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Teaching Research Literacy, Igniting The Spark

with Pete Whitridge

This presentation in the current research into manual therapies is designed to help you expand your knowledge about the effects of touch on the human body. From infants, to burn patients and cancer survivors, everyone has a story to tell about how a good massage helped them cope with their problems, aches, and pains. Most importantly, we will explore the current research into aspects of touch and manual therapies from energy work to rehabilitation. We may even have answers to the questions: Do scars change in response to fascial stretching? What happens at a cellular level when you massage a surgical scar? A burn? A bruise? We will look at some case studies, literature searches, and review the database of both the Touch Research Institute and the Massage Therapy Foundation. Pete will demonstrate some of the successful techniques used in the applied research and you will have an opportunity to practice some of these techniques on each other.

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Massage Therapy Research

with Tiffany Field

Tiffany Field, Director of the Touch Research Institute will discuss findings from massage research done at the University of Miami. She'll examine the effects of massage on a wide range of conditions from back pain and fibromyalgia to asthma and job stress. You will discover some of the underlying mechanisms that make massage so effective in the treatment of a wide range of pathologies.

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Myofascial Units Form Myofascial Sequences

with Julie Ann Day

Myofascial units are the building blocks of myofascial sequences. By understanding the anatomical connections between muscles and deep fascia we can interpret the adaptive changes that occur in our patients and enhance our manual therapy skills in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain. Fascia densifies in response to strain, stress and injury and, due to fascia's basal tensioning, dysfunction spreads in definable directions. Consequential limited motion and pain can be interpreted through the analysis of movement tests that indicate which myofascial units are not functioning correctly.

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Massage Therapy Foundation: What's New in Massage Research

with Diana Thompson Co-Presenting with Sheila Wang

***DIANA THOMPSON PRESENTS: The volume of research on massage has increased dramatically over the past ten years and the Massage Therapy Research Foundation has provided a pivotal role in this regard. In this presentation, Diana will discuss the role of The Foundation and the contributions that The Massage Therapy Foundation and massage therapists are making in the community. You will learn how you as a student or practitioner can participate in research case report contests and You will discover the latest trends and findings in current research and hear reports from one grant recipient at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL.

***SHEILA WANG PRESENTS: Along with other integrative medicine therapies, massage therapy is not typically included in standard medical care in hospitals. Why not? This presentation will explore the kind of research that will be necessary to support the inclusion of massage therapy in standard medical practice in hospitals. It will also cover the unique factors involved in carrying out massage therapy research in a pediatric hospital setting.

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Seeing The Big Picture in Back Pain (Pre-Recorded)

with Josephine Key

Apart from the 'feel good' aspects of massage, practitioners are increasingly being required to provide symptom relief. Complaints invariably involve the spine and symptoms related to it. Effective interventions and optimal outcomes rely upon aptitude in clinical reasoning, the clinical wisdom and experience of the practitioner, informed by the contemporary evidence base while also meeting the client's expectations.

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Fascia As A Sensory Organ

with Robert Schleip

In ths presentation you will learn about the latest developments and insights from the international field of fascia research relevant for massage therapists. Gain knowledge of the new definition of 'fascia' and learn the 4 types of mechanoreceptors: Golgi, Paccini, Ruffini and Interstitial endings. Which kind of touch triggers which receptors and has what kind of physiological response. Hear about the latest inisghts from 2009: Fascia as a pain generator. Nociceptive innervation of fascia. Particular relevance for low back pain and some practical suggestions on application.

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