, 2020
Time: 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Edgar and Joe's Cafe , 255 Horton Street E. London, ON
Topic: This is a casual meeting for ALL RMTs and students, RMTAO members or not, to get together with peers, update and discuss latest CMTO and RMTAO news, talk over practice issues, keep track of HST initiatives, and share knowledge. Newer RMT? Tap into some experience! An old hand? Find some fresh perspective, get a boost and pass on your hard-won know-how. Keep an eye out for the extra workshops and presentations, usually every 6-8 weeks, on a variety of days of the week so we can all attend something at some point.
Contact: Dani Faucher at danifaucher.rmt@gmail.com
Read more about the event
Future Meetings: April 6, May 8, June 1
Read more about Community Based Networks
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