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By Rebecca Birr, MSLIS, AHIP / Kathy Zeblisky, MLS, AHIP
Your first client of the day says she has recently be diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Your next one says he suffers from
arthritis. The third says she has a certain type of cancer. Many of your clients have health issues that
they are communicating to you and many may consider you part of their health care team. But what exactly are these
health issues and what effect can massage have on them? How do you know where to look for information? Your clients are asking
you questions and you need to be ready.
The 2007 Annual Consumer Survey of the American Massage Therapy Association indicates that your
number of clients is also increasing. More than 40 million American adults are getting a massage annually;
25 million more Americans each year are getting massages than 10 years ago. Fifty-five percent of doctors
recommend massage therapy to their patients when asked, along with 48 percent of physical therapists and
44 percent of chiropractors. Many people still depend on massage for relaxation (22 percent); however, the trend
(30 percent) is to use massage therapy “for medical purposes such as injury recovery, pain reduction, headache
control, and for their overall health and wellness.”
Research is becoming increasingly important to massage therapy and to the advancement of the profession.1,7
Studies published by this research are creating a body of evidence for those in the profession to utilize. This information
can help you improve your practice and help you work with your clients with various health conditions.
For example, some diseases might have a contraindication for massage, while in other cases, massage
might be considered highly beneficial. Massage therapy may be effective for back pain, migraine, carpal tunnel
syndrome, anxiety, high blood pressure and to alleviate the side effects of cancer.2,4-6,8 Additionally, hospitals are
using massage therapy with infants and pregnant women, for pre- and post-operative care, for physical therapy
and for end-of-life care.
“Being a developmental specialist, I knew how important touch was for preterm infants,” says Maria Thillet,
RN, BSN, an infant developmental specialist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. “Using the literature to help
support the concept helped me create an infant massage program at Phoenix Children’s Hospital,” she
says.
The Spring 2006 “Research Literacy” column by Martha Brown Menard and Cynthia Piltch reviewed “Levels of Evidence”
(www.massagetherapyfoundation.org/mtjresearchcolumn.html).
This column explained systematic reviews, meta-analyses, experimental designs and descriptive and observational studies. But how
do you actually find these evidencebased articles? Menard and Piltch suggested searching PubMed, or visiting public or university libraries.
These are excellent suggestions. However, even if you find these articles, will they actually change your practice?
A recent study surveyed 160 massage therapists about the importance of research-based practice to chiropractors
and massage therapists and found that 92 percent of massage therapists agreed with the statement
“research adds credibility to my discipline.”7 However, massage therapists in this study were relying on handbooks,
colleagues and websites rather than on evidence. Only 11.4 percent said they use research to
actually change their practice.
The authors concluded that practitioners recognize the importance of research for clinical practice, and
that “timely and appropriate strategies will help reduce practitioners’ fears, assist them in developing adequate
skills, and allow them to use their research knowledge in daily practice.”
This article is designed to help do that. We present several strategies that will help you find the evidence,
and reduce any fears you might have about the research process.
The Client Case
You’ve been massaging a middle-aged man with chronic lower back pain. You have been contemplating what modality
will relieve his pain and would like to know if there is any evidence validating the use of massage for clients
with chronic low back pain. Where should you start?
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American Massage Therapy Association®
