About Us

The Canadian Massage and Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association (CMMOTA) is a not-for-profit association that provides professional association membership options only for massage therapists and manual osteopathic therapists throughout Canada. Our association was founded in Alberta in 1977 as the Society of Remedial Masseurs and Physical Therapists and has since expanded to represent professional Massage Therapist and Manual Osteopathic Therapists located in Canada from coast to coast to coast. The association has rebranded itself twice in its history, first as the Remedial Massage Therapists Association in 1992, and most recently as the Canadian Massage and Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association in 2019.

Our educational standard for full massage therapist members is a minimum of 2200 hours of education in a recognized program. Our educational standard for full manual osteopathic therapists is a minimum 1000 hours from a recognized program coupled with having met the requirements laid out for a WHO Type 2 Osteopathic Therapist. We do not grant equivalency for experience.

Over the last 15 years, the association has transitioned from a completely volunteer run organization to a Board of Directors, operating in a governance capacity, coupled with a paid administrative team which handles day to day operations. This has allowed us to increase our membership service levels, to provide service to members, health insurance companies, and the general public during regular business hours. Our association is active on a number of internal and external committees at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government.

As an organization we are committed to seeing legislation introduced to regulate the profession of Massage Therapy in all unregulated parts of Canada. Massage Therapists registered as full members with CMMOTA in unregulated provinces are automatically recognized by health insurance companies, as we do not accept full members with less than 2200 hours of training from a recognized school, nor do we recognize experience in lieu of education. As such their clients are able to seek reimbursement under their health insurance plans for massage treatments which they receive.