Definitions

1   In this regulation:

"Act" means the Health Professions Act;

"massage therapy" means the health profession in which a person provides, for the purposes of developing, maintaining, rehabilitating or augmenting physical function, or relieving pain or promoting health, the services of

(a) assessment of soft tissue and joints of the body, and

(b) treatment and prevention of physical dysfunction, injury, pain and disorders of soft tissue and joints of the body by manipulation, mobilization and other manual methods;

"registrant" means a registrant who is authorized under the bylaws to practise massage therapy.

[am. B.C. Regs. 58/2015, s. 1; 31/2024, Sch. 2, s. 1.]

College name

2   The name of the college responsible for carrying out the objects of the Act in respect of massage therapy is "College of Complementary Health Professionals of British Columbia".

[en. B.C. Reg. 31/2024, Sch. 2, s. 2.]

Reserved titles

3   The following titles are reserved for exclusive use by registrants:

(a) massage therapist;

(b) registered massage therapist;

(c) massage practitioner;

(d) registered massage practitioner.

Scope of practice

4   A registrant may practise massage therapy.

Restricted and provisional registrant classes

4.1   The college is authorized to establish, under section 19 (1) (i) of the Act, a class of

(a) restricted registrants for the purposes of section 20 (4.2) of the Act, and

(b) provisional registrants for the purposes of section 20 (4.3) of the Act.

[en. B.C. Reg. 31/2024, Sch. 2, s. 3.]

Repealed

5   Repealed. [B.C. Reg. 58/2015, s. 2.]

Limits or conditions on services

6   No registrant may

(a) prescribe or administer drugs or anaesthetics,

(b) treat a recent fracture of a bone,

(c) apply any form of medical electricity, or

(d) move a joint of the spine beyond the limits the body can voluntarily achieve using a high velocity, low amplitude thrust.

[en. B.C. Reg. 58/2015, s. 3.]

Patient relations program

7   The college is designated for the purposes of section 16 (2) (f) of the Act.

Health profession corporations

8   Part 4 of the Act applies to massage therapy.