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IN THIS ISSUE |
Dear e-touch reader,This month in e-touch, learn about new research on massage for cancer patients, the results of a recent survey of the profession, and more! Enjoy the issue! If you no longer wish to receive e-touch, please follow this link to unsubscribe. Cancer Patients Have Less Pain after Massage
According to lead author Wolf Mehling, MD, 40 percent of people with cancer are treated with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Although previous studies of these therapies have shown measurable benefits, there have been no conclusive results. This study was a randomized controlled clinical trial that compared post-operative symptoms of pain, nausea and mood in two groups of hospitalized patients in the first three days after cancer-related surgery. One group had a combination of massage and acupuncture in addition to the usual treatment by medication, and the other group had medication alone. The participants in the CAM group received Swedish massage and an acupressure-type foot massage for 10 to 30 minutes, depending on their needs and condition. Acupuncture was used to treat pain, nausea and anxiety. During the study, patients used an 11-point scale to rate the severity of current pain and of pain during the preceding 24 hours. The results showed a greater decrease in both pain and depressive mood in the group that received massage and acupuncture therapy along with the usual medication. “We know that integration of these therapies has shown short-term benefit on psychological well-being, but there has not been strong evidence to support it until now,” says Mehling. “This is a significant finding because there are implications for further study to see if these therapies should be offered to hospitalized patients for symptom management.” Funding for this study was provided by the Mount Zion Health Fund, San Francisco. Source: UCSF News Services, 2007. Celebrate Your Mother with Massage
AMTA members listed in AMTA’s locator service must meet any and all local or state licensing requirements for massage therapists. All information included in the locator service is provided by individual members, and AMTA presumes all information to be true and correct. AMTA assumes no liability for incorrect information provided to AMTA for inclusion in this locator service, nor does AMTA represent these practitioners as competent. FSMTB Shares Results from Job SurveyThe Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) is working to create a national licensure examination, to help achieve fair and consistent regulation of the massage therapy and bodywork professions. The first step in their project was conducting a Job Task Analysis survey, which drew responses from more than 7,600 massage, bodywork and somatic professionals throughout the United States. The survey results are still being analyzed, but FSMTB has released some preliminary findings. Makeup of the ProfessionSeventy-five percent of respondents consider themselves massage therapists, 16 percent are bodywork practitioners, 2 percent are somatic practitioners and 7 percent are “other.” Even so, the makeup of the professions is very consistent:
EducationEducation has played an important role in practitioners’ careers. About half received 500-749 hours of initial massage education, and 35 percent have completed more;
OutlookOverall, the professions seem to share a very unified point of view. Ninety-nine percent of survey respondents agreed with statements that they are happy with their profession and like what they do. And a large majority of respondents—84 percent—thinks licensing should be required across the nation. To learn more about the FSMTB and read more survey results as they become available, visit FSMTB’s website at www.fsmtb.org. Table TipsA quick pick-me-up
Place your thumb behind your ear and your index finger in front of it. Start at the top of your ear and gently rub the edge, slowly moving down to the ear lobe. Do both sides at the same time. You’ll instantly feel more alert and charged to go on! Paul Yarwood Click 'n' PickLast month, we asked you to answer some demographic questions and suggest topics for e-touch. Your answers were very informative, and will help us bring you the articles you want to read. This month we'd like to know why you subscribe to e-touch. Please take a minute to answer our survey. It's fast and it's easy! Here are the results of last month's survey! Total responses: 40 What is your gender?
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Legal NoticeArticles submitted by individual authors are copyrighted by those authors and reprinted with their permission. Views expressed in these articles are not necessarily the views of the American Massage Therapy Association®, and should in no way be construed as an endorsement. They are for informational purposes only. AMTA MissionTo serve AMTA members while advancing the art, science and practice of massage therapy. |
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A recent University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) study, published in the March 2007 issue of the
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 13, this year. Thank your mother for all she’s done by surprising her
with a gift certificate for a relaxing massage! 
Have you been working hard or studying too long? Here’s a quick way to boost your energy and mental focus.