Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1128556
Ta k e 5 a n d t r y A B M P F i v e - M i n u t e M u s c l e s a t w w w. a b m p . c o m / f i v e - m i n u t e - m u s c l e s . 43 CYSTIC FIBROSIS: A PILOT STUDY This Somatic Research column focuses on a cystic fibrosis (CF) pilot study that was published in the March 2019 issue of the open-access journal International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (IJTMB). The article, titled "Improving Clinical Outcomes and Quality of Life with Massage Therapy in Youth and Young Adults with Cystic Fibrosis: A Pilot Study," examines clinical improvements from massage for young people with CF. 1 A big contribution this pilot study makes to the massage field is the dissemination of a detailed massage treatment protocol for people with CF, creating an evidence base that therapists—at all levels—can quickly access and implement. The protocol is very specific in its detailed description, yet its focus is more on the systematic process "scaffold" to address pain and discomfort patterns experienced by those with CF and allows for the massage therapists to incorporate clinical judgment. ABOUT CYSTIC FIBROSIS CF is a genetic condition that causes abnormal salt and water movement in the body, resulting in thick, sticky mucus accumulation in the lungs and other organs. 2 There is no cure for CF, and treatment focuses primarily on helping to thin and clear mucus from the lungs through coughing and preventing respiratory infections. Symptom severity can range for people with CF, but repeated daily treatment is often needed to expectorate mucus from the lungs. Life expectancy is reduced for those with CF and people tend to experience pain and muscle fatigue related to the expectorating process. Cystic fibrosis's symptomology and continual treatment can have pronounced impact on patient and caregiver quality of life. ABOUT THE STUDY The IJTMB article sought to pilot a specified and detailed massage protocol applied to young people with CF for feasibility and to describe the protocol's effects on pain symptoms and quality of life (QoL). Authors of the study include two massage therapists, several nurses, and a physician. The study also includes massage therapist observations, within their treatment My Experience I have used treatment protocols in various ways as a researcher and former massage clinician. As a new massage therapist, I took "comfort" in a generalized one-hour full-body massage protocol that started with a prone recipient on which the massage progressed from the back, shoulders, and arms, to each leg and glute, feet and anterior legs, abs (if there was time and/ or a request), arms and hands, shoulders and neck again, and ending with face and scalp work. This approach quickly evolved as my confidence, experience, and clinical knowledge increased, and I was able to drop any reliance on a set process or protocol. After two years in practice, however, a new clinical experience left me seeking some kind of protocolized approach to provide me with a framework I could base my initial treatment plan on. The experience and environment I was entering was incredibly emotional and required a lot of "presence energy" to keep myself grounded and open to the varying needs of everyone involved. By developing and entering my first treatment with a set approach—a protocol, if you will—I was less nervous and more confident as a new clinician in this novel and complex situation.