I have been observing and participating in discussions about the Evidence-Based Practice of Massage Therapy on several different Internet groups lately. It’s interesting to see the interactions between those who think the scientific approach is the only way to go, and those who think the fact that massage makes people feel good is the only evidence that’s needed. And of course there are some who take the middle ground. I probably belong to the latter group.
I think research is important, and the more scientific evidence we have about the efficacy of massage, the better off we are. It can only enhance our credibility in the eyes of physicians and other health care providers. Still, we all work on people every day who get up off the table saying how much better they feel, and that validates us. We feel better because we have helped someone else to feel better.
The Canadians are miles ahead of the US when it comes to performing scientific research on massage. They have gone far beyond most of the studies that have been done here, and that’s probably directly related to the fact that their educational requirements are for the most part, way higher than ours.
I think it’s a huge detriment to our profession that training in how to perform research is not even mentioned in most massage schools here. I own a huge collection of school catalogs, and hardly any of them include anything about research in their curriculum. Unless a therapist has a college degree and prior experience in conducting a proper research project, the average student doesn’t have a clue on how to go about conducting, documenting, and validating a study. Evidence-Based Practice will never be the norm here until that is corrected.
I’d be interested to know how school owners and program directors feel about this. Do you think it’s important for students to have any research skills? Do you think Evidence-Based Practice is the way to go, or do we just maintain the status quo that currently exists here? Do you think more people need to take up the cause?
Peace & Prosperity,
Laura Allen
July 23rd, 2009 at 7:06 am
Hi Laura,
I agree that we are validated every time we have a client who feels better from the efforts we have put forth. I also feel that in order for our profession to grown and thrive we must continue to learn through various means and have the evidence-based practice along with the research. That is how we validate ourselves to those professionals who will be referring clients to us for adjunct therpy. By having research to back us up, we get farther and farther away from old thinking models…i.e. massage therapists are just a bunch of prostitutes, get their jollies from touching other people, massage is just something for fun….pampering. We are professionals, we help the community and now we need to be established permanently in the healthcare community as the specialized professionals we are!
Mary Taylor RN, BSN, LMBT
July 23rd, 2009 at 10:19 am
I agree that we are validated every time we have a client who feels better from the efforts we have put forth. I also feel that in order for our profession to grow and thrive we must continue to learn through various means and have the evidence-based practice along with the research to back our efforts. That is how we validate ourselves to those professionals who will be referring clients to us for adjunct therapy. By having research to back us up, we get farther away from old thinking models…i.e. massage therapists are just a bunch of prostitutes (I’ve actually had clients mention that or proposition), get their jollies from touching other people, massage is just something for fun….pampering. For me, it a necessary part of personal health care as I am sure it is for others.
Our history pattern is not much different from another profession….nursing. Nurses started out as prostitutes who followed the wars of the day and cared for soldiers in many ways….tending to their wounds and personal needs (do I really need to get specific here???). I remember as a student nurse in the late ’60s and ’70s being locked into the dorm at night because the profession was trying, even at that late date, to get rid of stigma surrounding the nursing profession. Today nursing is one of the most revered and trusted. This all came about by the hard work of those trying to change the stigma and through the results of research done by those dedicated professionals.
My endeavor is to combine both of my professions…massage therapy and nursing, so that I may give my clients/patients the best of two worlds. We are professionals, we help the community and now we need to be established permanently in the healthcare community as the specialized professionals we are! If that means going to evidence-based practice, I say….let’s get on with it.
Mary Taylor RN, BSN, LMBT
July 23rd, 2009 at 6:44 pm
The push in some Canadian provinces so far is just research literacy (i.e. is this a reasonable study? How do I evaluate the results? etc.,..) At some point they’ll be requiring training in research capacity. That’s when we’ll know we’ve overcorrected and are then requiring too much education for someone to practice massage therapy.
August 4th, 2009 at 8:03 am
A brief reply to your questions.
Do you think it’s important for students to have any research skills?
Yes and no. It’s useful for students and novice practitioners to be research literate. By that I mean able to interpret research as well as assess the quality of the design and the credentials and motivations of the presenters. Quite frankly, there is a great deal of nonsense and/or self promotion presented in a quasi-scientifc way in the trade magazines, often in the form of “Expert Columns”. MTs need to be able to see through this to find truly impartial and useful knowledge.
Do students need the skills to conduct research? I’d say no, unless we go to a much higher level of education for entry level MTs.
Do you think Evidence-Based Practice is the way to go, or do we just maintain the status quo that currently exists here?
More pertinent information (evidence) interpreted so as to be utilized in practice will enhance treatment. On the other hand if a lack of accepted research evidence is used to discredit or devalue methods that MTs are using successfully the effect will be a negative one. We shoudn’t forget that much of the allopathic medical approach is not evidence based and a great deal of the “evidence” is tainted by the entrepreneurial intentions of the funders and sometimes the researchers.
I direct an MT program in a small community college in upstate NY.
Dave MacDougall
August 7th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Laura,
In the Associate Degree program at Johnston Community College, we now require Argument-Based Research (English 112) in our 3rd semester. We find that it is a plus for our students to realize just how important research is and also how important to continue to validate our profession
August 7th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Laura,
In the Associate Degree program at Johnston Community College, we now require Argument-Based Research (English 112) in our 3rd semester. We find that it is a plus for our students to realize just how important research is and also how important it is to continue to validate our profession thru Evidence Based Practice.
Thanks for all you do to advance our profession in North Carolina!. You go girl!
August 20th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
My school offers a second year massage therapy program which teaches about researching and documenting outcomes. I graduated 5 years ago, but I am returning for the second year this August. I am looking forward to the possibility of helpingto further massage therapists in my area.