Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1299745
CLASSROOM TO CLIENT education Know Your Boundaries By Cindy Williams C h e c k o u t A B M P 's P o c k e t P a t h o l o g y a t w w w. a b m p . c o m / a b m p - p o c k e t - p a t h o l o g y - a p p . 31 When I first heard the term scope of practice in 2010, I was 10 years into my career as a massage therapist. Ten years! Even then, to be honest, I wasn't sure what it meant. Sometimes you don't know what you don't know. I attributed my lack of knowledge to attending school in the late 1990s when educational standards in our profession were not as structured as they are now, and terms such as scope of practice were not presented and defined in many entry- level programs. The reason might have been that many states, including the one I had been trained and was practicing in, did not yet have legislation in place to outline laws and regulations or require licensure of massage therapists. Recently, the topic of scope of practice came up again when I was contacted by two colleagues, both massage therapists, who sought new employment opportunities after COVID-19 greatly impacted their private practices. Both were concerned about techniques they were being asked to perform in chiropractic clinics. I realized that even with a clear definition of scope of practice, practitioners of all experience levels might still be unsure what does and does not fall within their scope—or even where to find the information they need when in doubt.