Media Release - Reform needed to unlock productivity and regulatory fairness

In its submission to the Productivity Commission's Inquiry into Reducing Barriers to Business Dynamism in Australia, Massage & Myotherapy Australia has called for national regulatory reform to address structural, administrative, and workforce barriers.

These barriers are suppressing business growth, limiting consumer access, and undermining professional standards across the professional qualified remedial massage therapy and myotherapy sector.

The sector is made up overwhelmingly of small businesses and sole traders (around 20,000) who provide support for clients and patients in pain management, rehabilitation, mobility, and wellbeing.

Yet despite strong consumer demand and a workforce with AQF recognised qualifications ranging between diploma and post graduate, business dynamism remains severely constrained. There is also no government support for the ACCC approved Certified Practitioner^® quality assurance program.

As the submission states, “the remedial massage therapy and myotherapy sector is overwhelmingly made up of small businesses and sole traders, with limited pathways for scaling, employing staff, or integrating into broader health system structures.”

A workforce under pressure

National data from a 2026 Pulse Survey and 2023 Practitioners Survey of the Association 8400 members reveals:

• 85.34% of practitioners operate as sole traders
• Fewer than 12% recruited staff in the past 18 months, and 88.95% of those faced significant difficulty
• 74% of practitioners work parttime, with 64% earning less than $1,200 per week
• 93% hold a Diploma or Advanced Diploma, yet career progression remains limited
  

Practitioners cite lack of recognition as health professionals, competition from unqualified people proclaiming to be massage therapists, and low or no rebates as major barriers to growth.

A patch work of policies that create market distortions

The sector faces inconsistent recognition across government schemes, including state injury insurance programs, digital health systems, and disability support.

Qualified professional massage therapists and myotherapists are excluded from national digital health identifiers, preventing participation in My Health Record and Provider Connect Australia.

The Submission notes that this exclusion “reduces clinical efficiency, increases duplication, undermines patient safety and confidence and blocks innovation.”

Injury schemes such as WorkSafe, TAC, MAIB and CTP also apply inconsistent rules, with some excluding remedial massage therapy and myotherapy entirely or offering rebates below the cost of service delivery if delivered by registered health practitioners who may or may not be trained in fully trained in remedial massage therapy or myotherapy.

Regulatory gaps that create reputational harm and confusion

The coexistence of health service legislation and the decriminalisation of sex work has created a regulatory gap or grey zone that allows unqualified or inappropriate operators to market themselves as “massage therapists.”

Unqualified operators and quasi massage businesses and sex workers can legally market themselves as “massage therapists,” causing public confusion and reputational damage.

This contradicts the National Code of Conduct for Healthcare Workers which explicitly states that massage therapists cannot engage in sexual relations with clients. Sex workers who profess to be or advertise their services as massage therapy are not subject to legislation governing the Code of Conduct.

The Submission highlights that combined, “sex workers, and unqualified or poorly qualified operators create unfair competition and erode public trust. It reports that 80% of professional remedial massage therapists and myotherapists believe their profession is devalued due to confusion with quasi massage or sexual services.

The outcome is increased public confusion and aggravation of the already high levels of sexual harassment of legitimate professional massage therapists by clients who believe all massage therapists are potential sex workers.

Respondents to a Pulse survey of members in 2022, indicated that:

• 54% of practitioners experience sexual harassment or requests for sexual services at least yearly, often weekly or daily
• 80% believe their profession is devalued due to confusion with quasi massage or sexual services
  

As the Submission warns, “this is not theoretical harm – it is daily reality for some professional massage therapists.”

NDIS changes reduce access to essential care

Recent changes to NDIS Support Rules have removed access to remedial massage therapy and myotherapy delivered by qualified remedial massage therapists and myotherapists.

Before the changes, 73.4% of practitioners treated NDIS clients, many of whom relied on regular treatment for pain, mobility, and functional wellbeing.

Following the changes:

• 41.5% of clients now pay privately
• 6.8% have reduced treatment frequency
• 11.6% rely on practitioner discounts
  

This has reduced business viability and limited access to essential supports for people with disability.

A specific example is illustrated in services previously provided to people living with autism which reveals that:

• close to 41% of respondents to Members' pulse survey treated clients with autism:
  • of those who responded, over 75% indicated that one in three of their clients have autism
• the frequency of treatment varied with:
  • the highest being once per month at 50%
  • more than once per month 27.4%
  • once per week 13.5%;
  • more than once per week 6.0%
    

Key Recommendations

The Submission concludes that “the current regulatory and policy environment creates uncertainty, undermines professional standards, and allows unqualified or inappropriate operators to compete unfairly with legitimate healthcare practitioners.”

Implementing risk proportionate regulation and national recognition would:

• improve consumer trust
• strengthen workforce standards
• reduce administrative burden
• enable digital health integration
• unlock new funding and referral pathways
  

Massage & Myotherapy Australia has called for:

1. Legislated title or practice protection

To prevent unqualified individuals from using professional titles, reduce market confusion, and strengthen enforcement of the National Code of Conduct.

2. Integration into National Digital Health systems

Including eligibility for HPII numbers, My Health Record, and Provider Connect Australia.

3. National workforce strategy and quality assurance framework

Including accreditation of RTOs, a national practitioner register, and support for the Certified Practitioner^® program.

4. Consistent recognition across government schemes

Including NDIS, state injury schemes, and multidisciplinary healthcare pathways.

These reforms would create a more dynamic, productive, and sustainable sector. One that can more fully contribute to Australia’s health system and economy.