Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1128556
44 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k j u l y / a u g u s t 2 0 1 9 facility over the years, while working with youth and young adults with CF. The massage therapists found the same muscle dysfunction and postural change patterns across patients reflective of respiratory muscle overuse, fatigue, and trigger point development. The protocol used for the study was developed to systematically address these observed patterns. Twenty- four outpatients from the study-affiliated pediatric hospital completed the research trial. Participants were 8–21 years old, had CF, and were randomized into a treatment or control group for the 10-week study duration. Outcomes data (measuring quality of life, pain, and pulmonary function) were collected at baseline and at 10 weeks (study completion). Participants randomized to the massage group received 3–5, 60–to-90–minute treatments during the study on a tapered schedule, reflective of their outpatient massage therapy model. The initial treatment (Week 0: First treatment) was followed one week later with the second treatment (Week 1: Second treatment). Two weeks later, another treatment (Week 3: Third treatment) was given. During Week 6, the fourth treatment was given. The final (fifth) treatment was given four weeks after the fourth treatment, in Week 10. Those in the control group only attended data collection study visits and received phone calls at Weeks 1, 3, and 6. Control group participants received a complimentary massage at the end of the study. STUDY RESULTS The study's small sample size limited robust statistical analysis, but some interesting and meaningful results point to the treatment protocol's feasibility and effectiveness for use in future research. As is common for this population, participants from both groups were hospitalized during the 10-week study, but fewer participants were hospitalized and fewer overall hospital admissions occurred from the treatment group. Psychosocial, physical, and total health QoL scores for treatment group participants clinically improved compared to those in the control group. Parent physical health QoL scores also improved for the treatment group compared to the control group. Patients in the treatment group reported less pain, greater QoL (related to ease of breathing), and improved relaxation from baseline to study completion. Also, muscle tightness was significantly less at study end for those in the treatment group compared IJTMB: Open-Access and Peer-Reviewed The venue in which the study's authors chose to disseminate their work is a particularly important consideration regarding the impact of this research for the field. The International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (IJTMB) is the sole peer-reviewed journal exclusively focused on the field of massage therapy and is the official journal of the Massage Therapy Foundation and Registered Massage Therapists Association of British Columbia. IJTMB is almost 11 years old, indexed in several systems (including PubMed Central), has a strong and growing registered readership, and, most importantly, is open access without submission or publications fees. 1 Many research journals have a fee structure, which limits accessibility in some way. Either access is based on subscription fees for the reader/end user (payment is required for article access) or authors have to pay a publication fee to the journal upon acceptance. There are several additional points to be made here about the open-access philosophy and the rise of predatory journals that do not have the same scientific or peer-review standards as traditional research journals, but that is a topic for another day. IJTMB's open-access policy is made possible by philanthropic support from its supporting agencies. The journal maintains scientific rigor and integrity, and is critical for ensuring massage therapy clinicians, educators, and research enthusiasts are able to read and engage with research directly related to them. Note 1. Ann Blair Kennedy, "Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork," IJTMB 11, no. 3 (August 2018): 1–3.