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Research News                 Click here for a list of independent research articles

 
  Massage Therapy Foundation News:

Foundation volunteers Clint Chandler and Albert Moraska, PhD, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Comparison of a Targeted and General Massage Protocol on Strength, Function, and Symptoms Associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Pilot Study.

Patricia Sharpe, Foundation Grant Recipient, publishes article on the effects of massage therapy compared to guided relaxation in older adults - click for .pdf of article

2007 Student Case Report Honorable Mention, Eric Mathis, published in Massage Therapy Practice Magazine at www.massagetherapypractice.com

2006 Student Case Report Contest Honorable Mention, Peggi Honig, published in Massage Today.

Foundation funded Pilot Study, Massage Therapy for Tension Headaches Concludes - View Press Release

Other Important CAM Research News:

Conferences of Interest - Click to View

Available Grants - Click to View


IN-CAM Outcomes Database Now Available

The IN-CAM Outcomes Database was recently launched at the 3rd International Congress on Complementary Medicine Research in Sydney, Australia. The database can be found at: www.outcomesdatabase.org. It is a collection of outcome measures of particular relevance to Complementary and Alternative Medicine research. The goals of the database are to: make practical information available on a wide range of outcome measures relevant to CAM research and to organize and categorize outcome measures within a unique Framework of Outcome Domains that integrates measurable domains of health into a unified scheme.


Research continues to support the effectiveness of massage therapy in
the treatment of pain

The Massage Therapists' Association of British Columbia (MTABC) has announced the public release of commissioned literature reviews on neck pain, low back pain and osteoarthritis.These reviews are the profession's latest clinician research information resource from their Research Department.

"Accessing the evidence-based practice data will benefit massage therapy
patients, practitioners of massage therapy and manual therapy, colleges
and faculty, associations, agencies, regulatory bodies and others in the
profession," said Bodhi Haraldsson, RMT and MTABC Research Department
Chair.

"Patients come into our practices every day suffering from neck pain,
low back pain and osteoarthritis" said Damon Marchand, RMT, MTABC
President. "BC Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs) are one of the best
trained in North America and pride themselves in delivering effective,
evidenced-based therapy to relieve pain and suffering for patients for
these and other muscular-skeletal conditions."

MTABC contracted Canadian Institute of Pain and Disability to create
these literature reviews to assist the RMT community in its endeavor to
close the gap between what is known in high quality research and what is
taught and practiced.

These literature reviews represent the latest activity that MTABC
undertakes to assist registered massage therapists in incorporating high
quality research evidence in their practices.The reviews can be found at:
http://massagetherapy.bc.ca/general/join_the_mtabc/publications



FACT Journal

Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies Journal (FACT) is one of the very first journals to focus on issues related to CAM research. Based in Great Britain, FACT is now looking to expand their visibility in North America.  FACT aims to impartially present evidence-based CAM information and promote discussions on methodological issues.

To view past volumes of FACT, please visit:
http://www.medicinescomplete.com/journals/fact/current/volumes.htm
 

CAM Practitioners Needed - CAM Use in Pediatric Oncology Study
Researchers with the Complementary and Alternative Research and Education Program (CARE) would like to partner with CAM providers across Canada and the US to complete Phase 2 of their study to identify best cases in pediatric oncology.

Detailed instructions and materials, including a study overview, the patient information letter/consent form, the data collections form, and the waiting room poster, are available here www.incamresearch.ca/picture/upload/File/BestCaseSeries25Feb2008.pdf


Call for Papers - JAMS
The newly launched Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies is now accepting articles.  The Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies is a peer-reviewed, quarterly journal featuring high-quality studies related to basic and clinical acupuncture and meridian research.

For further details about the journal and how to make a submission, please
www.journalams.com or contact: editorial@journalams.com

CAM Practitioners Wanted for Cancer Study
Researchers with the Complementary and Alternative Research and Education Program (CARE) would like to partner with CAM providers across Canada and the US to complete Phase 2  of their study to identify best cases in pediatric oncology.  

To view project materials, including the patient information letter/consent form, the data collection form, and the waiting room poster, click here: <http://www.incamresearch.ca/picture/upload/File/BestCaseSeriesdocs.pdf> .

NCCAM Grantsmanship Workshop
NCCAM will conduct a 3-day grantsmanship workshop June 3-5, 2008 in Bethesda, Maryland. This workshop will provide researchers, fellows, and graduate students with an in-depth understanding of the NIH grants and review processes, clarify Federal regulations and policies, and highlight areas of special interest and concern.
For more information go to:
http://nccam.nih.gov/news/2007/110707.htm.

View NCCAM Stakeholder Dialogue - June 20, 2007

NCRR Strategic Planning - The National Center for Research Resources is seeking input for a new strategic plan covering the five-year period from 2009-2013.
URL: http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/Strategic_Pla
 

Announcement- New Website Launched – Canadian Massage Therapy Research Network (CMTRN)
The Canadian Massage Therapy Research Network (
CMTRN) is pleased to announce the launch of its website.  This website serves the CMTRN’s mission to promote public health and wellness through the establishment of a national network to communicate research outcomes and encourage research initiatives regarding the efficacy, safety and cost effectiveness of massage therapy within the Canadian health care system.  

The website contains information and resources to help educate massage therapists, other health care practitioners, and the public about research activities in Canada related to Massage Therapy. Massage Therapists interested in getting involved in research will find assistance in learning more about research and evidence-based practice. In addition, announcements of upcoming conferences and resources are updated monthly.  Please use the suggestion box or contribution form to provide feedback and submit documents for consideration for the website.

The CMTRN invites you to visit the website at www.cmtrn.ca.

View Research News Archive

 

 

 

Massage Therapy for Tension Headaches Pilot Study Concludes

Massage Therapy for Tension Headaches Pilot Study Concludes. Northwestern's Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies to Submit Grant Proposals for Full-Scale Study

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - A full-scale study of massage therapy for tension headaches may be on the horizon for the Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies (WHCCS) at Northwestern Health Sciences University.

The WHCCS recently completed a pilot study of massage therapy versus self-care education for tension-type headaches. The study was funded by a $19,935 grant from the Massage Therapy Foundation and an in-kind contribution from Northwestern. The trial had three aims: to determine the feasibility of a full-scale randomized clinical trial to assess the relative effectiveness of massage therapy and self-care education for tension-type headaches; to assess if individuals with tension-type headaches would experience clinically important changes after a 10-week therapeutic massage regimen; and to describe the participants' and massage therapists' experiences with massage as a treatment.

"We did determine that a full-scale trial is feasible," said Michele Maiers, DC, MPH, an associate professor and the principal investigator of the study. "Although we did determine that self-care education was not a good comparison."

Although the sample size was small for the pilot study - only 25 people received massage therapy for their headaches - the clinical changes observed were very promising.

"We saw very positive changes in the duration, intensity, and disability associated with tension-type headaches, although we cannot draw conclusions because the sample size is too small," says Dr. Maiers. "Patients were overwhelmingly satisfied and the vast majority felt they had improved."

The WHCCS will begin seeking grants for a full-scale study of massage therapy for tension-type headaches later this year. Additionally, the results of the pilot study will be put into manuscript form and submitted for publication. Dr. Maiers also presented the results at an American Massage Therapy Association meeting in October.

"It was received very favorably," says Dr. Maiers. "There is a need for an increase in the number of high-quality research in massage therapy."

"I am thrilled to see this type of study taking place at Northwestern," says Dale Healey, DC, dean of the School of Massage Therapy. "To have our team of researchers in the WHCCS working in concert with School of Massage Therapy faculty on this project has been very exciting. The expansion of the body of knowledge related to the effects of massage therapy by our experienced team of researchers and faculty is something in which the entire institution can take pride."

Northwestern Health Sciences University offers a wide array of choices in natural health care education including chiropractic, Oriental medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy, human biology, and integrative health and wellness. The University has 900 students on a 25-acre campus in Bloomington, Minn.

 
 
 

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Phone: 847-869-5019 • Fax: 847-864-1178 • Email: info@massagetherapyfoundation.org