Changes to Iowa Continuing Education Requirements
The following is a copy of the New Iowa Continuing Education Rules and Regulations. All CEU Sessions at The Shiatsu Clinic & School meet the required criteria. Please Read the ENTIRE Code as numerous changes were made in July 2005. Please contact the school if we can be of any further help!
From the Iowa Code at http://www2.legis.state.ia.us/Rules/Current/iac/645iac/p133/p133.pdf on the Iowa Department of Professional Licensure: Massage Therapy website.
645—133.2(152C) Continuing education requirements.
Each biennium, each person who is licensed
to practice as a massage therapist in this state shall be required to complete a minimum of 12
hours of continuing education approved by the board . Beginning with licensees whose licenses are due
to expire August 15, 2006, or thereafter, each person who is licensed to practice as a massage therapist
in this state shall be required to complete a minimum of 24 hours of continuing education per biennium.
133.2(1) The biennial continuing education compliance period shall run concurrently with each renewal period.
133.2(2) Requirements of new licensees. Those persons licensed for the first time shall not be required
to complete continuing education as a prerequisite for the first renewal of their licenses. Continuing
education hours acquired anytime from the initial licensing until the second license renewal may
be used.
133.2(3) Hours of continuing education credit may be obtained by attending and participating in a
continuing education activity. These hours must be in accordance with these rules.
133.2(4) No hours of continuing education shall be carried over into the next biennium. A licensee
whose license was reactivated during the current renewal compliance period may use continuing
education earned during the compliance period for the first renewal following reactivation.
133.2(5) It is the responsibility of each licensee to finance the cost of continuing education.
Ch 133, p.2 Professional Licensure[645] IAC 7/6/05
645—133.3(152C,272C) Standards.
133.3(1) General criteria. A continuing education activity which meets all of the following criteria is appropriate for continuing education credit if the continuing education activity:
a. Constitutes an organized program of learning which contributes directly to the professional competency of the licensee;
b. Pertains to subject matters which integrally relate to the practice of the profession;
c. Is sponsored by a local, state, national or international professional organization or chapter of
massage/bodywork therapy, or a professional hands-on school of massage/bodywork therapy that
meets or exceeds the standards set forth in 645—Chapter 132. The presenter must be a massage/
bodywork therapist with a minimum of five years of clinical experience in massage/bodywork therapy.
Individuals conducting the continuing education activity must have specialized education, training
and experience by reason of which said individuals should be considered qualified concerning the subject
matter of the program . At the time of audit, the board may request the qualifications of presenters;
d. Fulfills stated program goals, objectives, or both; and
e. Provides proof of attendance to licensees in attendance including:
(1) Date, location, course title, presenter(s);
(2) Number of program contact hours; and
(3) Certificate of completion or evidence of successful completion of the course from the course
sponsor.
133.3(2) Specific criteria for licensees whose licenses expire on or before July 15, 2006.
This subrule
applies to licensees whose licenses are due to expire on or before July 15, 2006. Beginning with
licensees whose licenses are due to expire August 15, 2006, or thereafter, each person who is licensed
to practice as a massage therapist in this state shall be required to complete a minimum of 24 hours of
continuing education per biennium as specified in subrule
133.3(3).
a. A licensee may obtain continuing education hours of credit by attending:
(1) Programs listed but not limited to hydrotherapy; superficial hot and cold applications; vibration
and topical applications; contraindications; pathology; HIV/AIDS education. Also included is
therapy which involves manipulation of the muscle and connective tissue of the body to treat the
muscle tonus system for the purpose of enhancing health, providing muscle relaxation, increasing
range of motion, reducing stress, relieving pain, or improving circulation.
(2) Courses on aromatherapy, herbalism, herbology, homeopathy and other similar areas are eligible
for approval only if they specifically include topical application techniques for professional practitioners.
Only the number of hours spent on teaching, explaining or demonstrating topical application
are eligible for continuing education credit and must be specifically described and scheduled in the
continuing education program application.
( 3) Courses on applied Kinesiology, Hellerwork, Ortho-Bionomy, Polarity Therapy, Touch for Health, Visceral Manipulation, and other similar areas are eligible for approval only if they specifically
include massage therapy techniques for professional practitioners. Only the number of hours spent on
teaching, explaining, or demonstrating massage therapy techniques are eligible for continuing education
credit and must be specifically described and scheduled in the continuing education program application.
b. The maximum number of hours in each category in each biennium is as follows:
(1) Two hours of credit per biennium may be granted for each of the following topics: professional
ethics; CPR/first aid.
(2) Six hours of credit per biennium may be granted for home study courses, which include written
and electronically transmitted material or video, if the following criteria are met:
1. There is an approved sponsoring person, group or agency;
2. The program meets all the criteria set forth in standards for approval of continuing education;
3. The program is accompanied by a certificate of postcourse testing which includes the participant's
examination score and the passing examination score; and
4. The program is accompanied by a certificate of completion which includes:
Course title;
Date of completion;
Number of program hours; and
Verification that the course was conducted by home study delivery.
c. Unacceptable subject matter may include but is not limited to: meditation, Feng Shui, personal
development, practice management, communication, government regulation, insurance, collective
bargaining, community service presentations or courses that do not deal with manipulation.
d. Courses about energy-based techniques performed without physical manipulation of tissue
are not eligible for approval.
e. Excluded from approval are programs involving modalities listed but not limited to: Alexander
Technique, Barbara Brennan Healing Sciences, Breema Bodywork, Feldenkrais, Healing Touch,
Jin Shin Jyutsu, Reiki, Rosen Method, Therapeutic Touch, and Trager. Also excluded are other modalities
which focus primarily on emotions or energy.
133.3(3) Specific criteria for licensees whose licenses expire on or after August 15, 2006.
A licensee shall obtain a minimum of 24 hours of continuing education credit per biennium.
a. At least 12 hours shall be obtained by attending programs which pertain to massage, myotherapy,
massotherapy, bodywork, bodywork therapy, or therapeutic massage including, but not limited to,
myofascial release, craniosacral, neuromuscular therapy, stretching techniques, hands-on hydrotherapy
techniques, structural integration, medical massage techniques, chair massage, infant massage, prenatal
massage, sports massage, shiatsu, acupressure, tui na, manual lymphatic drainage, hands-on
Eastern techniques, and zero balancing.
b. A licensee may obtain continuing education in content areas that are programs of learning
which contribute directly to the professional competency of the licensee and which may include alternative
therapy techniques. Programs listed as exclusions in 133.3(3)“c” are not included.
c. Excluded content areas for continuing education include but are not limited to meditation, feng
shui, communication, insurance, personal development, nutrition, yoga, collective bargaining, and
community service.
d. A licensee may receive credit on a one-time basis, not to exceed two hours of continuing
education credit per biennium, for delivery of course(s) in a massage school setting, if the following
criteria are met:
(1) The course(s) is part of a curriculum approved by the board as outlined in 645—132.4(152C);
(2) The licensee is qualified to teach the course(s) as outlined in 645—132.3(152C);
(3) The school provides an official written statement which verifies the following:
1. Course title and number of course hours;
2. Inclusive dates the course was taught by the licensee;
3. Teaching qualifications of the licensee.
e. For programs of learning necessary to meet mandatory reporter training requirements and
CPR/first-aid recertification, only the number of hours obtained during the biennium renewal period
may be utilized toward meeting the continuing education requirement; no hours shall be carried over
into the next biennium.
Portion of Letter received from the Board to
James Luth II, LMT and Director of The Shiatsu Clinic & School :
... The board has adopted a number of rules to streamline its licensure functions. One of those changes is that the board no longer processes applications for prior and post approval of continuing education. Instead, the board directs its licensees to review the continuing education criteria established in the rules. To detemine if your continuing education activity meets the board's criteria, review the standards for approval which are enclosed...
If you have questions, you may contact me at 515/281-6959.
Thank you,
Tammy Hidlebaugh
Clerk Specialist
Iowa Board of Massage Therapy Examiners
Iowa Department of Public Health