Federal government websites often end in. The site is secure. Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October Learn More or Try it out now. Research into body work based complementary and alternative therapies, such as osteopathy and chiropractic has highlighted barriers and benefits of professionalization for these professions. There has been no examination of the road massage therapy has taken towards legitimation and professionalization.
This review article examines the drive by massage therapists for legitimation as health professionals within New Zealand. Massage therapy has an extensive and complex history. Within this history, massage therapy has gone from being part of orthodox medicine and acceptable, to being complementary and marginalized as an industry.
In an effort to overcome this position, the massage therapy industry has attempted to gain legitimation by establishing professional associations, defining scopes of practice, lobbying government, and raising education standards. This article also discusses the historical journey of massage therapy, the evolution of massage therapy education in New Zealand, higher education as a means to occupational recognition and control, and the elements of professionalization that may support legitimation and occupational boundary protection for massage therapists.
Complementary and alternative medicine CAM is a broad domain encompassing a varied collection of therapies, practiced alongside or as an alternative to mainstream medicine 1 , that incorporate holism 2 to treat illness and promote well-being 3 , 4.
Practitioners of CAM therapies commonly do not accept biomedical dominance or their own marginality, and seek politicalβlegal recognition in terms of public support, often through satisfied patients, and statutory registration 5. With the growth in the number of CAM therapists and the establishment of professional associations, many CAM groups are undertaking the process of professionalization to enhance their own legitimacy 6 β 8.
