I have been observing and participating in discussions about the Evidence-Based Practice of Massage Therapy on several different Internet groups lately. It’s interesting to see the interactions between those who think the scientific approach is the only way to go, and those who think the fact that massage makes people feel good is the only evidence that’s needed. And of course there are some who take the middle ground. I probably belong to the latter group.
I think research is important, and the more scientific evidence we have about the efficacy of massage, the better off we are. It can only enhance our credibility in the eyes of physicians and other health care providers. Still, we all work on people every day who get up off the table saying how much better they feel, and that validates us. We feel better because we have helped someone else to feel better.
The Canadians are miles ahead of the US when it comes to performing scientific research on massage. They have gone far beyond most of the studies that have been done here, and that’s probably directly related to the fact that their educational requirements are for the most part, way higher than ours.
I think it’s a huge detriment to our profession that training in how to perform research is not even mentioned in most massage schools here. I own a huge collection of school catalogs, and hardly any of them include anything about research in their curriculum. Unless a therapist has a college degree and prior experience in conducting a proper research project, the average student doesn’t have a clue on how to go about conducting, documenting, and validating a study. Evidence-Based Practice will never be the norm here until that is corrected.
I’d be interested to know how school owners and program directors feel about this. Do you think it’s important for students to have any research skills? Do you think Evidence-Based Practice is the way to go, or do we just maintain the status quo that currently exists here? Do you think more people need to take up the cause?
Peace & Prosperity,
Laura Allen
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