Yellowknife (May 31/04) - In what one person likened to "a professional knife fight," city council is caught in between two groups of massage practitioners.

The debate over who can call themselves massage therapists has raged for more than two weeks, but it's still nowhere near being resolved after council found itself unable to decide on changes to a city bylaw last week.

"I have never been around so many massage therapists and acquired so much stress at the same time," said Coun. Doug Witty after a recent committee meeting.

Two rival organizations claim the right to call themselves massage therapists. Council passed a bylaw four years ago to regulate the local massage industry, mainly to prevent sex trade workers from masquerading as qualified massage therapists.

On one side of the new debate is the NWT Massage Therapy Alliance (NWTMTA), which is adamant that a massage therapist must complete 2,200 hours of instruction and/or be a member of the organization to qualify.

The other group, the Association of Massage Therapists and Wholistic Practitioners (AMTWP), says those requirements are much too stringent, and only 250 hours of instruction are needed to be called a massage therapist.

"This is some form of professional knife fight," said city resident John Carter during one of the recent meetings.

"The bottom line is, as a consumer, I'd like a choice," he said. "If you regulate people to second-class citizens, they'll have a heck of a time getting started."

After two hours of debate last week, council sent the issue back to committee, saying the bylaw still needs more work.

The proposed bylaw ammendment would give NWTMTA members and those belonging to its national affiliate, the Canadian Massage Therapist Alliance, the sole right to call themselves massage therapists.

It would also force anyone else who is not a member and has less than 2,200 hours of training to call themselves a "massagist" or a "relaxation/spa massage provider."

"The terms 'massagist' and 'bodyworker' are insulting," said AMTWP member Edie Dul, who preferred the title "remedial massage therapist."

More than just a name is at stake.

AMTWP fears insurance companies will refuse to accept clients' claims on group health insurance plans if they were called something else.

Strict rules wanted

NWTMTA representative Jennifer Stranart said strict rules are needed to ensure massage therapists know how to diagnose certain injuries and provide appropriate treatment.

"Continued education is the cost of being a professional," Stranart argued, who suggested those with less than 2,200 hours be given a business licence that simply reads "massage."

Resident Trudy Samuels told council she just wants to be able to choose a massage provider without being confronted with a parade of confusing titles.

"I want to know what I'm getting before I stretch out on the table," said Samuels.