Why is there such a difference in massage therapy culture between Canada and the U.S.? (Originally published in Fall 2016 issue of Massage & Fitness Magazine. Content is based on information up to November 1, 2016.) Before the 1990s, most of massage therapy education in Canada was similar to the
It could be argued that legitimacy starts with an intent to represent what we do with integrity. That is, we do what we say we do, and not something else. Physical therapists do physical therapy, surgeons do surgery, nurses do nursing, etc. Each legitimate healthcare profession tends to different aspects
Two years prior to treatment, a fellow ballet dancer stretched Emily’s foot and toes in plantar flexion but went too far to a point where she felt something was off. A few days later, she developed severe pain on the dorsolateral part of her right foot and continued to increase
Many people find short-term stress and pain relief from back pain by “popping” their back or have a manual therapist, like a chiropractor, do it for them. Common ways to pop your back include sitting on a chair or standing up and turn your torso to your right or left
Examining the evidence behind treatments for depression and pain and massage therapists’ scope of practice when working with patients with such symptoms. During the Christmas season of 2014, Andrew Jones, who is a registered massage therapist (RMT) working at Massage Now in London, Ontario, Canada, was waiting for his mother
We massage therapists have a lot to offer to people in distress from pain, depression, anxiety, and other conditions, and the numbers show that we are desperately needed. So why aren’t we already working as healthcare providers? The need is certainly there. American physician David Eisenberg’s 1993 article on patterns
Massage therapy can help alleviate anxiety and depression symptoms among veterans and refugees, but is the profession ready to care for this population? “Ever since my wife died, I can’t sleep—the back pain keeps me awake all night,” said the patient who was a Vietnamese refugee who had served in
“Critical thinking is a desire to seek, patience to doubt, fondness to meditate, slowness to assert, readiness to consider, carefulness to dispose and set in order; and hatred for every kind of imposture.” ~ Francis Bacon (1605) If a patient feels better, then where is the harm? This question often
Compared to most healthcare professionals, massage therapists are among the few who spend the most time with patients. They touch them during the entire session, which is typically 30 to 60 minutes long. The nature of the work and environment allows massage therapists and patients to be more engaged with
Clinicians are likely to trust peer-reviewed studies, but the peer-review process is often a mysterious one and riddled with errors. Why do we have peer review? What does it do well and where it sometimes falls short? What are the current challenges in the peer-review system, and what actions the
Daddy, I got owie! My toddler says this often and usually goes out of his way to announce it. I usually give the spot a kiss or two, and then he goes back to what he’s doing. Problem solved, presumably because daddy’s kisses are magical. At other times when he
The Myths and Facts of Massage Therapy for Pregnant Women There are many misconceptions about prenatal massage in the massage therapy community. Some of these ideas may deny the benefits of massage to pregnant women who seek it, and some of this misinformation could actually do harm by causing serious