Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/68165
MASSAGE THERAPY: THE INVISIBLE PROFESSION? A Call to Action It is imperative that we stop relying solely on those in other fields to do our research for us. Hello, everyone, and happy new year. This being a time for new beginnings and for my first column with Massage & Bodywork magazine, I want to introduce myself and prepare you for the year to come. In addition, I will provide a lay of the land of current massage and bodywork research and, because it is my nature, I will attempt to provoke some purposeful action from you. As a licensed massage therapist for 26 years, with no related advanced degrees (I have a bachelor's degree in anthropology) or impressive credentials after my name, I am fortunate to have so many years of research experience under my belt. Perhaps it was good timing or my crazy obsession with SOAP charting that convinced researchers I was approachable (a like- minded geek?). In 1997, Drs. Dan Cherkin and Karen Sherman invited me to the Group Health Center for Health Studies to ask me questions about massage therapy. They were embarking on what has become some of the most extensive randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on massage therapy to date. I was hired as a consultant and assisted in the selection and training of massage therapists for six massage research projects. From there, I was drawn to volunteer with the Massage Therapy Foundation (MTF)—whose mission is to advance the knowledge and practice of massage therapy by supporting scientific research, education, and community service—and worked on such projects as the research curriculum kit, the case report contests, and the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork: Research, Education, and Practice (IJTMB). As the MTF president for the past four years, I've traveled to research conferences across the country and beyond, observing the world of academic debate and exploration into health care and integrative medicine (IM). I share my background with you because I am no different than you: I practice, I teach, and I volunteer. Research is everyone's responsibility. We all have an obligation to influence research and be influenced by research; organizations like the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) profess it and other complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) connect with your colleagues on massageprofessionals.com 115