Meaning "take thou", a prescription allows massage therapy treatment and is written by a physician or a nurse practitioner. It is important that the prescription is for massage therapy and not physical therapy, antibiotics, or exercise. Some of these prescriptions will recommend specific modalities to be used. A modality can be a technique, a process, or a product that benefits the client. Also, adjunctive therapy or the use of ice or heat may be recommended.

The prescription must contain specific information, including the date of the order, the client's name, the diagnosis and diagnosis code (which is a distinguishable disease or illness that a qualified health care professional scientifically evaluates), order of treatment, frequency (how often the treatments will occur), and duration (how long the treatments will last or the total calendar treatment period) of the treatments, and the physician's name, signature, and contact information.