Massage Therapy

Massage Therapy: Integrating Research and Practice presents the latest research examining the evidence for the use of various massage therapy techniques in treating pathological conditions and special populations. In this resource readers will find a synthesis of information from the diverse fields of kinesiology, medicine, nursing, physical therapy, and psychology.

Authored by experts carefully selected for their specific knowledge, experience, and research acumen, Massage Therapy: Integrating Research and Practice will assist both students and practitioners in these areas:

• Learning the benefits of evidence-based massage therapy practice
• Understanding various research methods
• Developing research skills by learning guidelines for writing case reports and journal articles
• Understanding how to integrate massage therapy research into education and clinical practice

This text presents a seamless integration of research and practice in four parts, providing readers first with a background to the field of massage therapy followed by discussion of research methods. Next is an evidence-based presentation of the efficacy of massage therapy for conditions and populations often encountered in massage therapy practice. This clinicial section presents three patient populations (pediatric, athletic, and elderly); three pain-related types (headache, neck and shoulder pain, and low back pain); and six conditions that massage therapists may encounter: pregnancy and labor, scar treatment, cancer, fibromyalgia, anxiety and depression, and clients who have experienced sexual trauma. Recommendations and evidence-based treatment guidelines are clearly defined for each condition. Case reports developed from real-life cases are included in this section, offering readers a real-world context for the clinical content presented.

The final section illustrates specific ways to integrate research into the educational and professional development of current and future massage therapists. It provides readers with the fundamental tools for a research-based approach in clinical practice, especially as it relates to special populations. A running glossary, chapter summaries, and critical thinking questions assist students in learning the content and act as self-study tools for practitioners.

Massage Therapy: Integrating Research and Practice offers both students and practitioners of massage therapy the most current evidence-based information, guidelines, and recommendations for the treatment of conditions often seen in massage therapy practice. This essential reference will assist practitioners in understanding the scientific literature and its application in enhancing the practice of this safe and effective health intervention.

Trish Dryden, MEd, RMT, is a clinician, researcher, and educator specializing in massage education and integrative health care. She has over 30 years of experience as an educator, researcher, and clinician in massage therapy, and complementary and integrated health care. She is currently Associate Vice President of Research and Corporate Planning for Centennial College in Toronto, and Past Chair of Heads of Applied Research, encompassing all 24 colleges in Ontario, Canada. Dryden is also former chair of the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (provincial government regulatory body for massage therapy) and was dean of the Sutherland-Chan School and Teaching Clinic from 1990 to 1999. Dryden is a trailblazer and a catalyst for change. Her vision and leadership continue to be instrumental in the development of evidence-based practice in massage therapy and in the creation of a culture of inquiry and integrated, client-centered health care in Canada and beyond. Her work is an extension of her lifelong commitment to fundamental issues of equity, human rights, and excellence in health care, public policy, and education.

Christopher A. Moyer, PhD, is a behavioral scientist who focuses on the study of massage therapy, including its effects on anxiety, depression, and physiological activity. He is currently assistant professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, a research section editor of the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, and on the editorial board for the Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies. He was a member of the scientific advisory committee for the 2010 Highlighting Massage Therapy in Complementary and Integrative Research Conference and currently serves on UW-Stout's Optimal Health Advisory Committee. He was the recipient of the Outstanding Student Medal (doctoral level) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Education and was nominated for the American Psychological Association’s 2011 Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contributions to Psychology. Moyer was a three-time recipient of the Avery Brundage Scholarship from the University of Illinois and was named to the University of Illinois’ Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students.