Be Well: Why Massage Therapy is a Buyer Beware Industry in Minnesota

When booking a massage, how much do you look into your new massage therapist before adding the appointment to your calendar? If you just pick whoever can squeeze you in during your desired time slot and hope for the best, you’re not alone. But if you live in Minnesota, your massage therapist could have little to no professional training, because the state is one of only four in the country that has no legislation regulating massage therapy. So, even if you think your therapist has magic hands, real consequences can pervade if you don’t do your research beforehand, according to Michele Renee, director of Integrative Care at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington.

Simply wanting someone to work out the knots in your back might seem innocent, but according to Renee, you shouldn’t fully relax unless you know what you’re getting into. If the therapist is not professionally trained, he or she could end up doing more harm than good.

Read the recommendations from Dr. Renee in Minneapolis.St.Paul Magazine’s Be Well online here.