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What's Happening at the RMTAO
Chart a New Course - Renew Today!
 After a challenging time for the massage therapy profession, we need to work together to map out the future of massage therapy.
Your membership, and insurance if purchased, expires on October 1, 2020. Log in and renew today and help us chart a new course for the massage therapy profession.
The RMTAO continues to provide our members with guidance as you navigate this new reality, and we will provide you with the tools you need to be successful as you encounter new challenges.
The RMTAO is the only advocate for Ontario RMTs, and we make sure that the voice of RMTs is represented with the government and with other health professionals. Now more than ever, it’s important that you remain a part of your professional association. In addition to representation and support, there’s a lot of benefits to being an RMTAO member
Insurance through the Trisura Portal
Your insurance, if purchased, expires on October 1, 2020. Renew online today!
By purchasing your professional liability insurance through the Trisura Portal, you gain access to free unlimited legal consultation.
You can call the Trisura Legal helpline to speak to a lawyer about any issue impacting your practice. You can call the hotline as frequently as you want for as long as you want.
If you purchase your insurance through the Trisura Portal by September 15, 2020, you can access the early bird discount and get your insurance for $85!
Program Spotlight: Home and Auto Insurance
Do you practice out of your home? If you have a home-based practice, your home insurance may not cover you.
Robertson Hall offers our members discounted home insurance and specialize in offering coverage to home-based businesses.
In addition to 20% off your Home Insurance, Robertson Hall also offers 25% off your Auto Insurance.
RMTAO members pay a one-time enrolment fee of $24.00 to gain access to this program. Before paying the enrolment fee, we recommend you get a quote for your home or auto insurance to ensure they will best meet your needs.
To ensure that Robertson Hall will meet your home and auto insurance needs, you can contact them for a no obligation quote at 1-800-640-0933, or visit www.robertsonhall.com and complete the online quotation form.
Read more...
Updated CMTO COVID-19 Practice Guidance
Following a review of recent changes to Ministry of Health resources, as well as questions from RMTs, CMTO has updated the COVID-19 Pandemic Practice Guidance for Massage Therapists.
Updates include:
- Hand sanitizer alcohol concentration now 70%-90% (as a result of updated government guidance), and more information on providing tissues and lined garbage bins for use by staff and clients
- Requirement to provide a surgical/procedure mask if clients screen positive at practice setting
- Clarification on client screening – clients must be screened twice i.e. once before arriving for their appointment, and again upon arrival
- Clarification on RMT mask use – all levels of surgical/procedure masks are acceptable; it is best practice to change masks after each client but must change when wet, soiled or damaged
- Recommendation for all staff at practice settings to wear surgical/procedure masks when present
- Tool added: Public Health Ontario’s Performing a Risk Assessment Related to Routine Practice and Additional Precautions – for conducting individual risk assessments to determine if additional personal protective equipment is warranted
- Recommendation to engage with landlords to ensure cleaning of common spaces
- Additional information about what needs to be documented in the client health record
- Information on self-monitoring requirements for RMTs
Be sure to review the CMTO COVID-19 page regularly for any updates.
CMTO 2021 Registration Fees - Split Payment
To provide some relief to RMTs from the financial strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CMTO’s Council has determined that there will be no fee increase for 2021, and the fee for a General Certificate (GC) will be split into two payments over the course of four months.
No fee increases for 2021 means that the fee for a GC remains $785.00 and the fee for an Inactive (IN) Certificate remains $200.00. Deadlines for submission of the renewal form and payment are as follows:
General Certificate Renewal
- On or before November 1, 2020, registrants with a GC must submit a completed renewal form and pay the first installment of $392.50; and
- On or before March 1, 2021, registrants with a GC must pay the second installment of $392.50.
Inactive Certificate Renewal
- Registrants with an IN must submit a completed renewal form and their full renewal fees by November 1, 2020.
Read more...
Member Question of the Week
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I purchased a GoodLife membership through the RMTAO when I renewed last year but couldn't use the gym for over 3 months. Will they be extending the GoodLife membership or do I have to renew it now?
GoodLife has automatically extended all of their memberships for the amount of time gyms were closed in each local area. We recommend you contact the GoodLife you were attending regularly for your specific new expiry date.
Once it does come time to renew your GoodLife membership, GoodLife changed the way they handle their coporate memberships at the end of last year.
You will be required to pay a one-time, $25 enrolment fee to the RMTAO to enrol in this program. You will then be given access to GoodLife's system to renew your GoodLife membership directly. In every future year, you will be renewing your GoodLife membership directly through GoodLife.
This enrolment fee will be available on the RMTAO website. If you have any questions or would like a member of the RMTAO staff to add it for you, you can contact the RMTAO directly.
Do you have a question? Email info@rmtao.com
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Business Tip of the Week
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Become a Better Ally to Your Black Colleagues
Saying you want to support your Black colleagues is one thing; actively doing so is another. So how can you follow through on your statements of solidarity? It’s important to be intentional. Start by asking your Black colleagues what they need. Actively listen and learn about the experience of Black employees at your company. You could participate in a company-sponsored town hall focused on race in the workplace, or attend your company’s Black employee resource group (ERG) meetings. If your company doesn’t have an ERG, consider joining an online community where personal experiences about race are openly discussed and facilitated by experts. Also take supportive actions: Recommend your Black colleagues for highly visible projects, introduce them to influential people at your company, and openly acknowledge their accomplishments to others. And most of all, share their more challenging experiences with those who have the capacity to create systemic change. By noticing, connecting, valuing, and responding to the needs of your Black colleagues, you can build stronger relationships and help to advance racial justice in your workplace.
Adapted from “How to Be a Better Ally to Your Black Colleagues,” by Stephanie Creary
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Research Article of the Week
Back beliefs in patients with low back pain: a primary care cohort study
Background: The Back Belief Questionnaire (BBQ) measures beliefs about negative consequences of back pain. The aim of this study was to describe the back beliefs of a large clinical population with low back pain (LBP), to investigate the associations between back beliefs and patient characteristics when care-seeking, and between on-going pain and back beliefs at follow up.
Methods: Patients aged over 18, consulting with LBP with or without radicular pain of all symptom durations, were recruited from chiropractic clinics. The BBQ was completed on the first visit and at 3- and 12-month follow-ups. Sociodemographic- and symptom-related questions were answered at baseline. A BBQ sum score was calculated at all three time points, and linear regression was used to analyse the cross-sectional association between baseline patient characteristics and BBQ scores. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to test differences in BBQ scores for patients with and without on-going LBP at 3- and 12-months follow up.
Results: The baseline population consisted of 2295 participants. The median BBQ sum scores at baseline, 3 and 12 months had interquartile ranges of 33 [29-36], 33 [29-37], and 31 [27-35] respectively. Patient characteristics and symptoms were associated with baseline BBQ scores (p < 0.05), but most association were weak. The strongest association was with severe disability (4.0 points (95% CI 3.3-4.6) lower BBQ than no disability). Negative beliefs were related to more severe LBP at baseline and with on-going pain at follow up.
Conclusion: At a population level, back beliefs were generally positive and relatively constant over time, but misconceptions about a poor prognosis were common. Studies exploring individual patterns of back beliefs and associations with clinical outcomes over time are recommended.
Grøn, S., Jensen, R. K., Jensen, T. S., & Kongsted, A. (2019). Back beliefs in patients with low back pain: a primary care cohort study. BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 20(1), 578.
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.
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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!
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