Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/135515
Wednesday— Shifting modes It all began Wednesday night with "movie night." As people arrived, video clips from the 2012 International Fascia Research Congress in Vancouver played on the mezzanine level. A variety of speakers on topics of interest to massage, including a Tom Myers-produced cadaver dissection video, provided a casual opportunity to shift into research mode. Popcorn and Junior Mints added to the movie night ambiance. Thursday—Blessing, Dosing, and More The conference officially opened with a blessing from Luata Bray, Choctaw, assisted by Donna Edmonds Mitchell of the Wampanoag Nation of Massachusetts. Bray's words spread a blanket around attendees that created safety and community, and invited us to listen with our hearts, tell the truth of our findings, embrace new thinking, and remember that we are not alone: that when one is healed, we are all healed. Massage research expert Jeanette Ezzo, MPH, PhD, LMT, provided the first keynote, "Mechanisms and Beyond: What is Needed to Prove the Effectiveness of Massage?" The language of research was discussed, terms were defined, and a context for the conference was created, with an invitation to question the profession's emphasis on mechanistic research. Ezzo put things into perspective, saying that the massage profession was "off the hook" for demonstrating mechanisms for the time being as we focus on accumulating effectiveness "This conference was a tactile feast! I came away full to overflowing with information and connections." David Palmer data; that we have joined the ranks of many branches of medicine that have learned things work, but do not yet know why. Additionally, she presented research on dosing (one time per week for 60 minutes for chronic conditions for 6–10 sessions),1 study design (factoral design is preferred to allow for combination studies—massage and exercise, as well as massage or exercise), cost-effectiveness (we need more data), and therapist experience. She emphasized the difference between efficacy and effectiveness: efficacy asks if the intervention works under ideal conditions, and effectiveness asks if the intervention works under everyday conditions—if you can prove something works under ideal conditions, then you can infer that it works under everyday conditions. The panel "How Does Massage Work? Potential Mechanisms," moderated by Cynthia Price, PhD, LMP, explored both mechanisms of action (biochemical) and mediators (intervening variables such as anxiety). Joel Bialosky, PhD, PT, discussed the strong placebo effects present in drug trials for pain and depression, results suggesting that communication is key to helping people feel confident about the treatment they are receiving. While we don't know what a good placebo (or control) is for manual therapy interventions—yet—we can use his information to increase our clinical results by enhancing communication with our clients. Geoffrey Bove, DC, PhD, studied neurobiochemical markers and found evidence that massage supports nerve regeneration. Lisa Hodge, PhD, showed through her studies that passive movement (massage, compression) increased lymph flow, and that white blood cell count increased from 150 million cells to 800 million cells with 4 minutes of abdominal pumping at a rate of 1 pump per second. Mark Rappaport, MD, shared studies that looked at proteins associated with inflammation and found that massage increased white blood cells and decreased the number of proteins associated with inflammation, thereby altering the stress response and immune response, including allergic reactions. Afternoon sessions included two research breakouts, "Basic Science: Biological and Psychological Models of Massage," and "Massage Therapy for Specific Conditions." Michael Hamm, moderator of the Basic Science breakout session, shared that "Thursday morning's plenary made a case for focusing on massage outcomes, as those are easiest to study, and often www.abmp.com. See what benefits await you. 55