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Community Service
Grant Recipients 2006 to 1993
The Massage Therapy
Foundation Community Service Grants are
awarded to organizations that seek to
provide massage therapy to communities or
groups who currently have little or no
access to such services. Listed below are
brief summaries of community service
projects the Foundation has funded.
“Therapeutic Massage for
Cancer Patients at Boston Medical Center,”
Robert Saper, Project Leader, Boston Medical
Center, Boston, MA; $5,000, 2006
The Boston Medical Center
(BMC), provider of “exceptional care
without exception” has been awarded a grant
that will enable them to offer the benefits
of massage therapy to cancer patients free
of charge. An estimated 360 patients in
chemotherapy will receive approximately 140
hours of massage to help alleviate symptoms
such as pain, fatigue, stress,
musculoskeletal side effects, nausea, and
depression.
BMC is the largest private
non-profit safety net hospital in the
country. They provide over $350 million in
free care annually. One of the secondary
intentions for this pilot program is to
increase awareness among their medical staff
(and patients) about the value of massage
therapy, and build institutional knowledge
and operational capacity. BMC will be
contributing a generous amount of “in kind”
support to maximize the reach of this new
program.
With a sophisticated set of
outcome measures to assess the program’s
efficacy in place, there is anticipation
that the results will inspire a commitment
from BMC to continue this massage therapy
program for cancer patients.
This population faces considerable social
and economic challenges in addition to the
extraordinary physical and mental strains of
cancer treatment. Massage treatments will
help with symptom alleviation and may
increase compliance and tolerance of their
conventional cancer therapy.
“The Broader Benefits of
Tactile Therapies beyond Managing Pain and
Disability,” Dein Vindigni, RMT, Project
Leader, RMIT
University, Melbourne, Australia; $5,000,
2006
This project will be carried
out by Hands on Health Australia (HOHA).
HOHA is a not-for-profit group of volunteer
health workers that promotes the health of
marginalized communities through hands-on
treatments. The Massage Therapy Foundation
grant monies will be used to train six
Aboriginal health workers to staff a clinic
in the Hopevale Community. The training is
designed to be sensitive to this distinctive
cultural framework, both in the instruction
and in the delivery of service to the
community. The health workers will learn how
to run a complimentary and allied health
clinic by working in a practice setting
using a team approach with volunteer
practitioners including: chiropractors,
dentists, nurses, naturopaths, medical
doctors, dermatologists, nutritionists and
massage therapists. The clinic will engage
elders & community leaders to serve a
cross-section of community members seeking
treatment for a variety of musculoskeletal
conditions. Health workers will also train
community members in self-massage
treatments.
HOHA seeks
to promote self-esteem & restore human
dignity by engaging people to discover
solutions to their own health care needs.
It’s anticipated that more than 250 people
will be served by this project.
"Therapeutic Massage for
Pediatric Burn Survivors: Camp Amigo Pilot
Project 2006," Nancy Smith, Project Leader,
Southeast Burn Foundation and Florida School
of Massage, Gainesville, FL; $4,998, 2006
Sponsored in part
by a grant to the Foundation from BIOTONE
The Southeast Burn Foundation
(SBF) provides education and support to burn
survivors across Florida, Georgia, and
Alabama. Their Camp Amigo Project is for
children 8-15 years old who are burn
survivors. These children struggle with
scar contracture, impaired range of motion,
and compromised body image. The camp serves
between 30 and 40 participants each summer.
These funds will help provide massage
therapy to children on-site at Camp Amigo,
integrating massage therapy with traditional
treatments for burn survivors with matured
scarring. After the camp, funds will be
used to provide extended term therapeutic
massage to up to four children, tracking
their progress. Parents and caregivers will
be given two 2-hour training classes on the
benefits of massage therapy, including
techniques they may use at home with their
children.
This pilot program includes
an extensive evaluation protocol with
standardized measurements and evaluation
response forms. The data collected will
enable analysis of the impact of massage
therapy on impaired range of motion, scar
size, and the pain that is associated with
matured scarring. The data will also measure
functional levels, client well-being, and
the degree of satisfaction with the program.
It is hoped that this pilot
project will make massage therapy on ongoing
part of SBF’s commitment to improved quality
of life for burn survivors in their
community.
An article was published on
this project in the 2007 Spring issue of
Massage Therapy Journal titled, “Camp Hope”.
“Win-Win Hands On,” Elizabeth
Sommers, Project Leader, Pathways to
Wellness, Inc., Boston, MA; $4,860, 2006
The “Win-Win Hands On”
program will provide massage therapy
intervention to low-income Latina clients at
the South End Community Health Center (SECHC)
in Boston, MA. For 35 years SECHC has served
the Latino community. Forty-percent of this
population demographic is overweight or
“clinically at risk” for obesity. This
project will focus on the needs of
overweight Latina girls, ages 8-13, with a
body mass index over 85%.
Each girl in the program will
be given eight half-hour massage therapy
treatments on a bi-weekly basis,
complementing the existing nutrition and
exercise programs. The goal is that through
touch therapy, these girls will experience
increased body awareness, self-empowerment,
and enhanced body image along with increased
circulation, relief of muscle soreness and
stress reduction. By providing this
intervention at a point early in their
lives, it is hoped that these girls can
enjoy a more promising and healthful future.
“Heart Touch Outreach
Program” Shawnee Isaac Smith, Project
Leader, The Heart Touch Project, Santa
Monica, CA; $5,000, 2006
Founded in 1995, Heart
Touch Project has been a leader in a
movement to bring the therapeutic and
curative benefits of professional massage
therapy and bodywork to vulnerable
populations. Heart Touch Project’s
core service model consists of: (1)
providing free specialized training to
qualified massage and bodywork practitioners
in exchange for their commitment to
volunteer their skills for at least one
year, and (2) matching each Training
Workshop graduate on a one-on-one basis with
an ill and isolated client to whom he/she
delivers weekly customized therapy sessions
at no cost.
The grant from the Massage
Therapy Foundation funded two volunteer
trainings over a twelve-month period. This
resulted in at least 40 new qualified and
committed massage and bodywork practitioners
who could provide more than 2,000 massages
to non-ambulatory clients. Volunteers will
work in facilities for the elderly,
hospices, hospitals, and private homes
throughout Los Angeles.
The Heart Touch Training
Program educates massage and bodywork
practitioners in the “sensitive touch
skills” required to work with the seriously
ill. The curriculum covers basic
requirements such as universal precautions,
hygiene, equipment, technique and
appointment protocol, and trains
practitioners to: (1) understand the
necessity of creating a healing atmosphere
with the client, (2) individualize each
massage session to meet the particular needs
of the client, (3) define boundaries and
establish the limits of the relationship,
and (4) process their own feelings resulting
from the impact of this work.
“Sanctuary,” Cynthia
Patterson, Project Leader, John XXIII AIDS
Ministry, Monterey, CA; $3,439.50, 2005
The “Sanctuary” program is a
volunteer-based massage therapy program for
people living with HIV/AIDS. The project
goal was to increase the health of
individuals living with HIV/AIDS by
enhancing the immune system through stress
relief and relaxation, and to promote
psychological well-being. Volunteer massage
therapists trained in the specifics of
providing massage to HIV+ individuals
applied a variety of modalities including
Swedish, Deep Tissue, Reflexology, Shiatzu,
Reiki, Cranial Sacral, Myofascial, and
Polarity based upon several factors
including client age, level of health, and
current medications. The program provided
twenty, one hour long massages per week,
with the goal of reaching a total population
of 250 individuals throughout the duration
of the project.
“Returning Maya Abdominal
Massage to the Latino Population,” Jessica
Holte, Project Leader, Adiago Holistic
Therapies, Minneapolis, MN; $3,995, 2005
The objectives of this
program were to return a culturally
recognized treatment to its people of
origin, and improve the health and wellness
of the Latino population of South
Minneapolis. Adiago Holistic Therapies aimed
to increase awareness that a culturally
sensitive massage is available, and
financially accessible, to this underserved
community. On a larger scale, Adiago aspired
to facilitate a trend toward offering
culturally appropriate healthcare for the
entire community. Maya Abdominal Massage is
performed over clothing to the back and
abdomen and works to soften musculature,
align the pelvic bones, adjust the uterus to
its proper position, release muscular
armoring in the trunk, and enhance
circulation of blood and lymphatic fluids.
The program took place at Centro, a
well-established service agency for the
Latino Population in Minneapolis.
“Self-Care Techniques for
People Impacted by Cancer,” Katie Binda,
Project Leader, Massachusetts General
Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; $2,902,
2005
This program offered free
educational workshops that use
demonstrations to teach self-care massage
techniques to patients with cancer, their
families and friends, and cancer center
staff members. Workshops for cancer patients
and their families were offered twice montly
and workshops for cancer center staff
members were offered once a month. These
self-care workshops aimed to teach the
proper use of techniques to alleviate and
manage stress so the patients can more
easily maintain a level of relaxation
between massage therapy sessions, increase
quality of life, and provide a sense of
empowerment in their experience of dealing
with stress and anxiety.
“Outpatient Oncology Chair
Massage Therapy,” Tara Ballard, Project
Leader, Presbyterian Hospital, Charlotte,
NC; $2,570, 2005
This project provided chair
and table massage to cancer patients in an
outpatient setting at Presbyterian Cancer
Center. Cancer patients were offered a
15-minute massage either before or after
their cancer treatments in the Gynecologic
Oncology and Radiation Oncology waiting
rooms behind a privacy screen. By offering
the program in locations that were
convenient for the patient, a more
successful outcome of promotion and the use
of complementary therapies was feasible. The
primary goal was to decrease anxiety,
fatigue, pain, and other cancer related
symptoms the patient may have experienced.
The population served included six to twelve
patients per day for an average of 36
patients per month during the granting
year.
“Massage for a Better World,”
Catarina Andrade, Project Leader, Lar da
Crianca, Brazil; $4,925, 2005
The goal of this project was
to increase the sense of safety and overall
well-being of the children and staff at Lar
da Crianca orphanage through massage
therapy. The over-arching goal was that by
creating a more nurturing environment that
benefits children and caregivers, a new
model of sustainable orphanages in Brazil
could be proposed. Staff members were also
trained in massage therapy so that the
project could be sustained in the future. A
total of 100 massage sessions took place for
the staff and children. In addition to
creating a safer environment, massage was
administered to help raise awareness for the
staff of the children’s bodies and their
emotional needs, which allowed them to
provide the children with even better care.
“Special Care for the
Childbearing Year: Perinatal Massage,” Paula
Termini, Project Leader, Transitions
Massage, LLC, Holmes Beach, FL; $4,058.50,
2005
The intention of this program
was to design, implement, and evaluate a
program to provide 65 perinatal and 15
infant massages to high risk pregnant women
and new mothers of Manatee County, Florida.
Their goal was to reduce stress, provide
emotional support and physical nurturance,
enhance body awareness, and the ability to
relax deeply to help during labor and
delivery. The majority of expectant mothers
served were uninsured Hispanic/Latina and
African American women who were unable to
afford the cost of massage therapy. Infant
massage sessions provided new mothers with
safe and gentle techniques to share with
their infant. Infant massage has shown to
strengthen the mother-infant bond and
increase confidence in parenting abilities.
“Caring for the Caregiver,”
Teresa Polley, Project Leader, San Diego
Research Institute and Cancer Center, Vista,
CA; $5000.00, 2004
The objective of this program
was to improve the overall well-being of
caregivers of patients undergoing cancer
treatment. The staff at the San Diego Cancer
Research Institute (SDCRI) recognized that
care-giving may cause a burden on family and
friends. The goal in providing massage
therapy to caregivers was to help alleviate
some of their distress and promote a sense
of well being by creating an environment
where healing can occur. In “Caring for the
Caregiver”, caregivers received chair
massage while accompanying the patient for
treatment. The overall aim of the project
was to decrease the subjective burden,
depression, and anxiety experienced by
caregivers of patients with cancer by
providing massage therapy services in a
healing and supportive environment. The
program was also intended to help the
caregivers identify how their body responds
to additional stress and tension, discover
where they store tension in their body, and
teach them ways to incorporate massage
therapy into their lives in order to help
reduce the side effects of stress and
tension.
“Hands On,” Adrienne Winiecki,
Project Leader, Porter-Starke Counseling
Centers, Valparaiso, IN; $3777.00, 2004
The “Hands On” project was a
woman-centered service provision plan
focusing on integrating mind and body
wellness with addictions treatment
programming. Women that struggle with
recovery are typically marginalized by
society, viewed as “less than” due to their
losses, and have multifaceted “bottoms”
resulting in emotional, cognitive,
spiritual, and physical consequences that
must be worked through in order to find and
support the concept of “sobriety”. The
“Hands On” project provided therapeutic
massage on-site at the women’s recovery home
associated with Porter-Starke Counseling
Centers. The overall objective of the
project was to provide massage to female
clients during their involvement in the
addiction treatment program in order to
assist with maintaining recovery and a
chemical-free lifestyle.
“Caregiver Respite Retreats,”
Edith Seyl, Project Leader, Weaver’s Tale
Retreat Center, Inc., Portland, OR;
$4920.00, 2004
Weaver’s Tale Retreat Center
(WTRC) has traditionally offered daylong
nature programs specifically designed to
increase an elder’s well being. The Massage
Therapy Foundation has been instrumental
since the inception of this program by
previously granting funds for two
consecutive years.
WTRC continues to offer the
Caregivers Respite Retreats. Using the
natural resources that Oregon has to offer,
participants share in physically and
mentally stimulating activities that improve
their physical, mental, psychosocial, and
spiritual well being. Program activities
include seated massage, Pilates or yoga
instruction, guided meditation, and
journaling. WTRC anticipated an increased
awareness of the benefits of massage for the
caregiver population and among the client
service coordinators of participating senior
centers. They sought an increased number of
participants and massage therapists at the
programs as well as an increased number of
massages for caregivers in the community at
large. Results of the study demonstratd
that caregivers have an integrated sense of
control and responsibility regarding their
health care and that massage promotes mental
and physical health among caregivers.
“Improving the Quality of
Life for HIV+ People Through Massage,”
Martha Tormey, Vermont Committee for AIDS
Resources, Education and Services (Vermont
CARES), Burlington, VT; $2,000, 2003
Vermont CARES Wellness Program
provides HIV+ people with access to
complementary and alternative therapies at a
reduced rate. A survey conducted with HIV+
clients of Vermont CARES showed that
44% wanted to access massage therapy
sessions but did not follow through due to
the cost of massage services.
While Vermont CARES currently offers
a wide variety of complementary and
alternative therapies to HIV+ people, all
Massage Therapy Foundation grant money was
used specifically to provide massage therapy
to people living with HIV/AIDS. These funds
also enabled Vermont CARES Program
Specialists to distribute vouchers to
clients, which were good for one hour-long
massage therapy session with the therapist
of their choice.
For many HIV+ clients it was their first
massage experience. With regular use of
massage, they began to notice benefits
including alleviation of chronic and
temporary pain, anxiety, stress, and
depression. In addition, a goal was for
clients to see a boost in their immune
systems, decrease in fatigue, and increased
energy levels. These benefits contributed
to better adherence to complex HIV treatment
and a general improvement in quality of
life.
“The Body-Mind-Health
Program”, Charita Graham, Lester and Rosalie
Anixter Center of Chicago, Illinois, $3,493,
2003
The Body-Mind-Health project
instituted a program to introduce massage
therapy and self massage instruction that
targeted persons with mental illness who
participated in the "Chatterbox" and
"Connect" clubs of the Community Resources
and Support program of the Anixter Center,
Chicago.
Goals of the project included:
1) Teach self massage to decrease stress and
anxiety
2) Teach body-mind connection
3) Provide massage services to low income
clients
Results of the program were
measured using satisfaction surveys. Twenty
five percent of clients (15 out of 62)
participated in this project. Future funding
is being secured through federal, corporate,
and foundation sources.
“Pediatric Massage Therapy
Program,” Rhonda Winner-Dodzweit, Massage
Therapy Coordinator; Handicapped Children’s
Association of Southern New York, Johnson
City, NY; $4,540, 2003
The Handicapped Children’s
Association
(HCA) provides supportive services for
children with disabilities as well as their
families. Prior to funding from the Massage
Therapy Foundation, the HCA did not provide
massage therapy to their clients. This grant
allowed twelve children with various
disabilities—such as cerebral palsy, Down
syndrome, and spina bifida—to receive the
benefits of massage therapy.
During two fifteen-week
periods, Ms. Winner-Dodzweit worked with
children ages 3-5, providing one massage per
week to each child. Family members and HCA
staff attended at least one session per
month, in order to acquire a basic
understanding of massage therapy
techniques. After the sessions were over,
caregivers were able to provide massage
services to the children themselves. The
HCA hoped that evidence of the benefits of
massage would encourage families to seek a
continuation of professional massage
services for their children.
“Massage for Mental Health,”
Roberta P. Wentworth, Counseling Services
Inc., Saco, ME; $4,425, 2003
Counseling Services Inc.
(CSI) provides mental health services to
members of its community. CSI has received
numerous grants form other organizations in
order to support its use of massage therapy
to improve mental health. Massage Therapy
Foundation resources allowed for the
expansion of these important efforts.
A team of mental health
clinicians and massage therapists determined
who would make the best candidates to
receive massage therapy to improve mental
health. Massage therapists provided 10
sessions of massage therapy to six clients
of CSI, who are grappling with such stresses
as depression, anxiety, and trauma. In
addition to providing massage, therapists
instructed the clients about self-massage
techniques. The final component of the
project was specialized training for CSI’s
mental health staff about the benefits of
massage therapy for mental health clients.
Goals for the project were to promote
emotional healing and mind/body integration
for the client, and to strengthen the
collaboration between clients, mental health
clinicians, and massage therapists.
“A Healing Touch,” Linda
Eisele, Children Unlimited, Inc., Columbia,
South Carolina, $2,380, 2002
Children Unlimited, Inc.
serves special needs adoptive families in
South Carolina. Many of these families have
adopted children who entered the child
welfare system as a result of abuse and
neglect. Many of the children have mental
disabilities, medical conditions, and
physical handicaps. Because of the abuse
and neglect suffered when they were young,
these children generally have problems
forming attachments and meaningful
relationships with others.
For the massage therapists,
touch is one of the primary natural tools of
attachment. This project offered massage
therapy to further the process of attachment
for the children and their new families. A
massage therapist taught the children and
their adoptive parents’ awareness of their
own body's signs of tension or turmoil and,
as a result, both the children and parents
learned safe and acceptable touch
techniques.
“SOS Wellness Project,” Karin
Westyk, Strengthen Our Sisters, Inc.,
Hewitt, New Jersey, $4,230, 2002
Strengthen our Sisters
(SOS) provides safe shelter for women and
children fleeing domestic violence and
develops model programs to assist victims in
building essential life skills that will
help them to break the cycles of poverty,
abuse, and dependence that have dominated
their lives.
The SOS Wellness Project was
designed to provide “good touch” by offering
massage therapy for women at the
shelter. The massage therapist coordinator
of the project also participated in case
management meetings with referring
counselors and conducted monthly workshops
at the battered women’s support group to
educate women on the benefits of massage
therapy.
The overall goal of this
project was to help clients learn about the
connection between body, mind, and
spirit and to move toward positive and
productive choices in life. Information
gathered during the project was used to
demonstrate the effectiveness of massage
therapy for victims of domestic violence and
abuse to clients of SOS.
“V.I. Healing Hands,” Carolyn Forno,
Virgin Islands Community AIDS
Resource and Education (VICARE), Virgin
Islands, $4,350, 2002
V.I.CARE
provides care and support for people living
with HIV/AIDS in the Virgin Islands, which,
at the time of this project had the fifth
highest rate of new AIDS cases in the
nation. While some low income people have
access to basic services through public
health clinics, most have no access to
alternative healing services including
massage therapy.
“V.I. Healing Hands”
provided massage therapy for low-income men
and women living with HIV/AIDS. Each
participant received at least four massages
during a one-year period. In addition,
instructional workshops in basic massage
techniques were held for partners and
caregivers of people living with HIV/AIDS,
enabling them to provide massages to the
participants in their care.
This project also promoted
awareness of the benefits of massage therapy
among local health professionals through the
publication and distribution of two
newsletters documenting the project.
"Victim Healing Program," Teresa Descilo,
Victim Services Center,
Miami, Florida, $4400, 2002
Victim Services Center
(VSC) serves victims of crime residing in
Miami-Dade County. With the Massage Therapy
Foundation Community Service grant, the
Victim Healing Program assisted clients with
their healing processes through massage
therapy administered by licensed massage
therapists.
Massage therapy is just one
component of the VSC’s services. The overall
goal of the VSC is to achieve a 95% success
rate in eliminating manifestations of
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in
clients who were victims of crimes
including, but not limited to, domestic
violence, childhood sexual assault,
aggravated assault, murder, and shooting
survivors. The grant money allowed VSC to
treat clients who suffered extreme
victimization with massage therapy. Massage
helped lessen the stress that leads to PTSD
by loosening muscle tension and aiding in
the healing process by breaking down
physical and emotional defense mechanisms,
leading to freedom from repressed emotion
and memories.
In total, 42 clients received
massages, 20 of which received two or more.
Feedback from the clients included feeling a
deeper sense of relaxation, that a chronic
ache had gone away, and an improvement in
their overall well-being. An article about
this study, entitled “Resolving Crime’s
Impact,” was published in Massage
Magazine, July/August 2003.
"RENEW in Touch,"
Angelita
Siojo, Rehabilitation Enterprises of North
Eastern
Wyoming (RENEW), Sheridan,
Wyoming, $4,650, 2001
RENEW provides residential
and day rehabilitation services to adults
with developmental disabilities. This grant
from the Massage Therapy Foundation allowed
RENEW to provide massage services to a wide
variety of clients; the certified massage
therapists took detailed notes about how
their clients responded to massage.
Over a 10 week period, two
therapists were responsible for massaging
five clients a piece one time per week. Many
clients were mentally disabled, and some
were also non-ambulatory and/or visually
impaired. By the close of the ten weeks, all
clients had experienced positive physical
changes and four of them had also
demonstrated a decrease in maladaptive
behaviors. RENEW staff members expressed an
interest in learning about massage so they
could offer basic services to their clients
after the end of the service projects. The
director of the local massage program
offered three workshops for staff, all of
which were well attended. As Ms. Siojo
stated, "Massage therapy has been a positive
addition to the quality of life of this
developmentally disabled population."
"Langlade Memorial Hospital
Therapeutic Massage Project," Laura
Waldvogel, Langlade Memorial Hospital,
Antigo, Wisconsin, $5,000, 2001
Through the recently
established Center for Health and Well
Being, Langlade Memorial Hospital is able to
offer massage services to elderly oncology
and daycare patients. The hospital is
located in a small, conservative community
where doctors were initially hesitant to
refer patients to a massage therapist. In
the course of several months, the situation
changed dramatically: many doctors started a
formal referral program. Much of this
success is attributable to the strong
relationship between the Center’s massage
therapists and the hospital’s oncology
physician and nursing staff.
The elderly patients became
much more knowledgeable about massage
therapy. Due to discomfort with the prospect
of disrobing, therapists offered all
patients the option of a seated chair
massage instead. Also, therapists spent
whatever amount of time was necessary to
make each patient feel comfortable. These
steps considerably increased the patients’
willingness to receive a massage.
"Learning-Disabled Adults Learn Through
Massage," Susan Singer, On Our Own and
Associates, St. Paul,
Minnesota, $5,000, 2001
On Our Own and Associates
provides supportive housing for 60 adults
with a variety of learning disabilities.
These individuals have IQs that are just
above the cut-off point for receiving many
social services. Due to low incomes and
transportation barriers, they normally have
no access to massage therapy.
With the Massage Therapy
Foundation’s Community Service grant, On
Our Own was able to offer individual
massage sessions, as well as basic
instruction in massage to caregivers and
residents of the program. They also
developed an instructional videotape for use
after the program concluded. The final goal
was for the residents of On Our Own
to lead a workshop for their neighbors about
the benefits of massage.
The response from residents
and staff was extremely positive. On Our
Own also hosted a successful open house
in which 40 participants learned a variety
of massage techniques. In addition,
residents have stated that their therapists
"have wonderful hands," and "Massage makes
your body feel like it is supposed to feel".
"Massage Therapy for Dementia and
Non-communicative Hospice Patients," Barbara
Head, Hospice and Palliative Care of
Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, $5,000,
2001
The grant from the Massage
Therapy Foundation allowed therapists at
Hospice and Palliative Care of Louisville
to work with non-communicative patients,
patients suffering from dementia, and other
patients that were unable to request a
massage. The directors of the hospice
documented the positive changes experienced
by these patients, with the hope of serving
as a model for other hospices around the
nation.
This hospice provided
training for three therapists in the art of
working with non-communicative patients. In
addition, the hospice hosted meetings in
which the therapists could share stories
about the challenges and triumphs of working
with this population. Caregivers for the
patients were very appreciative of the
massage therapists’ efforts, and staff
members of the hospice also noticed the
benefits of massage.
"Seniors in Touch at Weaver’s
Tale Retreat Center," Edith Seyl, Weaver’s
Tale Retreat Center, Portland, Oregon,
$2,500, 2001 and $4,640, 2000
Weaver’s Tale offers day-long
nature retreats for seniors in natural
settings in the greater Portland area. Many
of the seniors live in nursing homes,
assisted living facilities, and retirement
or foster homes. The retreats offer a chance
to reconnect with the natural world and form
friendships with other seniors.
Through the Foundation’s
Community Service grant, Weaver’s Tale was
able to include massage therapy as a program
at the retreats. Therapists offered massages
at selected times throughout the day, and
also taught self-massage to interested
seniors.
As a byproduct of this
project, many administrators of nursing
homes and assisted living facilities have
become aware of how massage therapy can have
a positive influence on seniors’ quality of
life. Weaver’s Tale directors have led
numerous presentations about their work, and
reports about the retreats have appeared in
local television and newspapers.
"Wellness Center Massage
Program," Dixcy Bosley-Smith, N Street
Village Wellness Center, Washington, D.C.,
$4,800, 2000
N Street Village
(NSV) is a comprehensive social service
agency in Washington, D.C., which serves
more than 700 homeless women each year.
NSV’s services include providing shelter,
medical care, and treatment for drug
addiction and mental illness. The massage
program at NSV is offered through the
Wellness Center which provides free dental
and optometric, as well as holistic
services. The massage program began only
with volunteer therapists offering massage
to the women of N Street. The Massage
Therapy Foundation’s grant allowed the
program to add two paid therapists who
worked with the women for six months.
Each week, the massage
practitioners gave both seated and full body
massages to women at the clinic. The seated
massages were a way to introduce massage in
a non-threatening way to the women, many of
whom were survivors of sexual abuse and
trauma. By the end of the program, over 60
women received massages, 40 of which for the
first time in their lives. The women who
were able to receive the healing benefits of
massage include recovering drug addicts,
long and short term residents at NSV who
sought shelter from the streets, women with
mental illness who live onsite, and women
with histories of sexual trauma.
The objectives of the massage
therapy services followed those of the
overall mission of N Street Village: to
provide services that empower, promote, and
assist disadvantaged women to reclaim their
lives. Massages specifically were used for
stress reduction, disease treatment
intervention, and to increase general
well-being.
"Nice Touching Please:
Preventing Child Abuse Through Massage,"
Marnelle E. Flowers, Fascinate-U Children’s
Museum, Fayetteville, NC, $5,000, 2000
Fascinate-U Children’s
Musuem’s mission is to stimulate children’s
curiosity about the world. It is located in
Cumberland County, NC, which has the highest
documented level of child abuse in the state
of North Carolina.
With this funding Fascinate-U
utilized its unique connection to families
in order to reduce the incidence of child
abuse. Studies at the Touch Research
Institute have shown that providing infant
massage creates a bond that reduces the risk
of child abuse. With the assistance of the
Massage Therapy Foundation, Fascinate-U
provided training for 50 social workers in
the Fayetteville area. These professionals
in turn traveled throughout the county to
teach parents how to provide infant massage
with the goal of reducing the rate of child
abuse in Cumberland County.
The Fayetteville Observer
newspaper published an article about
this project in 2000 titled "Babies Benefit
from Massage".
"L.I.F.E. (Low
Income Families Enrichment Program)," Cindy
Grant,
Southampton Hospital,
Southampton, NY, $2,420, 2000
The Center for Prenatal Care
at Greenport,
a satellite clinic of Southampton Hospital
in New York, offers prenatal care to women
with limited or no health insurance or
access to care. The Massage Therapy Center
provided classes on infant massage to
low-income mothers of infants from birth to
10 months. The goal of these classes was to
facilitate mother-child bonding, teach the
importance of eye-to-eye and skin-to-skin
contact, and increase body awareness and
confidence in their parenting.
During the three, hour-long sessions,
mothers learned about infant development and
how to massage their babies appropriately.
Each mother received a copy of Infant
Massage: a Handbook for Loving Parents,
by Vimala Schneider, and a bottle of oil to
allow them to continue practicing massage at
home with their infants.
By the end of the program,
the mothers understood the benefits and
techniques of infant massage. The mothers
gained confidence not only in their massage
abilities, but also their overall parenting
skills. The one-on-one interactions helped
build trust and taught nurturing, body
awareness, self respect, and created
feelings of empowerment in the mothers.
"Hands Across Generations:
Linking Seniors and Single Parents Through
Infant & Pediatric Massage Instruction",
Reverend Christopher L. Martin, St. Anthony
of Padua/Most Precious Blood Church,
Baltimore, Maryland, $5,000, 1999
Hands Across Generations
trained seniors vulnerable to
isolation to become instructors in infant
and pediatric massage. Upon completion of
the training, the seniors taught single
parents how to massage their children.
The project undertook several
goals. One was to ensure that the
children—who are all growing up in a
low-income environment—received the benefits
of therapeutic massage. Another was to
encourage intergenerational dialogue, which
was needed in the neighborhoods of Northeast
Baltimore due to poverty and the need for a
stronger sense of community.
Hands Across Generations
provided at least four training sessions to
60 seniors. All of these seniors were living
alone, and at least 55 years of age. These
seniors then worked with at least 60
parents. In the coming years, it’s
anticipated that this program will serve a
much larger population of Seniors and single
parents.
"Community Access
Massage Program", Elyse Graham, Immune
Enhancement Project, San Francisco,
California, $3,000, 1997 and $5,000, 1999
The Community Access
Massage Program (CAMP) was a
two-part service project comprised of direct
and educational services. The primary goal
was to increase access to massage services
for low-income individuals with HIV and
AIDS. As the CAMP project indicates,
there are many benefits of massage for
individuals facing a life-threatening
illness. These include stress reduction,
symptom relief, an improved quality of life,
and improved immune function.
This grant expanded IEP’s
current massage program by providing
subsidized massages to low-income HIV+
individuals residing in the residential
hotels in the Tenderloin area of San
Francisco. The educational component of this
project consisted of placing prominent
articles in multiple newsletters along with
a series of presentations on the role of
massage in the treatment of HIV.
The ongoing objectives for
this program were to increase access to
massage therapy for these patientsm, to
determine which HIV related symptoms are
most effectively treated with massage, and
to promote the understanding and awareness
of massage therapy’s benefits among health
care providers.
In 1999, CAMP provided
72 massages to 48 people. Upon receiving the
massages, all participants experienced
improvements in stress reduction and symptom
relief, as well as in their mood and
outlook. The 1999 experience replicated
CAMP’s findings in 1998, when 40
individuals received 78 massages. During
this effort, all 40 people experienced
physical and emotional improvement.
"Bringing Massage to Rural
Honduras: A Component of the National Health
Care System," Auristela Vazquez, Christian
Commission for Development (C.C.D.),
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, $5,000, 1999
This project brought the
benefits of massage therapy to rural
Honduras. This area was particularly
devastated by an earthquake in 1998, and at
the time of the grant, was in the process of
rebuilding its health care infrastructure.
It was an important
opportunity for the US massage therapy
community to work with and assist a national
health service that was seeking to include
massage as a basic component of care. The
project included massage training conducted
by Nikki Nichols, LMP. It also included
massage training and distribution of massage
training materials, including a manual and
fliers.
The primary goal was to teach
basic massage skills to ten Christian
Commission for Development (C.C.D.)
technicians and 300 health workers, who
would in turn teach massage to their
colleagues. Within a year volunteers
distributed 1,000 Spanish language massage
manuals to various health centers for health
worker training and 4,000 pamphlets, which
were abbreviated versions of the manuals.
"AIDS Alternative Health
Project," Dion A. Richetti, AAHP Satellite
Services, Chicago, Illinois, $5,000, 1999
This is the AIDS
Alternative Health Project’s (AAHP)
first grant from the Massage Therapy
Foundation. Prior support has come from the
AIDS Foundation of Chicago. The Health
Project provides health services to
low-income Chicagoans who are HIV positive.
The AAHP has satellite
clinics around Chicago which provide a wide
range of medical services. The Massage
Therapy Foundation’s grant allowed the
AAHP to provide massage therapy at three
of these satellite sites, which mostly serve
a minority population.
With the Foundation grant,
the AAHP was able to steadily increase the
number of people who utilize its services.
For three consecutive months, it averaged 15
new clients per month. These clients kept
their massage appointments 70-80% of the
time, which is well above the average for
keeping medical appointments. The AAHP
also located two massage therapists who were
extraordinarily sensitive to the needs of
participants in the program.
Finally, the AAHP
encouraged their clients to share their
experiences with the program and continues
to serve their mission of serving the
maximum number of people it can, in the most
effective way possible.
"Service with Massage to
Vietnamese Immigrants with Chronic Pain",
Lucy Candib, MD, Family Health and Social
Service Center, Worcester, Massachusetts,
$3,500, 1998
This ongoing project provides
massage to Vietnamese men and women who
suffer from chronic pain. Many of these
immigrants have experienced great trauma,
which has resulted in high degrees of
anxiety, depression, headaches, and back,
limb and abdominal pains.
The original goal was to
evaluate the effect of eight hour-long
massage treatments on 12 Vietnamese
immigrants with chronic pain problems.
Massage offers relief of the participants’
chronic pain symptoms, as well as the
opportunity to sever the connection between
past traumatic events and chronic pain
symptoms.
Several difficulties emerged
during the course of this project, which the
Family Health Center worked diligently to
resolve. The first was that many
participants did not wish to be tape
recorded, which was part of the original
design. Therefore, Dr. Candib reallocated
the taping money to the massage fund; this
provided resources for three more people to
receive massages. Another problem is that
many participants worked several jobs, which
made it difficult to commit to a massage
program. This problem decreased as
Vietnamese members of the staff became more
confident in the approach. As word of their
confidence spread, more people in the
Vietnamese community made massage a higher
priority.
An ongoing challenge was
developing ways to measure whether massage
therapy decreased the participants’ pain,
depression, and anxiety. Dr. Candib
evaluated these issues after all sessions
were completed; there is anecdotal proof of
success: many people expressed deep
appreciation for their massages.
"Take my Hand:
Massage for Seniors with Dementia", Barbara
Goldschmidt, LMT,
Cobble Hill Health Center,
Brooklyn, New York, $3,000, 1998
This project developed the
skills of caregivers for a diverse range of
people with Alzheimer’s. The goal was to
teach useful hand massage techniques to
family members of patients, as well as to
the staff, of the Cobble Hill Health Center.
Once a month for nine months, Barbara
Goldschmidt, and co-therapist Megan Haungs
demonstrated a hand massage technique to
family members and staff. They then
supervised these students as they applied
the technique to the seniors. The time
between the introduction of various
techniques allowed the seniors and
caregivers to become comfortable with the
latest approach.
Results of this intervention
were quite positive. A statistically
significant number of the seniors were more
relaxed, and almost all the practitioners of
the massage techniques felt they had learned
something meaningful. Furthermore, the
Take My Hand project led to a related
effort called "Sweet Dreams," which utilizes
massage therapy to help seniors who have
trouble sleeping. Cobble Hill Health Center
administrators have set up an "externship"
program that allows students of the Swedish
Institute of Massage and Acupuncture to
learn about hand massage from Cobble Hill
residents and staff. Furthermore, Cobble
Hill plans to sponsor a forum—which will
highlight the success of this endeavor—among
leaders in the field of nursing home care.
"T.E.A.C.H.: Touch for Early
Language, Attending, Communication and
Healthier At Risk Children," Peggy Jones
Farlow, M.Ed., C.M.T.,
Athens City
Schools, Athens, Alabama, $5,000, 1998 and
$5,000, 1997
The Massage Therapy
Foundation awarded a continuation grant to
the very successful 1997 Community Service
project Touch to T.E.A.C.H., which
serves special needs children from birth to
three years. The primary goal of both of
these grants was to train professionals and
foster parents about how to use pediatric
massage to promote attachment, bonding,
communication, and cognitive development for
these children.
The first grant funded
several massage workshops for social workers
in Limestone and Lauderdale counties
(Alabama.) One participant in these
workshops was so inspired that she began
looking into receiving International Infant
Massage certification. Another positive
development was the production of a video
called "Simple Talking/Safe Touching," which
features Ms. Farlow talking with and
massaging one of the children. All of these
efforts resulted in a short blurb about the
program in a Newsweek article
entitled, "The Magic of Touch" (April 6,
1998). On September 10, 1997, the newspaper
The News-Courier published an article
entitled, "Touch to Teach."
By the end of the second
year, Ms. Farlow was receiving offers to
lead workshops in southern Alabama, Iowa,
and California. These workshops are tailored
for several audiences: social workers;
foster parents; massage therapists; and
other health professionals. Ms. Farlow’s
efforts also led to a new program at
Limestone Hospital in Athens, Alabama. This
program provided massages to parents of
at-risk children during the last trimester
of pregnancy, thus providing them with a
very early introduction to the benefits of
massage.
Ms. Farlow’s program
continues to receive attention today. In the
November/December 2000 issue of Massage
Magazine, Ms. Farlow tracks the
development of her program over time. The
piece, "Touch to Teach: Massage Helps
Special-Needs Children" includes success
stories and details about Ms. Farlow’s
workshops.
"Touchworks: Massage Therapy
in a Rural Hospital Community - Part I and
II", Marianna Herpel, Garrett County
Memorial Hospital, Oakland, Maryland,
$5,000, 1995 and $5,000, 1997
Touchworks
was a collaborative effort by a team of
caregivers to benefit patients and families
in a rural community. Because of this
project, massage became a means of
complementary patient care in a small, rural
hospital. The chief aim of Touchworks
was for licensed massage therapists to
provide massages to hospital inpatients
and/or outpatients. The outpatient component
is especially important; due to the
constraints of managed care, patients are
often sent home from the hospital early in
their healing process.
The project contained many
objectives. Foremost among these were
educating healthcare providers about the
efficacy of complementary treatment, along
with demonstrating methods of complementary
treatment to families and caregivers. It
also sought to provide families and
caregivers with opportunities for positive
involvement in patient care, and to promote
a feeling of health among patients.
During Part I of this
project, Touchworks provided massage
therapy treatments in approximately 300
patient encounters. The services were
provided through 1) a physician visiting the
client in the hospital setting and then
providing follow-up visits at the client’s
point of care, or 2) therapeutic backrubs to
hospital patients requesting such services.
Feedback in follow-up survey was very
positive, as patients indicated pain
reduction, improved circulation, alleviated
arthritis, and increased feelings of
relaxation.
Part II replicated the
earlier success, in another 243 patient
encounters. By the end of this phase,
administrators at Garrett County Memorial
Hospital were working with their
counterparts at Garrett Community College to
develop a rotation for licensed massage
therapists. This would serve as a continuing
education course for the therapists, and
ensure that the benefits of massage therapy
remained an integral part of life at the
hospital.
"Nice to Be Kneaded: White
Crane Brings Massage to Community Seniors -
Part I and II", Elizabeth Cagan, White Crane
Wellness Center, Chicago, Illinois, $5,000,
1993 and $5,000, 1996
Nice to Be Kneaded: White
Crane Brings Massage to Community Seniors
brought the benefits of massage therapy to
an ethnically diverse senior population.
Seniors at four community sites attended a
series of classes led by graduate massage
therapists and assisted by senior massage
ambassadors (senior citizens trained in
massage therapy.)
This project operated on
several levels. Most importantly, it
provided direct service to seniors at the
four sites, and trained them to take on
leadership roles in spreading the benefits
of massage. It also educated a cadre of
massage therapists about gerontology and
community education, including making
recommendations for further research.
The initial goal of this
project was for at least 80 seniors, from
various ethnic backgrounds, to enjoy and
benefit from massage therapy. Seniors were
also expected to learn practical massage
techniques, as well as resources for further
education and affordable treatments.
During Part I (1993), White
Crane provided massages to over 100 seniors.
(This exceeded the target goal of 80.) This
success was due to the persistent efforts of
5 dedicated massage therapists, and 20
senior Ambassadors. Both of these groups
were racially and ethnically diverse.
Part II of Nice to be
Kneaded (1996) stemmed from the success
of Part I. This time, more than 200 seniors
enjoyed the benefits of massage therapy and
learned how to make it a regular part of
their lives. During the course of the
project, White Crane formed a partnership
with the Buehler Center on Aging at
Northwestern University’s McGaw Medical
Center, as well as the Public Health Nursing
Division of the University of Illinois. This
partnership seeks to evaluate the impact of
massage upon the health of seniors.
"Senior Massage", Edward
Richards, Prospect Hill Senior Center,
Brooklyn, New York, $5,000, 1996
This service program also
introduced seniors to massage. The two-part
program consisted of ten minute chair
massages and self-massage workshops for
senior citizens.
The main objectives for
introducing chair massage were to decrease
seniors’ aches and pains, and to increase
their sense of well-being and ability to
heal. The self-massage workshops promoted a
sense of self-reliance and empowerment by
showing seniors that they have some power to
reduce their discomfort. The centers that
participated in this grant serviced both
healthy seniors and those with special
needs. The people who attended these centers
averaged 75 years of age, and they came from
multi-ethnic communities.
The grant assisted six senior
centers in Brooklyn, New York, and its
umbrella organization was the Prospect Hill
Senior Center. Over the course of a year, it
provided over 135 hours of massage and
workshops. 179 seniors participated in the
program; 144 people elected to receive
massages, and 35 learned about self-massage.
Of this group, 85 people elected to make
massage a regular part of their lives.
"Santa Cruz AIDS Project’s
Massage Therapy Program", Wendy Baxter,
Santa Cruz, California, $5,000, 1995
The goal of the project was
to improve the lives of those living with
HIV, by providing them relief from the
physical and emotional pain brought on by
HIV/AIDS, and through helping manage stress
and reduce tension. The chief priority for
the grant was to expand the level of
staffing for the Massage Therapy Program.
With an increased number of therapists, the
Santa Cruz AIDS Project was able to meet the
needs of more people than ever before.
By the end of the funding
period, 41 volunteers provided massages to
52 clients. Approximately 20 more clients
had received a "one time" massage, and many
of these people were about to begin a
regular massage program. In order for this
to occur, the AIDS Project developed a
training program for new volunteers. This
training occurred after the Massage Therapy
Foundation’s funding money ran out; because
the AIDS Project was so impressed with the
benefits of massage, it decided to continue
the program on its own.
"Massage Therapy in a Rural
Farming Community", Christine Schmitthenner,
Tri-County Community Health Center, Newton
Grove, North Carolina, $5,000, 1994
Massage therapy was offered
to migrant farm workers through a biweekly
recreational program. This program operated
in conjunction with a substance abuse
program, and as part of a women’s wellness
program at the Tri-County Community Health
Center.
The primary objective was to
provide massage therapy to seasonal and
migrant farm workers, as well as to
low-income community members. The
participants were manual laborers who often
had musculoskeletal problems. Massage
provided relief for specific muscular
problems, as well as caring touch and
relaxation for people who live under harsh
physical and social conditions.
212 people received seated
massages, and many women received table
massages as part of several women’s wellness
workshops. The majority of these women only
spoke Spanish, and so these workshops were
bilingual. According to post-massage
surveys, most recipients of the massages
felt significantly better afterwards. The
most common benefits were increased
relaxation and pain relief.
Ms. Schmitthenner produced a
videotape ("From Field to Table") that
demonstrated the benefits of massage therapy
among this population. She presented this
video to other migrant and community health
leaders at an annual migrant health
conference. (The Massage Therapy Foundation
currently has several copies of "From Field
to Table" available on loan.) She also
produced an educational video ("Acupressue
for Headaches") about self-massage
techniques to alleviate headaches and lower
back pain. This video was shown in the
clinic waiting room as part of a weekly
health education program, and there were
question and answer sessions after each
screening.
"Massage Respite for Hospice
Caregivers", Gayle MacDonald, Oregon Hospice
Association, Portland, Oregon, $5,000, 1994
The goal of this project was
to use massage therapy to reduce the stress
and fatigue of caregivers for dying loved
ones. Caregiver burnout is a major reason
for the institutionalization of individuals
who are in the final phases of a terminal
illness. Low-income people, especially the
elderly or those without extended families,
find the caregiver role especially
difficult.
Twelve to fourteen low income
caregivers of hospice patients received
massages in their homes, from licensed
massage therapists. Five hospices in the
Portland area identified people who
qualified for participation.
Post-massage surveys revealed
that massage is an effective intervention
that should be considered by hospice
agencies. 11 of the 13 caregivers reported
an improvement in emotional stress, dropping
from a 4.3 to a 2.5 on a 5.0 scale (5=high
stress and 1=low stress.) The group’s
physical stress dropped from 3.6 to 2.15,
while physical pain dropped from 3.3 to 1.8.
Ms. MacDonald published an
article about this project in the journal
Alternative Therapies in Clinical Practice.
"Massage as an alternative respite
intervention for primary caregivers of the
terminally ill" appeared in the May/June
1997 issue.
"Safe Touch", Sami Ross,
Brewster Center, Tucson, Arizona, $5,000,
1993
Safe Touch
aimed to help battered women access their
emotions through the efforts of a licensed
massage therapist and a trained
psychotherapist. These professionals
assisted clients with emotional and
cognitive development, and in increasing
self-awareness. The target population was
women who were homeless due to domestic
violence.
Safe Touch served
fifteen battered women, who received one
hundred and fifty hours of massage therapy.
Its primary objectives were to increase
physical awareness, and to help women access
their memories and emotions. To evaluate the
effectiveness of the project, clients
provided reports about their experience.
The response from clients was
positive. Women reported increased body
awareness and feeling, and a greater ability
to relax and trust in a vulnerable
situation. They were surprised to learn how
touch deprived they were, and gained an
understanding of how important it was to
rectify this situation.
* No part of this Community Service
summary document may be reproduced without
written consent from the Massage Therapy
Foundation.
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