Research Course Descriptions

Research about massage therapy is not the abstract exercise that you might think! The best research being conducted today uses professional therapists doing work in real-life settings so that results reflect what truly happens in a successful massage session or series. This produces results that can make you a better and more successful therapist, but only if you know how to access the right studies.

This class will barely scratch the surface of what research can mean to you, but it will cover some current massage therapy research findings and events; some basic information on how to find the research you want, and apply it to your practice; and finally we will discuss what you can do in the research world: writing case reports that can benefit all your colleagues.

Participants will be able to…

• Describe the components of research literacy
• Use PubMed.gov and Google Scholar to find relevant articles
• Read and interpret a typical research article with the IMRaD format
• Discern how to apply research findings for improved client outcomes
• Explore the possibility of writing a publishable case report

Case reports are simple things: they are the story of what happens between one practitioner and one client, when they work together to achieve some specific goals. Writing case reports in the same language that every other scientist uses, however, is a learned skill—and a vital one to help us build our evidence base for massage therapy. Case reports are citizen science: they are a way massage therapists can share their successes (and challenges) so that others can benefit from those experiences.

In this lively 3- or 4-hour class we will …

• Explore the basic steps in creating a case report, including
• Identifying a good research question
• Conducting a literature review
• Designing a strategy for bodywork
• Choosing metrics for that strategy
• Recording and reporting results
• Discussing the importance of those results

Then, participants will work in small groups to design their own fictional case reports, running briefly through each of the steps.

A concluding discussion will list various venues for case report publication and other research-related opportunities for massage therapists.

Participants will be able to…

• Identify the place of case reports in the hierarchy of research rigor
• List the steps in the scientific method
• Recreate the steps in creating their own case reports, including
  • Identifying a usable research question
  • Conducting a literature review
  • Designing a strategy for bodywork
  • Choosing metrics for that strategy
  • Recording and reporting results
  • Discussing the importance of those results
• In addition, participants will know where to find venues for publishing their work, and where to find the work of other massage therapists’ case reports.

This class will look over Ruth’s favorite research publications from the past 2 years. We will discuss where the chosen articles fit in the research hierarchy, strengths and weaknesses in each, final conclusions, and useful takeaways to use in your practice. Guidance for accessing this kind of information will also be shared.

Participants will be able to…

• Describe the components of research literacy
• Read and interpret a typical research article with the IMRaD format
• Begin to evaluate the reliability of research articles
• Discern how to apply research findings for improved client outcomes
• Access further research that interests them

What is the best, most relevant, most important massage therapy research from the past few years? And– more importantly– how can you use it to build relationships with potential clients and other care providers?

Come to this highly interactive class to find out. We will discuss four recent, useful articles, including their place in the research hierarchy, their strengths and weaknesses, their findings and conclusions.

Then we will get to work, creating a variety of messages about that research for our practices. We will practice verbal communications about these findings, and we will brainstorm marketing ideas, possible blog posts, and other options for putting the science to work for you.

Links for participants to download the chosen articles will be shared ahead of time; all articles will be available subscription-free. Guidance for accessing this kind of information will also be shared.

Participants will be able to…

• Find and interpret relevant research articles
• Discern accurate conclusions that can be used in marketing campaigns
• Practice turning research findings into accurate and effective marketing messages
• Map out a specific marketing campaign built on research-based messages