Latest Soft Tissue Therapy Poll

Archived Poll Results (sorted oldest to most recent)

1. What is your favorite technique used in soft tissue therapy?

• Frictions - 23.07%
• Tissue Tension - 38.46%
• Functional Fascial Taping ® - 7.69%
• Trigger Point Therapy - 30.77%

2. What do you believe frictions actually do?

• Break up scar tissue - 14.29%
• Mobilise scar tissue and adhesions - 61.90%
• Create an inflammatory response - 14.29%
• Desensitise a hyperirritable focal point - 9.52%

3. What is your preferred name for our industry (primary care rather than relaxation)?

• Remedial Massage - 14.29%
• Myotherapy - 3.57%
• Soft Tissue Therapy - 75%
• Body Worker - 0%
• Masseur - 3.57%
• Musculoskeletal Therapist - 3.57%

4. Our minimum education should go to a degree for what reason?

• Increase educational standards - 18.52%
• Increase professional reputation - 37.04%
• Increase research opportunities - 11.11%
• Shouldn?t go to a degree - 33.33%

5. Where do most of your professional referrals come from?

• General Practitioners - 25.93%
• Sports Physicians/Doctors - 18.52%
• Physiotherapists - 11.11%
• Gymnasiums/Fitness leaders - 22.22%
• Osteopaths - 0%
• Chiropractors - 11.11%
• Rehabilitation Consultants (third party insurance) - 11.11%

6. Should our association be clearly divided into the following three categories: Pain and injury management therapists; Energy workers; Relaxation therapists?

• Yes - 91.43%
• No - 8.57%

7. What should our associations focus on the most?

• Health Insurance Funds - 13.95%
• Medicare Rebates - 6.98%
• Education Standards - 69.77%
• GST Status - 9.30%

8. If registration was to come about (giving a policeable membership, one that you can be deregistered from and deemed unable to work by law, minimum education necessary to be registered), would you sit a practical and theoretical exam to gain entry?

• No, I have been in the industry for years and believe I have the necessary knowledge and skills - 9.30%
• Yes, I would do anything for a professional registration - 81.40%
• A registration isn't necessary - 9.30%

9. Do five day massage courses have any place in our industry?

• Yes. They meet a void for certain prospective therapists - 5.45%
• No. There is no place for therapists with this limited education - 83.64%
• Maybe. Only if they are in the ?relaxation? vocation of our industry - 10.91%

10. Do you believe that so-called third bedroom practices:

• Are a legitimate option for a professional practice and should be promoted - 35.29%
• Decrease our professional image and should be banned - 64.71%

11. What is your perception of the most valuable asset of our associations?

• Health insurance lobbying - 16.1%
• Policy development - 6.5%
• Educational development - 29%
• Vocational development - 16.1%
• I have no idea and just pay the money - 32.3%

12. When you finished your STT education, what do you believe you lacked in the most?

• Anatomy - 0%
• Pathology - 21.5%
• Assessment - 57%
• Technique Indication - 21.5%

13. What type of association would you prefer?

• Remedial and relaxation massage only - 13.6%
• Strictly remedial massage/soft tissue therapy only - 65.9%
• All encompassing (remedial, relaxation, eastern, shiatsu, energy) - 20.5%

14. Are Soft Tissue / Massage Therapists qualified enough to perform Dry Needling?

• No. Not enough baseline education to understand mechanisms, indications and contraindications - 25%
• Yes. They have enough anatomy and pathological knowledge to perform safely and successfully - 12.5%
• Only those with Diploma level education - 62.5%

15. Where does Bowen Therapy fit into our industry?

• It is a stand alone therapy and education process - 60.8%
• It should be a part of our undergrad process - 9.8%
• It should only be a post graduate course - 29.4%

16. Are we falling behind our peers?

• Yes, our education is not evolving to the level of our physical therapy peers - 26.5%
• No, we are advancing at the same speed as other industries - 22.4%
• Yes, we remain a cottage industry with little to no research, without professional growth - 44.9%
• We don't need to advance any further. Our skills and knowledge are adequate - 6.1%

17. Should Soft Tissue Therapists be prescribing foot orthotics?

• Why not. What could it hurt - 0%
• Definitely. We need to broaden our horizons - 6.6%
• Podiatrists do this. Why should we - 44.3%
• Maybe with adequate training 49.2%

18. Where do you work from?

• Home - 29.8%
• Remedial Massage Clinic (STT, Myo, Etc) - 46.8%
• Mobile - 8.5%
• Multidisciplinary Clinic (With Physio, Osteo, Chiro, Doctor, Other) -14.9%

19. Do you think a degree would enhance or hamper our industry?

• Enhance - 78.6%
• Hamper - 21.4%

20. Do the modalities of Kahuna, Thai and Lomi Lomi massage belong in our membership?

• Yes - 15.7%
• No - 84.3%

21. Are Australian Education Institutions producing competent Remedial Massage Therapists?

• They are doing a great job of meeting the competency standards and producing excellent students - 4.7%
• Only very few schools produce employable graduates - 39.1%
• The difference between schools teaching levels is vast and students differ immensely - 53.1%
• I don't know any school that produces a RMT that I would employ with confidence - 1.6%
• I don't know what a competent RMT is anyway - 1.6%

22. Are Australian associations adequately promoting massage therapy versus remedial massage therapy?

• No, they all ignore the difference - 50.0%
• Some try but are lost in the crowd of associations - 27.6%
• They wouldn?t know the difference - 15.5%
• They are doing a good job of promoting the difference - 6.9%

23. Should we regulate our advertising?

• No, it's a free market to advertise what you like - 11.1%
• No, but there should be some basic rules on what you can define yourself as - 44.4%
• Yes, all should advertise to Cert IV and Diploma only with no advertising of add on techniques - 5.6%
• Yes, there should be regulation on how you define yourself (via under grad and post grad education) and what you offer as a service (Association approval only) - 38.9%

24. How much of your STT work is injury management (in comparison to general massage)?

• 0-25% - 14.3%
• 25-50% - 15.9%
• 50-75% - 28.6%
• 75-100% - 41.3%

25. How much of your STT work is injury management (in comparison to general massage)?

• 0-25% - 14.3%
• 25-50% - 15.9%
• 50-75% - 28.6%
• 75-100% - 41.3%

26. Should AAMT, AMT, IRMA, ARM, ATMS and ANTA (remedial massage sections), and the other associations amalgamate?

• Yes, this would provide one national board, president and CEO, with one message and a powerful lobby group - 60.9%
• Yes, I don't see the point of having numerous associations - 1.7%
• No, I like to have a choice of associations and different philosophies - 35.6%
• No, it's fine the way it is - 1.7%

27. Does the remedial massage industry need to be registered and regulated?

• No. It will be expensive and won't change anything. Regulation/registration will reduce our work opportunities - 3.2%
• Yes. Other physical health industries are regulated/registered which lends them to greater work opportunities, plus it will increase our professional perception - 35.1%
• No. We should remain self regulated so we can define our own future. Our current system gives us autonomy - 17%
• Yes. It will provide us with a means to maintain quality and reduce uneducated, none qualified therapists and protect us and the community - 43.6%
• I have no idea what registered and regulated means - 1.1%

28. Should Remedial Massage Therapists be able to order X-rays the same way Osteopaths, Chiropractors and Physiotherapists, without a GP referral?

• Yes, If those professions can order an X-ray without a GP referral then so should we - 11.4%
• No, we should refer to a GP for a referral if we believe it necessary - 54.5%
• Yes, RMT's have a better understanding than a GP for when an X-ray is necessary - 18.2%
• No, none of those professions, nor RMT's should be able to order X-Rays without a GP referral - 15.9%

29. Dry Needling. Should it be a part of our undergraduate study?

• Yes. RMIT has been teaching for many years and now numerous other schools in Victoria. Other states should teach it - (15.6%)
• No. Dry Needling should be left to the acupuncturists - (4.2%)
• Yes. Make it a part of the national competency to keep the standard high - (68.8%)
• No. It is not a part of our skill set and should not be taught - (11.5%)

30. Do you believe Australian associations adequately differentiate between Massage Therapy and Remedial Massage Therapy?

• I didn't realise there was a difference - (2.4%)
• Yes they promote the difference well - (7.3%)
• No they don't promote the difference - (90.2%)

31. Does our industry standard suffer due to having no educational entry limits?

• No. It enhances our industry standard by encouraging people who WANT to become therapists - (13.1%)
• Yes. Having people who struggled or even dropped out of high school diminishes our industry potential - (3.3%)
• No. The ability to heal is within. It's inherited rather than learnt - (1.6%)
• Yes. The fundamentals of pathology and assessment demand a baseline academic capability - 82%

32. Would you as a member of a professional Remedial Massage Association, pay extra fees to ensure differentiation between Remedial Therapists and Relaxation Therapists?

• Yes, as Remedial Massage administration demands more time and funds from associations (health funds, etc) - (32.9%)
• No, the two should remain bound together and fees the same - (3.7%)
• No, we pay enough already - (13.4%)
• Yes, our fees are extremely low in comparison to other health professionals and the extra money would increase awareness of Remedial versus Relaxation massage - (50%)

33. If the Remedial Massage industry was to upgrade the basic qualification to a degree, would you return to part time study to bridge to that qualification?

• Yes, but only if the cost was reasonable and time frame was adequate - (28.0%)
• No, I am happy with where I am with regard to education - (11.2%)
• Yes, anything to upgrade the professionalism of the industry and my educational background - (52%)
• No, the industry doesn't need it - (8.8%)