2022 Research Support Grant Announced

Posted:Thursday, November 17, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Massage Therapy Foundation Awards 2022 Research Support Grant

(Evanston, Ill., November 1, 2022) The Massage Therapy Foundation (MTF) announces the award of one Research Support Grant for the 2022 granting cycle of $30,000 to Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia, for a feasibility study investigating massage for pregnant women who have experienced a stillbirth.

The study, with Principal Investigators Sarah Fogarty, PhD and Phillipa Hay, PhD, is part of an asynchronous, mirror image second pilot study with the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, creating a larger retrospective individual participant data meta-analysis.

The study will include 75 pregnant women who have previously experienced a stillbirth, which research has shown can increase the woman’s anxiety, fear, and depression. Measuring the feasibility of multiple massage experiences as an adjunct to care for women in an attempt to decrease anxiety, worry, and stress, which may impact the overall pregnancy experience for the mother.

“We look forward to learning more from this study on ways to best serve pregnant women who have experienced trauma in the past. These studies and the larger retrospective will provide evidence of the values of massage and encourage further research,” says MTF President Adrienne F. Asta.

About MTF Research Grants

Since 1993, the Foundation has been funding research in the field of massage therapy to advance the profession. MTF offers research grants to those conducting studies that seek to advance our understanding of specific therapeutic applications of massage, public perceptions of and attitudes toward massage therapy, and the role of massage therapy in health care delivery.

About the Massage Therapy Foundation

The MTF is a 501(c)3 public charity supporting scientific research, education, and community service for the massage therapy profession. The Foundation founded and publishes an open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal and provides educational resources for massage therapists, educators, and students. MTF, an independent organization, promotes international scientific and technical collaboration through grants, resources, training, and services. www.MassageTherapyFoundation.org

For more information contact:
Gini Ohlson, Executive Director, 847-905-1520, gohlson@massagetherapyfoundation.org or Geri Ann Nelson, Program Manager, at or 847-905-1667, gnelson@massagetherapyfoundation.org.