Who are we? 

We are the SMA: The Association for Soft Tissue Therapists! We are a Professional Association who represent the UK’s best Sports Massage and Soft Tissue Therapists. We’ve been around for over 20 years now and have been one of the driving forces behind better education in the profession and changing the perception of Soft Tissue Therapy as way more than “just a massage”. 

Behind the scenes we’ve got a super-committed Board, made up of practising therapists who understand exactly what the pressures (and the many good bits!) of working in this industry are. Our Board make every decision about the SMA’s direction with an eye on protecting the public, helping members and raising the profile of and standards in the industry. 

What do we do? 

We set the highest standards for entry onto our register and we expect members to uphold them once they’ve joined. Being an SMA member is a mark of professional pride and it signals to the world that you take what you do seriously.  

We are constantly working behind the scenes with the government, qualification Awarding Organisations and other industry partners to try to achieve a nationally recognised minimum standard for skills and training. 

We’ve got loads going on for members – from discounts on anything you think you might need for your practise to FREE CPD webinars on topics as varied as overuse injuries of the foot and ankle, working with disabled athletes and current research into fascia. 

Who are our members? 

We like to think our members are the best in the business. They practise in their own clinics, on a mobile basis, within multidisciplinary teams alongside physiotherapists or osteopaths, or in elite sport. 

The thing that unites them is their commitment to their industry and their own development as therapists. Those who are selected to participate in our annual CPD audit showcase our values perfectly.  

We couldn’t be prouder of our members and what they do! 

Why do we love coming to Therapy Expo? 

We think Therapy Expo is brilliant – it gives us a chance to say hello to people who are already members (a great thing in a profession where so many people are sole traders), speak to people who might want to buy in to our mission in the future and raise the profile of soft tissue therapy. 

It means we get to keep right at the cutting edge of new developments in the industry, make new connections to benefit our members and maybe learn a thing or two ourselves. 

We’d love to have a chat with anyone who’s interested in what we do. Pop over to see us at stand  TG41 – it’d be great to meet you!