Research Perch

Join MTF President Robin Anderson and Stefan Shulz from Briotix as they discuss the fundamentals of ergonomics, and how ergonomic principles were studied in MTs over the course of Phase One of the MTF Ergonomics Project.

Listen in as host Robin Anderson and 2019 MTF Student Case Report Silver Award Winner Amy Frost-Hunt from MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta, discuss her report, Effects of Massage Therapy on Multiple Sclerosis: a Case Report. This student case report was later published in MTF's journal, the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, and made into poster format.

In this follow-up episode of Research Perch, host Doug Nelson welcomes Dr. Niki Munk, Associate Professor at Indiana University (IU) School of Health and Human Sciences, and IU student, Board-Certified massage therapist Mica Rosenow, to discuss the currently ongoing research project, "Assessing Affective Measures in the 2020 Pandemic," and how you can be a part of the study. Participate here through March 31, 2021: https://massagetherapyfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/IU-Study-Flier-for-Client-2020-Pandemic-Survey.pdf

Learn more about hospital-based massage therapy by tuning in to MTF’s two-part Research Perch podcast interview with guests Laura Bliven-Leapley, RN, MSN, NE-BC, RN-BC, BS, and Karen Kerns, M.S., CCC-SLP, MBA, and Cynthia Spake, B.S.Ed., LMT, from the Massage Therapy Program at Blessing Hospital, Quincy, Illinois. Part Two is a continuation of the details of how Blessing's MT Program works, how it has affected patients patient care, and what it is like to be a massage therapist in this setting. Listen to Part One first to learn about the reasons for and inspiration behind the massage therapy program at Blessing Hospital and how it works.

Learn more about hospital-based massage therapy by tuning in to MTF’s two-part Research Perch podcast interview with guests Laura Bliven-Leapley, RN, MSN, NE-BC, RN-BC, BS, and Karen Kerns, M.S., CCC-SLP, MBA, and Cynthia Spake, B.S.Ed., LMT, from the Massage Therapy Program at Blessing Hospital, Quincy, Illinois. In Part One, learn about the reasons for and inspiration behind the massage therapy program at Blessing Hospital and how it works. Part Two(coming soon) will detail how Blessing's MT Program works, how it has affected patients patient care, and what it is like to be a massage therapist in this setting.

Massage has promising potential to help rebuild muscle in those who cannot handle weight-bearing or resistance exercise. In this episode of Research Perch, learn more about MTF’s 2018 Research Grant award to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation for their study, Massage as an Intervention for Muscle Atrophy, as host Doug Nelson speaks with study investigators Esther Dupont-Versteegden, PhD, and Tim Butterfield, PhD, ATC, FACSM, FNATA. 

Listen in as host Doug Nelson speaks with Shiatsu Therapist Leisa Bellmore, MSc, ST, about her research studying hand self-Shiatsu massage for sleep, and her work at Toronto Western Hospital’s Al & Malka Green Artists' Health Centre in Toronto, Canada.

Contribute to research while connecting with your clients during the COVID-19 pandemic— whether or not they are visiting your practice. In this episode of Research Perch, host Doug Nelson welcomes Dr. Niki Munk, Associate Professor at Indiana University (IU) School of Health and Human Sciences, and IU student, Board-Certified massage therapist Mica Rosenow, to discuss the currently ongoing research project, Assessing Affective Measures in the 2020 Pandemic, and how you can be a part of the study.

In this special follow-up episode of Research Perch, host Doug Nelson brings back Project COPE investigators Dr. Ann Blair Kennedy (USC Greenville) and Smith Heavner-Sullivan (Prisma Health), for an update on the progress of this important study and information on how you can help be a part of capturing a unique moment in history. View our first Research Perch interview with Project COPE investigators here: Project COPE: Share Your Story [Research Perch]

How can you become involved in research? Join host Doug Nelson, LMT, BCTMB, as he speaks with Executive Editor of the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (IJTMB), Dr. Ann Blair Kennedy, LMT, BCTMB, DrPH, about the value of submitting a case report to IJTMB. Learn more about how you can dive into research and move the profession forward through writing about the work you already do with your clients.

Learn more about the MTF Community Service Grant program. Host Doug Nelson, LMT, BCTMB, and MTF Community Service Grant Review Committee Chair, Adrienne F. Asta, BA, LMT, discuss the purpose and value of MTF Community Service Grants and describe some of the projects that have been funded over the history of the program.

As of April 16, 2020, researchers from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Prisma Health, Clemson University, and Indiana University (IUPUI) are conducting an ongoing survey designed to gather information about the experiences of all healthcare providers/professionals (including physicians, nurses, allied health, complementary and integrative medicine practitioners, those in dentistry, mental health and any students in these fields) during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. In this special episode of Research Perch, host Doug Nelson speaks with three investigators working on this study; Dr. Ann Blair Kennedy (USC Greenville), Dr. Niki Munk (IUPUI), and Smith Heavner-Sullivan (Prisma Health). Join us to learn more about the implications of this important work and how you can help be a part of capturing a unique moment in history. Click here to participate in Project COPE: https://bit.ly/2XS9RgM

Learn more about MTF Research Grant opportunities. Host Doug Nelson, LMT, BCTMB, and MTF Research Grant Proposal Review Committee Chair JoEllen Sefton, PhD, ATC, CMT, discuss the history and evolution of MTF Research Grants and some of the valuable projects that they have funded.

Listen as we discuss how instructors can use MTF's free downloadable eBook, "Instructors’ Guide to Teaching Research.," to help students become comfortable accessing research related to different client conditons. Host Doug Nelson, LMT, BCTMB, and MTF Education Committee Chair Brent Jackson, M.Ed., BS, LMT, speak with educator and MTF Education Committee volunteer Pete Whitridge, BA, LMT, about how to get the most out of the chapter he wrote for the eBook. Download the Instructor's Guide and other FREE MTF eBooks here.

Listen as we discuss how instructors have used MTF's free downloadable eBook, "Instructors’ Guide to Teaching Research.," to help enhance massage therapy curriculum. Host Doug Nelson, LMT, BCTMB, and MTF Education Committee Chair Brent Jackson, M.Ed., BS, LMT, speak with Beverley Giroud, LMT, Director of Education at the Costa Rica School of Massage Therapy, Samara, Costa Rica, about how she has implemented the eBook in her classes.

Listen in as we discuss free downloadable MTF eBook, "Instructors’ Guide to Teaching Research." Host Doug Nelson, LMT, BCTMB welcomes educator and eBook collaborator Brent Jackson, M.Ed., BS, LMT, and new instructor Jordan Meyer, LMT, from the Blue Sky School of Professional Massage & Therapeutic Bodywork in Grafton, Wisconsin, to talk through how instructors can use the eBook to teach research concepts to their students. Download this and other FREE MTF eBooks here.

Learn more about the enriching possibilities of participating in a research article discussion club in this podcast interview with guest Deborah Zerkle, LMT, CA, CIMT, CPMT, from the Massage Therapy Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH), Columbus, Ohio.

Writing a case report expands student's skills and deepens their level of understanding. Listen as MTF President Doug Nelson speaks with educators whose students consistently rank at the top of submissions we receive to the yearly MTF Student Case Report Contest.

Hospital-based massage programs are on the rise as care providers seek non-pharmacological modalities for pain and stress relief. Learn about how these programs work by tuning in to MTF’s two-part Research Perch podcast interview with guests Corrie Frey, LMT, CIMI, CPMT, and Deborah Zerkle, LMT, CA, CIMT, CPMT, from the Massage Therapy Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio. Part One gives an overview of how the massage therapy program at NCH got started and the services they provide. Part Two discusses how a hospital-based massage program works.

Hospital-based massage programs are on the rise as care providers seek non-pharmacological modalities for pain and stress relief. Learn about how these programs work by tuning in to MTF’s two-part Research Perch podcast interview with guests Corrie Frey, LMT, CIMI, CPMT, and Deborah Zerkle, LMT, CA, CIMT, CPMT, from the Massage Therapy Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio. Part One gives an overview of how the massage therapy program at NCH got started and the services they provide. Part Two discusses how a hospital-based massage program works.