04/09/2026
Masseur, masseuse or massage therapist: do the words matter?
‘Masseur’ and ‘masseuse’ were once accepted professional titles. Derived from French, ‘masseur’ referred to a man who provided massage and ‘masseuse’ to a woman. They were not originally derogatory and did not imply sexual services or poor training.
In Britain, the Society of Trained Masseuses was established in 1894 following the Victorian ‘massage scandals’. At a time when massage had become associated with prostitution, trained practitioners wanted to distinguish legitimate professional practice from disreputable activity.
The organisation later developed into what is now the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). Its history reminds us that ‘masseuse’ once carried genuine professional standing. However, language and its social meaning change.
During the twentieth century, ‘massage parlour’ became widely used as a euphemism for establishments associated with sexual services. Against this cultural background, ‘masseuse’, and ‘masseur’, acquired connotations that many modern massage therapists now find sexualised and professionally diminishing.
The problem became particularly visible during Covid. English regulations and UK Government announcements repeatedly classified legitimate massage services under ‘massage parlours’. Many qualified massage therapists felt this language failed to recognise their education, professional responsibilities and standards of practice.
The older terms also continue to appear in current journalism, including some BBC reporting. Their use is particularly unhelpful when the report itself concerns inappropriate or sexualised behaviour towards massage therapists. Referring to those professionals as ‘masseurs’ or ‘masseuses’ does nothing to clarify the professional identities, boundaries and standards at the centre of the story.
Not everyone who uses these words intends disrespect. Some people know them only in their original sense, while some practitioners and organisations continue to use them as traditional occupational titles.
The General Council for Manual Therapies nevertheless asks journalists, editors, employers, organisations and members of the public to use ‘massage therapist’.
It is clear, gender neutral and better reflects the education, skill, ethical responsibilities and professional standards expected within modern massage therapy.
A title cannot prove someone’s competence, and using an older term does not automatically indicate disrespect.
However, language influences how a profession is understood.
Words change. Professional recognition matters.
👉Please call us massage therapists.👈
The Sports Massage Association Scottish Manual Therapists Organisation LCSP Register of Remedial Masseurs & Manipulative Therapists Complementary Health Professionals Massage Training Institute - MTI
