What are your wellsprings of inspiration?I’ve made it no secret that one of my favorites is the Massage Therapy Foundation (MTF). The Massage & Bodywork team is proud to bring you this research-based issue a year out from the MTF’s International Massage Therapy Research Conference, to be held in Boston, April 2013. Once you turn these pages, we believe you’ll be excited about the impact of research on this profession, how it can help fuel your practice, and how you can benefit when you join the conversation.
We know you already have the touch and the intuition, but being research-savvy is all about building your vocabulary. It can help you attract new clients and better communicate with other health-care professionals, dialogue with fellow massage therapists, and educate existing clients about the value of frequent massage. It’s up to all of us to share the news with the millions of consumers out there who have never tried massage: they are missing an amazing wellness opportunity that has proven effective to help reduce stress levels, curb high blood pressure, and ease pain so healing can occur.
Never before has the field of massage therapy research been more accessible and fascinating for individual practitioners like you. Last year, leading educators Whitney Lowe and Jan Schwartz teamed up to produce an interactive online course to help the individual therapist become more comfortable with, and articulate about, research. Through their firm Education and Training Solutions, they created the program as an educational fundraiser for the MTF, shouldering the financial burden and workload while developing and now maintaining this exciting effort. “Basics of Research Literacy” is a self-paced course, so you can complete it at your convenience at Massagetherapyfoundation.org.
By way of disclaimer, this March I’m honored to begin my third two-year term on the MTF Board of Trustees and my seventh year as a donor. So in research terms, I’m biased! But that also means I’ve seen firsthand the exciting advancements in the field, and I’m so pleased to serve the MTF at such a pivotal time. We’re in an era where an increasing number of integrated health professionals are turning their attention to massage therapy and bodywork, and keen to partner with us. This is great news for you and your clients—and for all of us dedicated to wellness.
Leslie A. Young, Editor in Chief
leslie@abmp.com