Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/259468
I t p a y s t o b e A B M P C e r t i f i e d : w w w. a b m p . c o m / g o / c e r t i f i e d c e n t r a l 57 SOMATIC RESE ARCH in real-life experiences. To date, MassageNet has completed several studies, with more to come. There is no cost for registration and participation in MassageNet, and therapists can decide in which studies they would like to participate. COLLABORATE WITH UNIVERSITIES The third way to get involved in research is to collaborate with university researchers. While rare, there are times when university faculty are looking for experienced massage therapists to help with studies they are undertaking. This type of collaboration ends up being very beneficial because university researchers have experience with study design, data analysis, ethical oversight committees, and scientific writing. Meanwhile, the massage therapist can share knowledge and expertise while still continuing to practice. There are many ways you can search for university researchers involved in massage therapy research. The first place to look is on the websites of your local universities to see what studies the faculty are doing. Typically, university websites will list faculty and their research interests. If any faculty members have done research on massage, consider contacting them and letting them know you are interested in collaboration. You can also search PubMed (www.pubmed.gov) for massage research and determine if any of the authors are in your area. Each PubMed listing will include the authors' names and locations. Some PubMed listings also include the first author's email address. Consider emailing relevant authors to discuss potential collaboration. Finally, watch to see who presents at massage conferences and conventions. These functions are the perfect time to approach researchers in person. When contacting a researcher, include some details about yourself—your areas of expertise, education, and style of massage—and why you find the researcher's work interesting. Ask if the researcher has any projects in which you could collaborate, or if she knows any investigators looking for therapists with your background. Finally, thank the researcher for her time. Like massage therapists, researchers are generally very busy, so be succinct in your approach. BECOME A FULL- TIME RESEARCHER Finally, some massage therapists may be interested in becoming full-time researchers. This is a very rare career path for MTs, yet desperately needed to further the massage therapy research agenda. Full-time research includes many different jobs. For example, a therapist may work as a consultant to provide expert opinion on the treatment of subjects in a research study. Another job is that of research assistant to collect and enter study data; some research assistant jobs require specific training, while others will do on-the-job training. Clinical research coordinator is a higher-level research position that oversees the research assistants and ensures that the study logistics are followed. Finally, the principal investigator is the person who developed the research idea and who is ultimately in charge. If your career plan is to become a principal investigator at a university, you will most likely need an advanced degree. As you know from your massage education, schooling takes time, money, and dedication. There are many factors to consider when determining if graduate school is right for you, including your career goals, your topic area of interest, location of schools, and costs. However, being a full-time researcher is very fulfilling, in that the direction of the research is purely your own. There is nothing more exciting than discovering new findings and sharing them with the massage profession. THE BOTTOM LINE Massage is growing in popularity, and we need research to support what we do. Whether you get involved through writing a case report, joining a PBRN, collaborating with established researchers, or becoming a researcher yourself, it is all important and will make a difference in moving this profession forward. Note 1. G. Keller, "The Effects of Massage Therapy After Decompression and Fusion Surgery of the Lumbar Spine: a Case Study," International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork 5, no. 4 (2012): 3–8. Jerrilyn Cambron, DC, PhD, MPH, LMT, is an educator at the National University of Health Sciences and president of the Massage Therapy Foundation. Contact her at jcambron@nuhs.edu.