Practitioner-Generated Massage Therapy Research

Practitioner-Generated Massage Therapy Research

At first glance, the two research studies featured in this issue of the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (IJTMB) are not much alike. The study by Chunco (1) , which took top honors in the Massage Therapy Foundation's 2010 Practitioner Case Report Contest (2) , examines a single massage therapy (MT) recipient who has a distinct clinical condition, and does not rely on sp...

Integrating research competencies in massage therapy education

The massage therapy profession is currently engaged in a competencybased education movement that has as one of its several focal points an emphasis on promoting massage therapy research competencies (MTRCs) at an introductory or entry level. One of several dimensions that must be seriously considered in advancing MTRCs in the profession is that of the curricular and instructional contexts for t...

A meta-analysis of massage therapy research.

Massage therapy (MT) is an ancient form of treatment that is now gaining popularity as part of the complementary and alternative medical therapy movement. A meta-analysis was conducted of studies that used random assignment to test the effectiveness of MT. Mean effect sizes were calculated from 37 studies for 9 dependent variables. Single applications of MT reduced state anxiety, blood pressure...

Value of Qualitative Research in the Study of Massage Therapy

Qualitative inquiry is increasingly used in health research because it is particularly suited to the study of complex topics or issues about which little is known and concerning which quantification cannot easily create or effectively convey understanding. By exploring the lived experience of people providing and receiving massage therapy and the meaning that those people ascribe to those exper...

A Case for Mixed Methods Research in Massage Therapy