Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/81195
We all live with the most ridiculous nuisances, and we act like we are powerless to change them. Last year, I was told I shouldn't use the term range of motion because in New York State they're required to call it range of movement. The reason being that the former term is considered joint manipulation, and the latter is just swaying your body while holding a limb. This was a court decision. Are you kidding me? The only reason we have to deal with this stuff is because we're playing someone else's game. I have deep respect for the bodyworkers who tirelessly stepped up, year after year, and gave me a better career. But if we want to stop fi ghting for scraps, the game itself has got to change. It won't change with client education or with clever marketing. Research is the way to do that, and not someone else's research, but ours. 5. Integrity There were some fundamental principles that drew you into bodywork. You believe in what you do, and you believe that the world is full of people who would benefi t immensely from your work if only they knew what it could do for them. Oh well, you say. If they don't call you up, it's their loss. True enough. You can only do so much in a day. But if you really care about reducing suffering, then your job includes making sure that your work is better understood for the next generation of bodyworkers. This means speaking up when you disagree with someone, and it also means opening up to criticism. It means saying what you believe, and it means admitting when you don't know. It means simultaneously celebrating your curiosity and cultivating your discernment. This dualism is the key to expanding the reach of your ideas. There is immense strength in seeking out the opposite perspective. If you think massage is effective in some situations, then ask yourself when it's not effective. If you think massage can relieve pain, then ask yourself when it might cause pain. Have you ever wondered what a trigger point really is? A fascial adhesion? What's really behind your decision to move from one spot to the next? Can you even describe it to yourself? "Neither acquiescence in skepticism nor acquiescence in dogma is what education should produce." Bertrand Russell, philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian LET'S BEGIN Research in massage and bodywork is not about pursuing special training or gobbling up a ton of facts. It's about speaking up when it's time to speak up, and listening when it's time to listen. If we really care about what we do, then we need to plunge into the big mysteries, slog through semantic confusion, and do our part to advance the conversation happening all around us. Notes 1. Jean Piaget, "Genetic Epistemology" (lecture, Columbia University, New York, New York, 1968). 2. Leon Chaitow, "Writing for Publication" (presentation, Highlighting Massage Therapy in Research conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico, September 26, 2005). 3. M.B. Menard, Making Sense of Research: A Guide to Research Literacy for Complementary Practitioners (Toronto, Ontario: Curties-Overzet Publications, 2003). 4. John Weeks, personal conversation with the author, 2010. 5. Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals, "ABMP Fact Sheet," accessed February 2012, www.massagetherapy.com/media/ metrics_massage_clients.php. Michael Hamm, LMP, CCST, is a teacher of anatomy, research literacy, and neurofascial bodywork. He serves on the Massage Therapy Foundation (MTF) Board of Trustees and was the winner of the MTF's 2005 Student Case Report Contest. Contact him at mike.hamm@gmail.com or www.neurofascia.com. Celebrate ABMP's 25th anniversary and you may win a refund on your membership. ABMP.com. 63