Massage Terminology

By Julie Kennedy, CMT

There is a lot of confusion out there on what the proper terminology for the massage therapy profession is. Here's the breakdown of people who perform massage professionally.

Masseuse a woman who performs massage professionally, term is considered old fashioned.

Masseur a man who performs massage professionally, term is considered old fashioned.

Massage therapist gender neutral modern term for people who perform massage professionally.

Most massage therapists have been called masseuse at some point in their career and generally do not take offense.

Okay, that's covers the professionals. What about the space where they work?

Spa generally means more than massage is offered there. They usually offer services such as facials and possibly hair and nails. Technically, to be a spa there should be some kind of water therapy, but modern usage does not follow that definition.

The official term in many localities, including our own Fairfax City and surrounding Fairfax County is “Massage Establishment”. Any business that offers massage services is legally required to have Massage Establishment permit. However, establishment is a mouthful and we in the profession generally prefer the term studio.

Massage parlor is the old fashioned term, but unlike masseuse or masseur, it is not appropriate for a reputable massage studio. Currently, massage parlor colloquially refers to locations where you can find illicit activity.

So, to sum up, massage therapists work in massage studios or spas.