Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
27
WHEN YOU HAVE OVERDONE I T
ou t our
k
Chec ve offer!
si
exclu meel
.ca
tr ytrau
Visit
Relief
from pain
and inflammation
in muscles and joints
Traumeel S is an effective treatment designed to relieve pain that
can otherwise delay your busy day. From minor muscle soreness
and inflammation of the joints, to injuries such as sprains and
bruising, Traumeel S provides pain relief in muscles and joints
including the neck, shoulder, back, knee and ankle
to help you get back to normal activity.
www.traumeel.ca
CONTENTS
Features
COVER
Focus: Ontario
14
p14
Onward and upward
Breath of life 18
Coming out 22
of the shadows
Separating fact 24
from fiction
p18
Departments
p24 From the editor 5
Touch Points 6
Industry news and events
Columns
The learning curve 10 On the Cover:
Our stories matter Andrew Lewarne, executive direc-
tor and CEO, Registered Massage
Therapists Association of Ontario
Few and far between 12
Under the sea
Call or Click:
800-233-5880 | Upledger.com
To register, use Priority Code MTC 7-14
I
(905) 726-5445
t looks like national accreditation for massage therapy
Publisher education will be commencing as early as 2015.
Christine Livingstone clivingstone@annexweb.com
(519) 429-5173 (888) 599-2228 ext. 239
The newly established Massage Therapy Council for Accreditation (MTCFA),
currently led by the founders group, has commenced the work of incorporating
Account Co-ordinator the MTCFA under the Not For Profit Corporations Act. The founders group
Shannon Drumm sdrumm@annexweb.com
(519) 429-5183 (888) 599-2228 ext. 219 consists of three stakeholder representatives: Randy Ellingson for the Canadian
Council of Schools, Lori Green for the Canadian Massage Therapist Alliance, and
Media Designer
Brooke Shaw
Corinne Flitton for the Federation of Massage Therapy Regulatory Authorities of
Canada.
Group Publisher The founders group is also tasked with drafting the by-laws, developing the
Martin McAnulty mmcanulty@annexweb.com
descriptions for the roles, responsibilities and qualifications of board members,
President and developing a nomination process for the appointment of the initial board of
Mike Fredericks mfredericks@annexweb.com
directors of the MTCFA.
Mailing Address As of this writing, the founders group is consulting with the massage therapy
P.O. Box 530, 105 Donly Drive South, community about a number of proposed documents: the process for nomination
Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5
and appointments to the first MTCFA board, criteria and process for selecting board
PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT #40065710 members, and the description of the board members roles and responsibilities.
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN
ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT.,
Early this year, the MTCFA launched the council website, which contains
P.O. BOX 530, SIMCOE, ON N3Y 4N5 information about the planned national accreditation for massage therapy education,
email: cnowe@annexweb.com and updates on the progress of the founders group.
Massage Therapy is published four times a year:
According to the October 2013 report released by the national accreditation
January, April, July, November. Published and printed by planning committee, the MTCFA is expected to begin the accreditation process
Annex Publishing & Printing Inc., 105 Donly Drive South, on its second year of operation in 2015 starting with four program reviews and
Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5
accreditation. The number of reviews will increase each year and by 2020, the
Printed in Canada council will have accredited a total of 74 programs, nationally.
ISSN 1499-8084 National accreditation is the next best thing to massage therapy regulation. It
Circulation ensures that educational institutions teaching massage therapy programs are at
email: cnowe@annexweb.com par with nationally accepted standards, and elevates the level of competencies of
Tel: (866) 790-6070 ext. 207 practitioners across Canada regardless of whether they come from a regulated or
Fax: (877) 624-1940
Mail: P.O. Box 530, Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5 non-regulated province.
As national accreditation elevates the level of education for would-be massage
Subscription Rates
Canada 1 Year $29.95
therapists, it also compels educational institutions to raise the standards of their
2 Years $49.95 curriculum and effectively weed out the uncommitted and underperformers.
3 Years $64.95 This will also open up more opportunities for massage therapists as practice
(includes GST - #867172652RT0001) mobility gets easier and recognition of their high standard of education becomes
For USA and Foreign rates please contact Cheryl Nowe
more pronounced.
Occasionally, Massage Therapy Canada will mail informa- An undertaking as big as this needs the support of all stakeholders involved, and
tion on behalf of industry-related groups whose products
and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you it looks like the entire profession is rallying behind this and why not? A national
prefer not to receive this information, please contact our accreditation body for massage therapy education signifies that the profession is all
circulation department in any of the four ways listed above.
grown up and is poised to become a significant player in the health-care realm as it
No part of the editorial content of this publication may be should be.
reprinted without the publishers written permission. 2013 For updates on the development of the national accreditation for massage therapy
Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. All rights reserved. Opinions
expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor education, visit the MTCFA website at www.mtcfa.ca.
or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions.
All advertising is subject to the publishers approval. Such
approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or
services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse
advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication.
@MTCanadaMag
BOTTOMS UP
When visiting Placencia, Belize, our daily routine involved stacks
PHOTO CREDIT: JULES TORTI
tide fields. Work hours are dictated by the tide: when the tide
same great
is low, work is full force; and high tide signals the days end. premium PROFESSIONAL Liability
On the east coast, the tide levels can change rapidly by nine COMMERCIAL Liability
meters. OFFICE PROTECTION
Many women carry buckets or sacks weighing in at 10
kilograms not an easy feat especially if you add a broiling
48-degrees Celsius to that weight, uneven footing and a four-
$5,000,000
0
PROFESSIONAL
kilometre picking route. Some of these women are single and LIABILITY (PLI)
struggling to support a family, many have only elementary
school education. They know hardship all too well, but seaweed $5,000,000
COMMERCIAL LIABILITY
harvesting has unexpectedly offered them hope, an income and
a social network. $10,000
The seaweed women are engaged in the grassroots movement OFFICE PROTECTION
of their industry. They interact with travellers, farmers,
producers, buyers and packers and visualize their soaps and spa $25,000 Learn more! Call today!
products on a larger scale. They understand supply and demand FULL LEGAL GUARD
EXPENSE 1-800-265-2625 ext. 322
and how networking can attribute to distribution.
In 1973, plans to introduce seaweed to Tanzania to create www.rmtinsurance.com elisa@rmtinsurance.com
Policies also available for: Contents Massage Clinics Spas Schools
a diversion from fragile fish stocks flopped. Low world prices
made for an unsustainable market, and heavy monsoon rains
Onward
and upward
Massage professionals push to take their place in health care
W
hen the Ontario Board of Regents first regulated the practice of massage in the province of
Ontario in 1919, it was in recognition of massage therapy as a form of health care. Today,
nearly a century later, Ontario continues to play a leadership role in propelling the profession
further up in the health-care chain.
Although massage therapy has evolved significantly through The Ontario government estimates that if no changes are
the decades, debate over professional identity still remains: made to improve the health-care system today, health-care
relaxation versus therapeutic massage, spa setting versus health costs will increase by $24 billion by the year 2030.
care setting. Disagreements notwithstanding, and as far as Lewarne believes prevention is key to sustaining the countrys
the Ontario regulatory college is concerned, massage therapy health-care model. Massage therapists and other alternative
remains within the health-care realm. and complementary health practitioners will be the ideal part-
I think there are still some conversations going on within ners for pursuing this goal of wellness and prevention.
the profession as to how they identify themselves, says That means we need to be partnering up, we need to be
Corinne Flitton, registrar and CEO at the College of Massage able to turn around to the gatekeeper physicians, the family
Therapists of Ontario (CMTO). The college sees them as doctor, and say, heres what we can do, heres how we can do
regulated health professionals, so we expect our vision is that it and if you want to get some really good responses to whats
they should enter the current health-care system. walking into your office, refer them to me.
Despite being one of the most highly utilized forms of com- However, for this to succeed, Lewarne says alternative and
plementary and alternative health services, massage therapys complementary health services need to be partially supported
recognition as a necessary component of the overall health- by government.
care system remains wanting, and those in the leadership roles RMTAO is engaging the legislative leadership to propose a
within the profession are continuously trying to change that tax credit for Ontarians who use the services of complemen-
for the better. tary and alternative health practitioners covered under the
Health Professions Act for preventative health care.
PROACTIVE APPROACH Under the current system, only health expense receipts in
The Registered Massage Therapists Association of Ontario excess of $2,171 (for 2014) or three per cent of net income,
(RMTAO), an organization of about 5,000 registered massage whichever is lesser, can be claimed for federal tax credit
therapists, is among those working to elevate the profession. To The RMTAO believes this current system is reactionary as
accomplish this, RMTAO believes massage therapy needs to opposed to proactive. A tax credit for preventative health care,
be part of a larger conversation on improving Ontarios overall such as what the RMTAO proposes, is more proactive and less
health-care system one that focuses on proactive prevention costly, effectively easing the financial pressure on an already
and wellness promotion. cash-strapped health-care system in the long run.
What needs to be talked about in Ontario is that we need Lewarne sees this as a win-win for both massage therapy
to look at a new health-care model, says Andrew Lewarne, professionals in Ontario and the provincial health-care sys-
executive director and CEO of the RMTAO. At the moment tem as preventative health care will become more accessible
were reactive. Every provincial health plan seems reactive. for Ontarians, putting less strain on hospitals and acute care
Ontario Ministry of Health says 25 per cent of health-care services.
costs are due to preventable illnesses. In 2010-2011, more Massage therapy, which is one of the most widely used
than 271,000 hospital emergency room visits could have been among the complementary therapies, if you make it more
treated in alternative primary care settings at lower costs. available then you know that people are going to use it and
when they use it the credibility of the profession is going to ners to have better control of their professional information
go up, Lewarne says. and an easier way to determine potential fraud.
I suggested to the insurance industry that (the professional
CREDIBILITY credential tracker) might not be a bad idea to put in place for
A constant challenge that is certainly not unique to Ontarios the extended health-care industry, Lewarne points out.
more than 11,000 RMTs, as it is faced by practitioners in
other provinces, is a bruised credibility with the insurance EDUCATION
industry. Its the consequence of malicious and fraudulent acts Massage therapy training in 1935 was only offered in private
of a few unscrupulous practitioners that have effectively man- schools and was completed in less than a year. In response to
aged to stain the profession in the eyes of insurers. The situa- advances in medical trends, the curriculum was expanded to
tion has been improving significantly in recent years, however, a two-year program in 1987, and then further expanded to a
as practitioners across the country, through their respective three-year program in the mid-90s.
professional associations, have taken an active role in engaging Many in the profession would like to see education evolve
the insurance industry and educating them on professional even further into a degree program. Torontos Centennial
practices in hopes of aiding the reduction of insurance fraud. College is one of them. Centennial offers a three-year
Most recently, the RMTAO has engaged the Canadian advanced diploma program in massage therapy.
Health Care Anti-fraud Association to ensure the insurance (A degree program) is certainly a direction for our future,
industry is aware of the steps and systems in place to help says Lori Copeland, coordinator at Centennials faculty of mas-
prevent fraud. sage therapy program. Were a regulated profession but we
These kinds of clarifications are really important and they dont need a degree. I think (having a degree) puts us on the
need to happen, says Lewarne. And as that happens, you will map in health care.
find that the responsiveness both to the insurance industry and Although there has been no concrete advancement in insti-
from the insurance industry is going to go up. tuting a degree program as of yet, the profession is currently
Ontario is also pursuing means of enabling regulated health- working on the next big thing: national accreditation for
care practitioners, including massage therapists, to help prevent massage therapy education.
fraud. The Financial Services Commission of Ontario is get- The recently formed Massage Therapy Council for
ting ready to implement a professional credential tracker tool Accreditation seeks to establish national accreditation for mas-
that allows health-care practitioners to do an online check to sage therapy programs, in an effort to bring Canadian massage
see which clinics or health facilities are using their information therapy schools up to national standards.
to submit auto insurance claims. Ontario is working as one stakeholder from the Federation
This new system, when implemented, will allow practitio- of Massage Therapy Regulatory Authorities of Canada, the
RESEARCH
Research is another front that Ontario is actively pursuing.
The CMTO provides funding for the Massage Therapy
Research Fund, an annual national level research competi-
tion administered through the Canadian Interdisciplinary
Network for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Research.
CMTO wishes to encourage high quality research in mas-
sage therapy, particularly in relation to professionalization of
massage therapy, for example, evidence based practice, col-
As the new president and CEO of the RMTAO, Andrew Lewarne
engages stakeholders in an effort to propel the profession forward.
laboration with other health-care professionals, evaluation of
MT practices, and massage therapy effectiveness, efficacy and
safety, says Flitton.
Canadian Massage Therapist Alliance and Canadian Council It is not just being able conduct research that is in vital
of Massage Therapy Schools to establish the accreditation need for the profession, however; its the ability to under-
agency and process, explains CMTOs Flitton, one of the stand and evaluate the quality of scientific studies.
council founders tasked with incorporating the accreditation Research literacy, according to RMTAOs Lewarne, is as
council, among other things. vital as the research itself. We need to actually have the
The standards to be instituted by the national accredita- research literacy thats what needs to happen. And thats an
tion council will be based on the Inter-jurisdictional Practice educational component, he says.
Competencies and Performance Indicators, developed and Expanding and developing massage therapy research will
approved in 2012 by the three regulatory bodies for massage directly influence the professions credibility in the health-care
therapy: Ontario, B.C. and Newfoundland and Labrador arena. However, research should not be done at the expense of
The accreditation council expects to commence the accredi- tradition, notes Lewarne, who is also a RMT.
tation process by 2015, but many schools in Ontario have We have a huge tradition in massage therapy and its a tra-
already began mapping their curriculum to the new entry- dition based on trust, he explains. At the end of the day its
to-practice competencies document as early as 2013. This is about touch, but the research needs to support the touch.
largely due to the fact CMTO has announced it will begin Copeland and Lewarne agree that research will drive the pro-
testing for registration based on the new competency docu- fession forward, and so would making massage therapy educa-
ment in 2015. tion a degree program.
When the competency document was released in 2012, mas- Its just becoming clear that we need to make that step, and
sage therapy schools in Ontario begun mapping their curricu- part of the reason that I would like that step to be in place is
lum to the new competency standards. because I want to have practitioners that are mature right out
Centennial has been adjusting its massage therapy curricu- of the gate, says Lewarne.
lum to meet the new standards. Copeland says it has not been A degreed program would also propel more research in the
a huge adjustment on the part of the school and she is con- field of massage therapy, says Copeland, and provide the foun-
fident the graduates will be able to write the new registration dation for advancing the professions role in disease prevention.
exam with success. As we get stronger in research and recognized as a degreed
The students and graduates who come from a program that profession, then we start moving where we need to go, and
has really taught to the inter-jurisdictional competencies will thats higher up in the health-care field, Copeland says.
be accepted and recognized across the country once the word
gets out there, Copeland says. Mari-Len De Guzman is the editor of Massage
Enabling professional mobility for massage therapists in Therapy Canada and Canadian Chiropractor
the regulated provinces of Ontario, B.C. and Newfoundland magazines. Contact her at
and Labrador has already been in place since 2009, under mdeguzman@annexweb.com.
Breath
of life
Treating the respiratory musculature
R
espiration is arguably the most vital human function. Struggling for breath is surely the most inca-
pacitating and soul-destroying aspect of any illness. It is gratifying to know that as massage thera-
pists, we can make a difference for patients suffering from a respiratory condition.
This article does not pretend to teach a cure for asthma or the patient should keep the knees and hips flexed, shortening
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the the hip flexors. This reduces abdominal tension and enables the
important role of muscle tissue in respiration is without dispute. therapist to access the diaphragm via the abdomen. Seated or
Hence, by treating the muscles of respiration, we can improve a supine, the therapist inserts curled fingers along the inferior rib
patients quality of life. margin and takes up the slack of the soft tissue. The posterior
COPD indicates disease that blocks airflow (e.g. chronic bron- edge of the lower ribs may be accessed, at the very least, the
chitis, emphysema). Lung damage cannot be reversed, but medi- inferior edge of the ribs. Regardless, work with the patients
cal treatment is aimed at treating symptoms and minimizing respiration to allow further penetration. As the diaphragm
further damage. As with asthma, symptoms include shortness slowly relaxes, the therapists curled fingers will creep superior
of breath, wheezing, chest tightness and chronic cough, which on the inside edge of the thorax. The seated patient may lean
exacerbates respiratory muscle tightness. marginally forward to facilitate this process. The best location to
As with any extreme and prolonged physical effort, muscles commence is the lowest anterior edge of the ribcage. Once that
develop holding patterns. This can be described as a low to site responds and further penetration has plateaued, repeat the
moderate involuntary sustained contraction of parts or all of the process laterally along the ribcage, as well as medially toward the
muscle. This is also true for the respiratory muscles. Chronic, xiphoid process. With the patient seated, treatment is bilateral.
laboured breathing compounded with coughing will put inordi- Experience suggests that unresponsive areas be left for later.
nate stress on muscles such as the scalenes, intercostals and the By moving to areas that do respond, the therapists efficiency of
diaphragm. Consequent muscle pain referral can result in low time and treatment are enhanced. Obstinate areas respond better
back pain (diaphragm) and chest pain (intercostals and scalenes), when the rest of the muscle has released. Because the liver sits
compounding the patients misery. Respiratory illness can cause in the upper right abdominal quadrant, that diaphragm region
a myriad of conditions and result in extreme and often unfore- does tend to hold, and more patience may be required. Periodic
seen symptoms. breaks for the therapist may be needed as this technique can
cause lactic acid in the hands. However, the gratitude of your
TREATING THE DIAPHRAGM patients will cause you to persevere and continue to produce
The diaphragm is an umbrella-shaped muscle spanning the results.
thoraco-lumbar junction. With contraction, as with any muscle, Done supine, the therapist is positioned beside the patients
it shortens. The dome flattens and air is drawn into the lungs. thorax facing the patients feet. This will enable the curled finger
The aorta and oesophagus penetrate the diaphragm. Chronic positioning along the ribcage. In this instance, treatment is uni-
diaphragm holding will pressure these structures, especially the lateral after which the therapist switches sides.
oesophagus which can affect digestion. Self-treatment by the patient is best accomplished seated. By
curling their fingers and slowly leaning forward allowing their
NEUROLOGICAL APPROACH ribcage to slip slowly over their fingertips, they will achieve
An effective method of reducing diaphragm holding can be results. In all instances, be gentle and patient. The body does
performed by the massage therapist as well as the patient on respond, but each release may take upwards of two minutes.
their own. This is done supine or seated, the latter with a pillow Ten minutes in one location with no response is an indication
between the therapists torso and the patients back. If supine, to move on. I would assure patients and therapists alike that
FASCIAL APPROACH
Fascial release in the same region will augment treatment and
should be done after the diaphragm has been released. This
order of treatment is less bothersome to the patient and makes
the physicality of the fascial release easier for you as a therapist.
The therapists fingertips or thumb engage tissue along the
inferior thorax. This should be done engaging laterally or medi-
ally depending where resistance is greater, so do diagnostic pal-
pation to determine this. Your own body should be positioned
to allow you to engage the tissue pushing away from you, usu-
ally beside the patients abdomen or thorax. Challenge the tissue
a level deeper than the skin, feel the holding of the tissue on
the ribs inferior edge. Pressure should be firm and movement
slow to avoid bruising. The plastic quality of the fascia is what
you are stretching, and this should determine how slowly you
proceed. In essence, its the resistance you feel once the elastic
quality is at its end-feel. Keep your fingers and wrist straight.
Generate the force, as gentle as it can be, from your elbow or
body. This will save your fingers. Repositioning yourself around
your patient, you will address all the restricted areas along the
inferior ribcage.
Fascial work can be challenging because it is associated with Diaphragm release with the patient supine
pressure that may be uncomfortable for the patient. The tissue
will allow you to stretch it, but dont force it. If it resists, change
the angle of attack by a few degrees, or change position a few
fingertips further and retry. Forewarn the patient that feeling
tender is likely the day after treatment. So long as the therapist
works slowly, bruising should not occur. Bear in mind, in this
instance we are dealing with tissue that is sensitive and with
patients that may be seriously ill. Treatment has to be modulated
in accordance with the patients and tissues status. I see this not
as an impediment, but rather as an indication of our versatility
as massage therapists to adapt and make a difference.
Fascial work does require access to the tissue. Disrobing is
not essential, but the patient will need to elevate his or her shirt
above the inferior ribs in order to allow contact.
Coming out
of the shadows
Giving hope for patients living with lymphedema
L
ymphedema is a condition of chronic and progressive swelling
that can be inherited or acquired. If it is left untreated it can
become disfiguring, potentially disabling and, possibly, even
life-threatening.
Historically as recently as the 1980s the general con- Stage 2 (spontaneously irreversible). In Stage 2, eleva-
sensus in the North American medical community was tion no longer has any effect on the swelling. The swelling
that there was nothing that could be done for patients with increases and there is evident and palpable tissue thickening.
lymphedema. It no longer reduces with overnight rest.
The first lymphedema clinic in North America opened in Stage 3 (elephantiasis). Signs of elephantiasis are gross
1987. This clinic primarily used compression pumps to treat swelling leading to limb deformation, as well as tissue fibrosis
patients. In 1989, the first Complex Decongestive Therapy that is classified as non-pitting due to the density of the tis-
(CDT) clinic opened in the U.S. under the auspices of Dr. sue. In this stage we also see skin changes occurring; the skin
Robert Lerner. In 1993, the Vodder School North America can develop papillomas (tissue blisters), changes in pigmenta-
was established in Victoria, B.C. tion and increased skin folds, to name a few.
There are two kinds of lymphedema: primary lymphedema While lymphedema progresses through these stages it is
and secondary lymphedema. important for patients to know that Stage 3 is rare. Many
Primary lymphedema is inherited. It may be present at cases of lymphedema will plateau in Stage 2, and not prog-
birth or it may show up later in infancy, childhood, at ress to Stage 3. This is partly due to time. Lymphedema is
puberty or even later, in adulthood. It can be very serious if characterized by a slow onset and it takes a very long time to
left untreated for a number of years. With early intervention develop into Stage 3. The incidence of Stage 3 lymphedema
it can be successfully managed over a lifetime. seems higher in cases where lymphedema onset was early in
Secondary lymphedema is acquired. Some trauma has life and went untreated well into adulthood.
affected the lymph system, resulting in lymphedema. Often, Lymphedema is a chronic condition. There is no cure at
in North America, the cause will be the surgical removal of this time. However, the condition does respond very well to
lymph nodes for staging the spread of cancer. If the cancer treatment and management if the therapist is diligent and
in question is breast cancer, then the lymphedema is referred the patient compliant.
to as breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). BCRL can The tools for treating lymphedema were developed by
range from mild to severe, as many variables affect the devel- Danish massage therapists (Emil and Astrid Vodder) in the
opment of the swelling. 1930s and by German physicians and researchers in the
Lymphedema has four stages: 1960s. These physicians and researchers worked with highly
Stage 0 (latent). This initial stage of lymphedema has no trained European massage therapists and physiotherapists
visible signs. Symptoms are a feeling of heaviness or achiness who administered the therapy. This interest in lymphology
in the affected limb. There is no measurable swelling. This and applied lymphatic treatments, however, did not occur to
stage may continue for months or years before the edema the same degree in North America, and still has not had suf-
becomes evident. ficient impact on medical training in North America.
Stage 1 (spontaneously reversible). In Stage 1 lymph-
edema there is evident swelling. It is called spontaneously THE GOLD STANDARD
reversible because the swelling is mild and will reduce during In Europe, lymphedema treatment was becoming standard-
overnight sleep or on elevation. ized. The Complex Decongestive Physiotherapy system was
Separating fact
from fiction
How research literacy can benefit you,
your business and your profession
M
any massage therapists push research literacy to the bottom of their list of selected continuing
education units (CEUs) due to its complexity or a preference to pursue courses that enhance
practical techniques or skills to drive in more business, such as marketing. Research literacy, at
the very least, is an important part of upholding therapists commitment to ethics and profes-
sionalism. Great strides have been made in the last few years with respect to evidence-based practice in
massage therapy and, more recently, research literacy has become a mandatory part of curricula for RMTs.
No one is expecting massage therapists to wear lab coats and modality works can open the door to many new markets. Clients
evaluate the statistical significance of the results of their practice. coming for massage simply for relaxation may decide to increase
The expectation for the research literacy of massage therapists is the frequency of their visits to help treat symptoms they previously
simply to: know where to find it, how to read it, who to engage, believed were off-limits to massage.
and how to ask the right questions to determine the studys cred- Through word of mouth, people will recognize you as a well-
ibility. Another important expectation of massage therapists is to informed practitioner. Clients are increasingly becoming better
responsibly educate clients about the results the research identifies. consumers these days as they are becoming more familiar with the
Susan Salvos book, Massage Therapy Principles and Practice, evidence-based practice movement. People may be more willing
cited Dr. JoEllen Sefton, author of Research Literacy and Massage to tell their friends and family about their massage therapists if
Therapy, defining research literacy as the ability to locate, read, they think their therapists are familiar with the latest information
understand, and evaluate research literature. For massage thera- about massage therapy.
pists, this means being able to incorporate the information found By educating the client on the difference between what seems
from reliable studies into your massage practice and to communi- to work based on experience versus what has been shown to work
cate research findings to others. It gives you the skills necessary to based on scientific evidence, massage therapists are empower-
become good consumers, trustworthy sources of massage informa- ing their clients to become better consumers of their health care.
tion, and independent lifelong learners. Clients will appreciate this and may even respect their practitio-
By learning how to find, interpret and criticize research articles, ners opinions that much more because of it.
you are enhancing your knowledge on that particular topic, indi-
rectly impacting your skills in a positive way. MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE PROFESSION
I spent the last few months reviewing articles and obtaining the
GROW YOUR BUSINESS opinions of colleagues (including students), clients (including
By becoming research literate, you will be able to speak the lan- potential clients) and other health-care professionals (including
guage of other health-care practitioners. Being able to explain physicians) on research in this profession. It is becoming increas-
research findings related to massage therapy to physicians, for ingly clear that we need to do more to improve our credibility
example, in a way that they understand can increase your credibil- within the health-care community.
ity and the likelihood that they will send you referrals. The results of my informal investigation revealed a divide
Our profession is always justifying our role in health care to amongst the profession. On the one side are massage therapists
insurance companies who are often hesitant to cover massage who believe the proof of effective practice lies in the results
therapy. Research literate massage therapists can help change the they have witnessed in their own experiences. On the other side
way our profession is viewed by the insurance companies, thereby are those who exclusively support evidence-based practice and
creating less resistance to coverage for your clients. believe there is no room for anecdotal data.
Having an ability to understand and to explain how a particular These two extremes make it difficult to unite as a profession in
RESPONSIBLE COMMUNICATION
When communicating with our clients, there are ways to edu-
cate them about the difference between anecdotal information
and evidence-based practice. Once you are familiar with what
is out there in terms of trustworthy research, you can say for
example, In my experience, whenever I perform ischemic com-
pressions, my clients seem to experience a reduction in pain, but
there is no evidence that I am aware of to support that this is
what causes the reduction of pain. If you are willing to try it, we
can get started. Or, Some small studies have shown that isch-
emic compressions may result in the reduction of pain, however
more research still needs to be conducted. We can always try
this technique and see if it works for you.
These types of responses allow the therapist to continue
practicing a modality or technique that they believe works,
while providing responsible, informed information to the cli-
ent who now fully understands that ischemic compressions
may not actually cause a reduction in pain before they provide
consent to treatment.
Research in massage therapy is still in its infancy. We can-
not stop our careers while advances in science are still being
hypothesized. We can, however, change our thinking about
the effects of our work by becoming curious and skeptical
continuing to ask ourselves why the result is the way it is,
encouraging those practitioners who are interested in pursuing
their careers in research to answer these questions for us.
In the meantime, we can continue to practice modalities
and techniques that are safe and seemingly effective provided
that we educate our clients responsibly about the differences M
between anecdotal information and evidence-based practice,
so they can make an informed decision about their own
health-care treatment plan.
In Fascial Release for Structural Balance, authors James Earls and Thomas
Meyersboth respected bodywork professionalsargue that approaching the
fascia requires a different eye, a different touch, and tissue-specific techniques.
This book offers a detailed introduction to structural anatomy and fascial release
therapy, including postural analysis, complete technique descriptions, and the art of
proper assessment of a patient through bodyreading.
Approved
Continuing Education
ONE Concept
Community Room
Fantastic Trade Show
Tina Allen James Waslaski Drew Freedman Angie Dubis
and Legendary
Social Events
FREE Student Day and
Smart From the
Start Presentation
Dr. George Roth Jerrilyn Cambron Barry Jennings Dr. Dennis Buckley
JOIN
US!
EDUCATORS DAY FRIDAY, SEPT 19
& SCHOOL RALLY AT
8:30AM-4:00PM
REGISTER: INFO@ONECONCEPT.COM
ONE Concept/FMT Wellness OR 1-877-387-9111 EX 111
HAMILTON ONTARIO
family therapy
CLINIC SPA SHOP