International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (IJTMB)
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Effect of Foot Reflexology on Reduction of Labour Pain Among Primigravida Mothers
No full textBackground: Reflexology may help induce labour and reduce pain during childbirth. Fear of pain associated with childbirth leads to increase in the irregular use of cesarean method. Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate the effect of reflexology on relieving labour pain and assess the recipient’s opinion regarding foot reflexology. Setting: The study taken place in the labour room, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kerala, South India. Participants: 50 primigravida patients experiencing labour. Research Design: A quasi-experimental study design was used. Subjects were selected by convenience sampling technique with the first 25 patients allocated to the experimental group and the successive 25 primigravida mothers to a time-control group, to avoid data contamination. Intervention: Intervention consisted of foot reflexology applied by a trained therapist to five pressure points of both feet that correspond to the uterus. Total intervention time lasted 20 minutes. Control group rested quietly for 20 minutes to serve as a time control. Main Outcome Measure(s): Pain associated with labour was recorded on a visual analogue scale immediately prior to intervention, and at 20- and 40-minutes postintervention. Patient satisfaction with reflexology treatment was recorded. Results: Mean baseline pain score in foot reflexology group was significantly reduced across the study timeframe relative to control group (p < .001). Post hoc tests confirmed a reduction in labour pain at both the 20-min (p < .001, 95%CI 0.764–1.796) and 40-min (p < .001, 95%CI 0.643–1.677) time points. Eighty-one per cent of patients would recommend reflexology during labour. Conclusion: The findings showed that foot reflexology was effective in relief of labour pain, with a high degree of patient satisfaction in primigravida mothers
The Effect of Massage on the Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System and Markers of Inflammation in Night Shift Workers: a Pilot Randomized Crossover Trial
No full textBackground: Shift work is a necessary part of many industries; however, it can have detrimental effects on health over time.
Purpose: This study investigated the effect of a massage intervention on the cardiac autonomic activity and blood inflammatory markers of healthy medical residents working night shifts.
Setting: This trial was conducted at British Columbia Children’s and Women’s Hospital between February 2014 and June 2016.
Participants: Included participants were generally healthy medical residents and were working rotating night shifts on a regular basis.
Research Design: This was a randomized, controlled, crossover, open-label trial (NCT02247089).
Interventions: Participants received either a 30-min massage intervention or reading control after consecutive periods of night shift.
Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was high frequency, a proxy for the cardiac parasympathetic activity, measured via heart rate variability. Secondary outcomes included other heart rate variability measures, blood markers of inflammation, and blood pressure.
Results: Twelve participants were recruited (nine female) with median age of 28 years. There was no significant difference between the massage intervention and the reading control for the primary outcome, (median relative change between pre- and postmassage [interquartile range]: 62% [-1 to 150], pre- and postreading: 14% [-10 to 51], p = .16). Similarly, there was no difference with respect to blood inflammatory markers and blood pressure. Median high frequency significantly increased between pre- and postmassage (185 vs. 358 ms2, p = .04).
Conclusion: This pilot study found no statistically significant difference between the massage intervention and the reading control; however, we did observe a significant increase in median high frequency from before massage to after massage, indicative of increased parasympathetic activity. This study may help inform planning of larger trials evaluating massage interventions on the activity of the autonomic nervous system and managing shift work stress
A Canadian Massage Therapy Education Environmental Scan
No full textBackground: Massage therapists have been a part of Canadian’s health care since 1919. The profession has gone through great change over the past 100 years including adjustments to entry-to-practice education. An important recent change was the implementation of massage therapy (MT) education program accreditation. In light of the likely disruption as a result of programs becoming accredited, a
scan of the current state of MT education in Canada was undertaken.
Methods: An environmental scan informed by seminal medical education efforts was used to describe the thoughts and opinions of MT education stakeholders in Canada. Specifically, stakeholders were interviewed regarding the current state of MT education and their comments were analyzed for common themes.
Results: Twenty-one stakeholders participated. Four themes were constructed: variation, isolation, stagnation, and accreditation. Variation is described as the impact of differences in content and quality of the education provided in MT colleges. Isolation is described as the feeling of the participant being separated, or disconnected, from the regulator, accreditor, or colleagues due, at least in part, to a lack of communication or networking opportunities. Stagnation is described as a lack of activity, growth, or development within MT education. Participants talked about accreditation, both as a solution for some of the challenges previously mentioned, and as a potential challenge in itself.
Conclusions: Several challenges to MT education were described by stakeholders that they hoped would be remedied by national MT program accreditation. Despite some limitations, this environmental scan forms a baseline for stakeholder views on massage education in Canada upon which future comparisons can be made. While the environmental scan results are most useful when applied to the MT in Canada context, stakeholders in other countries may also find them interesting and valuable when considering challenges facing their own education programs
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Massage Therapy Profession
No full textIt has been documented that there are disparities in who seeks massage therapy in the United States. Yet, there are few conversations about race and ethnicity of the massage therapists who provide these services. We must examine the diversity, equity, and inclusion within the massage therapy profession and consider how the profession can improve the landscape for clients/patients and for those who feel called to work within this field. Although the diversity of the profession and those who seek treatment are rarely discussed, this paper explores these issues and offers possible solutions to expand the diversity of the profession and patient population
Exploring the Clinical Response of Childhood Functional Gastro-Intestinal Disorder Symptoms to Deep Tissue Massage of Psoas Muscles: Results of Two-Year Clinical Audit with Telephone Follow-Up
No full textBackground & Purpose: There is a high incidence of chronic recurrent functional abdominal pain in children causing significant disruption to schooling, quality of life, and costs to the health care system. Treatment routinely includes behavioral, pharmacological, and invasive surgical interventions, with varying levels of impact. This study aims to examine the response of symptoms of functional gastro-intestinal disorders (FGID) in children to treatment of psoas muscle tension and tenderness using remedial massage therapy.
Setting & Participants: Pediatric surgeon’s rooms, remedial massage therapist rooms, consenting children aged 2–18.
Research Design: Two years of clinical observations were analyzed including patient-reported symptoms, surgeon and remedial massage therapist observations, with 122 children suffering from moderate to severe FGID symptoms. Over the two year observation period, 96 children with FGID symptoms completed a course of remedial massage therapy to their psoas muscles.
Results: Improvement in psoas tension and tenderness on palpation was observed for all participants after an average of 5 treatments (range 2–12). Complete resolution of all symptoms of abdominal pain, reflux, vomiting, nausea, and bowel upset was seen in 88/96 (92%) participants at the time of treatment completion without side effects. Over the observation period, 72 children were followed up after completing remedial massage therapy; 75% reported they remained symptom free, 18% continued to have marked improvement and 7% mild improvement.
Conclusion: Despite study design limitations, more research is warranted on the potential for this low-cost, noninvasive therapeutic intervention to assist symptom management for children with FGID
A Survey of Acupuncture-Providing Registered Massage Therapists in Ontario, Canada: Motivation, Training, and Practice Characteristics
No full textBackground: An increasing number of licensed massage therapists in several countries are providing acupuncture to their clients, but little is known about this practice.
Purpose: To characterize the motivations, training backgrounds, practice patterns, and clinical experiences of licensed massage therapists who perform acupuncture.
Research Design: The study used a cross-sectional, online survey design involving acupuncture-providing registered massage therapists (RMTs) in the province of Ontario, Canada, where acupuncture is explicitly permitted within the massage therapy profession’s scope. Analysis involved descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis of qualitative findings.
Results: The survey response rate was 33.7% (n=212), representing 25.5% of all Ontario RMTs rostered to practice acupuncture. Participant demographics mirrored the RMT profession as a whole, except that providers were, on average, several years older than other RMTs. Most respondents (72.7%) had completed over 200 hours of training in acupuncture; most training included clean needle technique (96.8%), clinical supervision (93.5%), traditional Chinese medicine content (83.4%), and a final examination (96.8%). Respondents typically used acupuncture in about one-third of their sessions (mean 32.3%, SD 5.0) with an average of 10.5 weekly clients (SD 14.3). Acupuncture-providing RMTs had been initially motivated by acupuncture’s potential effectiveness for musculoskeletal conditions (97.2%), a wish to attract more clients (61.3%), and physical fatigue from delivering manual therapies (48.3%). Most reported being more likely to achieve excellent clinical results (84.9%), experience greater professional satisfaction (79.9%), and attract or retain clients (64.8%) since using acupuncture. A minority also reported earning a higher income (34.6%) and experiencing more adverse events in practice (21.5%). Qualitative responses added explanatory nuance to numeric results.
Conclusions: This study of the use of acupuncture by Ontario’s licensed massage therapists represents a first scholarly account of an emerging global trend that holds promise in enhancing clinical care, professional stability, and provider longevity. Additional research is needed to investigate the practice’s use in other jurisdictions, and to establish international standards for safe and effective practice
Abstracts from the 2019 Research Poster Session at the American Massage Therapy Association Annual Convention
No full textThe 2019 Poster Session at the American Massage Therapy Association National Convention included the following 6 posters as well as the posters presented at the International Massage Therapy Research Conference (IMTRC). The abstracts from IMTRC can be found also at the IJTMB (https://ijtmb.org/index.php/ijtmb/article/view/495). 
Next Steps for the Massage Therapy Foundation Research Agenda
No full textFoundational to any health profession is the seeking of new knowledge based upon, and guided by, scientific inquiry. To determine what new knowledge is most needed, stakeholders will often createresearch agendas to guide the path of future research. This editorial introduces the Massage Therapy Foundation’s 2020 Research Agenda, and invites readers to provide input into the prioritization of objectives and goals within the Agenda
Pregnancy-related Pelvic Girdle Pain and Pregnancy Massage: Findings from a Subgroup Analysis of an Observational Study
No full textBackground: Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PPGP) significantly impacts women’s lives both physically and psychologically. Given the severity and impact of PPGP on pregnancy, the authors anticipated that pregnant women with PPGP might respond differently to massage than pregnant women without PPGP.
Purpose: The aim of the study was to further analyze a published 2017 study to assess the response of pregnancy massage in participants with and without PPGP.
Setting: Two massage clinics, one in Sydney and one in Melbourne, recruited participants from December 2016 to December 2017.
Participants: Nineteen women with PPGP and 78 without PPGP.
Research Design: PPGP and non-PPGP women receiving at least one massage, with outcome measures assessed immediately prior to and after massage, and again one week post-massage.
Main Outcome Measures: Visual analog scales for pain, stress, range of movement, sleep, and self-reported side effects of massage.
Results: Both groups changed significantly and similarly over time for measures of pain, stress, range of motion, and sleep (all p < .05). Post hoc analysis found significant reduction in all outcome measures immediately following massage, but returned to baseline at one week post-massage for all measures except pain, which remained reduced for the PPGP group (49.79±25.68 to 34.75±34.75, p = .03, effect size 0.593), and stress remained reduced in the non-PPGP group (33.36±21.54 to 24.90±19.18, p = .002, effect size 0.373). The PPGP group entered the study with higher baseline levels of pain (p = .01) and a greater restriction in range of motion (p = .006) than the non-PPGP group. There was no difference in the number of side effects experienced between the two groups (p = .130).
Conclusions: Although PPGP clients report greater pain and restriction in range of motion at baseline than non-PPGP clients, the response to pregnancy massage was similar. Results support a role of pregnancy massage in the management of PPGP. More research on massage for PPGP is needed to confirm a lasting effect of pain reduction from massage
Structural Integration Case Report: a Global Intervention Challenging the Limitations of Local Rehabilitation
No full text Background: Conventional rehabilitation for musculoskeletal injuries postsurgery is generally site-specific and aims to return the person to ‘normal’ function. Commonly, conventional treatment focuses locally and little or no attention is given to comorbidities, other symptoms, postural compensations, or adaptations either pre-existing or resulting from the injury. Structural Integration (SI) is a manual therapy applied to and focusing on fascial continuities throughout the whole body. This case report explores SI as a global, whole-body intervention for rehabilitation. Purpose: To examine the effects of a whole-body approach that addresses local and global symptoms following ankle surgery. Methods: The Anatomy Trains Structural Integration (ATSI formerly KMI) 12-series protocol was applied and a selection of outcome measures were used to track progress and assess the eff icacy of SI. Ankle mobility and function was assessed primarily using Weight-Bearing Lunge Test and Lower Extremity Functional Scale. Local pain was reported using the McGill Pain Questionnaire. General wellbeing was evaluated using subjective questioning and the WHO Quality of Life Questionnaire. Results: Local results included increased mobility and function to affected leg, and reduced pain and swelling. Global results included an improvement in physical and psychological well-being, with the reduction of pain and dysfunction in other areas. Conclusion: This case report demonstrates global benefits of a whole-body approach when structural integration is applied during rehabilitation. More clinical research that includes SI is needed to determine if the local and global results shown in this case study can be demonstrated in additional rehabilitation populations