Some masseurs almost equate to charlatans: their services are outside the law

Currently, the law makes it clear that massage can only be performed in a licensed treatment center and only for patients there. All other freelancers are almost equated with charlatans.

Also, as of May 1 of next year. The profession of masseuse will also be licensed. So until 2023. each masseuse must obtain a license. Not everyone seems to be able to obtain a license and their offices may need to close.

The masseurs who work at Kėdainiai communicate carefully with the media. Some immediately refused categorically to comment on the situation.

Others point out that it would still be appropriate to legally separate therapeutic massage from non-therapeutic massage and allow everyone to work. Others say there is still time and a rush to get the education they need to get a license.

“For example, I don’t want to treat people and work with the sick. My vocation is a relaxing massage. And anyway, I think the more a masseur practices, the better he is. The licenses that have emerged may not determine everything, ”says a masseuse working in Kėdainiai, who does not want to appear in public.

“As long as a person is healthy, they have enough relaxing massage procedures. And licensed massage therapists must be able to read medical records. Working with patients is a difficult road.

Massaging healthy people for relaxation or beauty purposes is very different. Therefore, it is not advisable to unify these masseurs, ”says another woman who provides beauty services in Kėdainiai and admits that due to the arguments, even a masseuse does not dare to call herself.

By the way, massage professionals unanimously say that people urgently need it. “After all, massage for healthy people has many benefits, especially in this fast-paced and stressful world,” says a woman who provides spa services in Kėdainiai.

Those without the proper education are looking for ways to escape

At the time, Olegas Pauliukevičius, the head of the rehabilitation department at Kėdainiai Hospital, says that all masseurs must have a license.

“Almost all the medical personnel who work in the health system are already licensed. There is only the rest of the group: massage therapists, physiotherapists. They all need a proper education. Everything is correct and logical. Those who do not have a proper education are the ones who most are opposed to this.

Now there are organizers of this type of course who train masseurs in a few months. There is still time to finish the studies and obtain the necessary license, ”says O. Pauliukevičius, Head of the Rehabilitation Department at Kėdainiai Hospital.

Laws are behind reality

The massage service is exclusively defined in Lithuanian law as a treatment service. This means that massage service can only be provided by a press massage therapist in a healthcare facility, such as a licensed healthcare facility massage parlor.

“This situation has arisen because the Ministry of Health has long defined massage in its normative documents only as therapeutic, and left non-therapeutic massage undefined. Therefore, it turns out that there is no other massage in Lithuania, only therapeutic”, says Giedrė Paunksnienė, director of the Lithuanian Association of Massage Therapists.

Lithuania is probably the only country in the EU where massage is understood only as a treatment. And although the profession of masseuse has been formed for a long time, and massage service in Lithuania is widely provided not only in medical institutions, but also in SPA centers and beauty salons, until now the regulation speaks only of therapeutic massages.

“The massage service for healthy people, both cosmetic, hygienic and sports, is outside the law. In principle, it is prohibited if it is carried out outside a medical institution, ”says G. Paunksnienė.

According to her, there is a clear tradition established in the world of both preventive, oriental and therapeutic massage.

The profession of masseuse has been formed for a long time, hygienic (maintaining a good state of a healthy body) and cosmetic (for beauty purposes) massage is described in the textbooks of our profession.

“Professionals have been working in the field of therapeutic massage for more than a decade, so it is a shame that the law until now introduces so much confusion without distinguishing between basic concepts such as therapeutic massage and massage, which covers all types of massage for prevention more than for treatment, ”he says. G. Paunksnienė.

It emphasizes that the Association of Massage Therapists maintains that every massage therapist must also have the appropriate education and diploma, so that people who have completed “massage courses” after several hours cannot work as masseurs.

The unlicensed are pushed into the shadows

The law will take effect in 2021. May. The Government of the Republic of Lithuania and the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania until 2021. April 30 Must enact legislation implementing this law, that is, specify what will be required to obtain and maintain a license.

“In accordance with the law, persons with professional qualification and masseur press who provided the relevant personal health care services prior to the entry into force of this law may provide these services without a valid personal health care practice license issued from in accordance with the procedure established by this law until 2022. December 31

Since 2023 January 1, the persons specified in this Part may dedicate themselves to the practice of personal health care only if they have a valid license to practice personal health care issued in accordance with the procedure established by this Law ”, explains the director of the Association of Massage Therapists.

Are the masseurs going to go out?

The masseurs’ complaints were finally heard by Seimas member Rasa Petrauskienė. The parliamentarian proposes to clearly differentiate the types of massages so that specialists in Lithuania can not only provide therapeutic massage services, but also perform non-therapeutic massages, create a clear legal basis for non-excessive requirements and control mechanisms.

In addition, the current laws of Lithuania do not offer any non-therapeutic massage services, as well as the legal framework that regulates the activities of a masseur; Not only does this much-needed profession not have a clear definition, but in many cases it is even illegal.

The current situation is that a person completes the training according to the procedure approved by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, which gives him the appropriate qualification to provide massage, but if the masseur does not work with patients, he cannot perform any massage, because now massage is understood only as a means. treatment ”, says R. Petrauskienė.

According to the parliamentarian, if this issue is not resolved in the near future and the requests of the masseurs are not listened to, many providers of this service can join the ranks of the unemployed. And even go outside.

Time to legalize illegal services

The representatives of the Association of Massage Therapists are convinced that expanding the availability of prevention services is very important for Lithuanians, whose pace of life and stress level are constantly increasing. Therefore, according to the association, the provision of mobile massage services should be simplified.

Practice from other countries shows that home massage service is provided not only to patients, but also to healthy people. For modern man, this is convenient.

Another group of services is the service of masseurs who come to the offices. These services are already being carried out in Lithuania. According to the masseurs, our laws lag behind the reality of the Lithuanian service market by several decades. It is time to legitimize the services that are already on the market.

“And the Lithuanian Constitution says that the Lithuanian state takes care of health and guarantees treatment. The constitution first states that the state deals with health. However, looking at the regulation of massage services, the first concern of the state seems to be treating patients. Without questioning the treatment, this is very important.

However, isn’t it always more helpful to pay enough attention to prevention to keep a person healthy for as long as possible? However, I have not heard that in Lithuania the massage service is intended for a prophylactic and not ill person.

So if the state does not allocate funds for health care in this case, shouldn’t it take care that a healthy person is not prohibited from caring for himself? ”- says G. Paunksnienė, the head of the association of masseurs.