In recent months, undercover officers have cracked down on prostitution rings posing as massage parlors throughout the Los Angeles Basin, and the resulting headlines may have left many members of the general public skeptical of the massage business.
Brown called the law "a good first step," but wishes it were tougher. Though the law provides massage therapists a chance to prove they have met a higher standard, it falls short of requiring that they be licensed -- a goal the AMTA has for all 50 states. So far, 42 states plus the District of Columbia have some statewide massage-therapy regulation.
In California, regulations vary widely among cities. "Some cities require a license, proof of training, and a background check. Others have no requirements at all," Oropeza said. For consumers, that means a massage in one city could be a lot safer than one in the next town, where regulations and oversight don't exist.
"It's chaotic and costly," said Wojskowicz, who has a permit to practice massage therapy in Laguna Beach. But if she wanted to be paid to give a massage in nearby Aliso Viejo, where she lives, she would need another permit.
State certification will supersede all local laws, relieving practitioners of multiple permit hassles and giving consumers a state stamp of approval for which to look.
Law enforcement agencies see the measure as a tool to help distinguish legitimate massage businesses from disreputable ones. "If they can eliminate two-thirds of the operators off the bat because they're state-certified, that makes their efforts to control vice more manageable," said Oropeza.
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The health benefits
Beyond having a new way to separate reputable practitioners from disreputable ones, wary consumers may still wonder whether massage offers any benefit besides brief relaxation. The answer is: maybe.
Though research is limited, some studies indicate that therapeutic massage can reduce anxiety, depression, pain, high blood pressure and headaches.
It can boost both your immune system and your mood, contends Gail Ironson, professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Miami, who has conducted several massage-therapy studies.
"Depression and stress do accelerate disease," Ironson said. "Because massage therapy in turn reduces depression and stress, we expect it could also have a protective benefit on slowing disease progression."
