High demand, not enough massage therapists means longer wait times - CBC.ca

[massage]

Demand for a massage increased during the pandemic but the number of practicing therapists dropped creating the perfect ache for patients who had to wait for appointments.

Michael Feraday, CEO of the Registered Massage Therapists Association of Ontario, says in 2020 there were only 34 new graduates working as registered massage therapists — a number that is normally close to 1,000.

"Very few graduated through the system due to the fact that you had to have a hands-on type of test. It's not just a written test," Feraday said.

"The testing had to be adjusted to allow for all of the challenges that the pandemic created."

In 2019 in Ontario, there were 13,970 registered massage therapists with 944 deemed as inactive.

In 2020, the number of inactive massage therapists increased by 22 per cent to 1,254 while the number of registered massage therapists in the province dropped to 13,684.

It wasn't just an issue in Ontario. Natasha Joyce, co-owner and director of education at the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy in Halifax, told CBC News early on in the pandemic that she was getting calls from clinics across the country looking for new grads because they had too many clients and not enough workers.

"Based on these current trends, we actually expect to see significant shortages in the months and years ahead, as more Canadians are focusing on their mental and physical wellness," she said.

Many opted to retire or go on hiatus​

Registered massage therapists were considered essential workers during the pandemic, but Feraday says many in the profession chose to make personal changes.

"There was a lot of anxiety. I think a lot of people postponed practicing or went into ... maybe not necessarily retirement but into a hiatus," Feraday said.

Feraday expects there will be a double cohort of people graduating from massage therapy programs across the province.

Massage therapy is a degree program in Ontario and there are approximately 40 private and public colleges offering degrees with the newest program established at Conestoga College in Kitchener.

Conestoga's three year Massage Therapy advanced diploma program will welcome the first cohort of students to the program in September.

 

[Deleted member 79939]

Demand for a massage increased during the pandemic but the number of practicing therapists dropped creating the perfect ache for patients who had to wait for appointments.

Michael Feraday, CEO of the Registered Massage Therapists Association of Ontario, says in 2020 there were only 34 new graduates working as registered massage therapists — a number that is normally close to 1,000.

"Very few graduated through the system due to the fact that you had to have a hands-on type of test. It's not just a written test," Feraday said.

"The testing had to be adjusted to allow for all of the challenges that the pandemic created."

In 2019 in Ontario, there were 13,970 registered massage therapists with 944 deemed as inactive.

In 2020, the number of inactive massage therapists increased by 22 per cent to 1,254 while the number of registered massage therapists in the province dropped to 13,684.

It wasn't just an issue in Ontario. Natasha Joyce, co-owner and director of education at the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy in Halifax, told CBC News early on in the pandemic that she was getting calls from clinics across the country looking for new grads because they had too many clients and not enough workers.

"Based on these current trends, we actually expect to see significant shortages in the months and years ahead, as more Canadians are focusing on their mental and physical wellness," she said.

Many opted to retire or go on hiatus​

Registered massage therapists were considered essential workers during the pandemic, but Feraday says many in the profession chose to make personal changes.

"There was a lot of anxiety. I think a lot of people postponed practicing or went into ... maybe not necessarily retirement but into a hiatus," Feraday said.

Feraday expects there will be a double cohort of people graduating from massage therapy programs across the province.

Massage therapy is a degree program in Ontario and there are approximately 40 private and public colleges offering degrees with the newest program established at Conestoga College in Kitchener.

Conestoga's three year Massage Therapy advanced diploma program will welcome the first cohort of students to the program in September.

Lol

 

[Deleted member 94218]

Lol

Obviously not talking about R&T..