This government agency regulates and monitors the practice of massage in Oregon. The board establishes licensure requirements, administers tests for prospective practitioners, issues licenses, and enforces professional conduct and practice standards.
The panel investigates complaints concerning unlicensed practice or alleged violations of rules and ethics. The officials discipline licensees, applicants, and facilities. Actions include “letters of concern,” reprimands, civil penalties, continuing education requirements, licensure denial, probation, suspension or revocation of licenses, and assessment of administrative costs.
The board has seven members, four of whom are licensed Oregon massage therapists. The other three represent the public.
Minimum Education Requirements for Massage Therapy Programs in Oregon
The first accomplishment to become a massage therapist in Oregon is to obtain either a high school diploma or a GED. A student then needs to enroll in an accredited postsecondary school offering an MT program that state officials have approved.
The Oregon Board of Massage Therapists mandates that curricula provide at least 624 clock hours of instruction and training. This amounts to 25 quarter credits or 15.74 semester credits. There must be 200 hours (eight quarter credits or 5.34 semester credits) in health sciences courses that cover anatomy and physiology, pathology, and kinesiology.
Another 300 hours (12 quarter credits or eight semester credits) need to be devoted to massage theory and practical application, clinical practice, business development, sanitation, communication, and ethics.
The remaining 125 hours (five quarter credits or 2.4 semester credits) may be within any of the required subject areas. Programs vary in the types of massage techniques and other therapeutic methods they teach.
Upon graduation, a prospective practitioner must pass either the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) or the Certification Examination for Structural Integration (CESI). Students usually choose the MBLEx, the test most states require.
They apply online to the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, paying a fee of about $200; and take the exam at a Pearson VUE testing center.
Students also must pass the Oregon jurisprudence exam, a written test about Oregon laws that they may take at home and send to the state board.
Practitioners are required to complete 25 hours of continuing education each time they renew their licenses. The board maintains a list of acceptable class subjects.