Education Session Descriptions

Day 1: April 27, 2025 – Sunday

Whole Body Health Keynote: Tracy Gaudet, MD

Dr. Gaudet will speak about whole health and related research, as well as massage therapy’s placement within that initiative. Explore the scope of possible opportunities as we envision the transformation of healthcare shifting from disease-based to purpose-driven, aligning with the integrated value of massage therapy.

Observations and Results from the MTF-Funded HOPES Study: Sarah Fogarty, PhD, LMT

In 2022, MTF awarded a $30,000 Research Support Grant to Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia, for their study, Swedish Massage as an Adjunct Approach to Help Support Individuals Pregnant After Experiencing a Prior Stillbirth (HOPES Study). This feasibility study investigated massage for pregnant women who have experienced a stillbirth, which research has shown can increase the woman’s anxiety, fear, and depression. It measured 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. In her presentation, Principal Investigator Dr. Sarah Fogarty will share observations, results and relevance of the study in clinical practice. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4aEzfKn.

View a short video synopsis of the study below:

Day 2: April 28, 2025 – Monday

Importance of PBRNs Keynote: Jeffrey Dusek, PhD

Learn about the importance of Practice-Based Research Networks within the greater research endeavor and how they bridge the gaps between researchers, practice/practitioners and patients, and their meaningful outcomes.

Research Panel: Massage Therapy for Palliative Care, Pain Management, Opioid Use Disorder: Hunter Groninger, MD, Niki Munk, PhD, LMT, and Cynthia Price, PhD, MA, LMT

Effects of Massage Therapy for Palliative Care Patients (Hunter Groninger, MD)
Dr. Groninger will discuss the methodology and findings from a large randomized clinical dosing trial conducted at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in collaboration with Healwell. N=317 palliative care patients received individualized massage therapy for either i) 10-minutes on three consecutive days, ii) 20-minutes on three consecutive days, or iii) a single 20-minute session. Results revealed that massage therapy in complex, palliative care patients was beneficial beyond dosage and will relate findings regarding session length and treatment frequency to attendees’ practice considerations. Learn more about the study here: https://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924(23)00046-5/fulltext

Care Ally-Assisted Massage for Veterans with Chronic Neck Pain: TOMCATT Results (Niki Munk, PhD, LMT)
Chronic neck pain (CNP) is prevalent and challenging to treat. Despite evidence of massage’s effectiveness for CNP, multiple accessibility barriers exist. The Trial Outcomes for Massage: Care Ally-Assisted vs. Therapist Treated (TOMCATT) study examined a care ally-assisted massage approach compared to a waitlist control prior to a study design modification. View the study results here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1551714424001447

Interoceptive Awareness Training as an Adjunct to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder: Results from a Multi-Site Randomized Clinical Trial (Cynthia Price, PhD, MA, LMT)
Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment outcomes can be limited by co-occurring mental health and chronic pain conditions. This session will discuss the NIH-funded randomized trial examining the effectiveness of interoceptive awareness training through Mindful Awareness in Body-oriented Therapy (MABT) as an adjunct to MOUD. MABT teaches interoceptive awareness skills to promote self-care and emotion regulation. Study findings showed significant improvements in PTSD symptoms, interoceptive awareness, pain severity, pain activity interference, and physical symptom frequency for those who received MABT compared to MOUD only. These findings, along with high levels of intervention engagement, continued use of MABT skills, and qualitative themes of increased capacity for regulation, sense of personal agency, and reduced risk of relapse highlight the benefits of this integrative approach to support recovery among those in MOUD treatment.
Learn more about the study here: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11275983/

Studies Utilizing MassageNet PBRN: Portia B. Resnick, PhD, ATC, BCTMB, and Samantha Zabel, MA, PhD(c)

Using MassageNet for Exploratory Research (Portia B. Resnick, PhD, ATC, BCTMB)
Dr. Resnick will discuss creating surveys for Massage Therapists and Massage Therapy Clients for use in research. She will discuss how these surveys can be used to generate more research in Massage Therapy.

Ergonomics Phase II (Portia B. Resnick, PhD, ATC, BCTMB)
Dr. Resnick will discuss the findings of Phase I of the Ergonomics Project and how those findings were used to create Phase II. She will bring us up to date as to the data collection and findings of Phase II. Learn more: https://www.massagenet.org/current-activities/2025/2/10/mtf-ergonomics-project-phase-ii-update

Massage Therapists’ Attitudes and Knowledge about Mental Health: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study (Samantha Zabel, MA, PhD(c))
Massage therapists frequently encounter clients with mental health needs, but they may not have the training or knowledge about mental health to appropriately provide the help they need. This study investigates what massage therapists know and understand about mental health, their attitudes toward people with mental illness and mental health needs, and how their personal, professional, and educational experiences affect how they address mental health concerns in their massage practice. Members of MassageNet were invited to participate in this study as the inaugural research project conducted through the practice-based research network. This presentation will share the results of the survey and interviews that were completed in the study. Learn more: https://www.massagenet.org/current-activities/mt-mental-health-knowledge-study

AMTA-Funded MTF Research Awards: Geoffrey Bove, DC, PhD, Jennifer Esala, PhD, & Tracy Rupp, PhD, MAc, LAc

Evaluating Massage Therapy for Radiation-Induced Fibrosis in Rats: Preliminary Findings and Palpation Results (Geoffrey Bove, DC, PhD)
Radiation therapy remains a mainstay for cancer treatment, but is toxic for all structures in the path of the beam. Radiation induced fibrosis is common, and can cause tissue dysfunction, including neuropathy. In rats, we tested whether manual therapy would prevent fibrosis caused by irradiation (please see https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39620471/). Results and critical discussion points will be presented, stressing future directions and the importance of collaboration.

Enhancing Trauma Care: The Role of Massage and Somatic Awareness Education (Jennifer Esala, PhD / Cynthia Price PhD, MA, LMT)
This presentation explores a promising new approach to pain recovery for refugees who are torture survivors. It will share learnings from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) currently underway at the Center for Victims of Torture, investigating the efficacy of massage therapy with integrated somatic awareness education provided alongside standard psychosocial care. This presentation describes the intervention and its theoretical foundation in pain science, trauma-informed care, and mind-body therapies. Preliminary findings about the intervention’s impact on PTSD, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and cardiovascular health will also be shared. Attendees will gain insights into the potential of this approach to improve trauma-relevant mental and physical health outcomes in this population and implications for others whose lives have been negatively impacted by trauma.

Outcomes and Practice of Massage Therapy in the Military Health System: Insights from Pain Measures and Health Record Analysis (Tracy Rupp, PhD, MAc, LAc)
This presentation explores the impact of massage therapy on pain management outcomes in patients receiving it as part of standard care within the military health system. It also examines health records to identify trends in patient demographics, utilization patterns, and the characteristics of providers delivering massage therapy. Study results published January 2025: https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article-abstract/190/1-2/e20/7691201

Moderated Panel Debate—Debating Massage Therapy’s Unifying Healthcare Domain: Public Health, Rehabilitation, and Palliative Care: Adrienne F. Asta, BA, LMT (Moderator), Cal Cates, LMT (Palliative), Niki Munk, PhD, LMT (Rehabilitation), & Ann Blair Kennedy, DrPH, LMT, BCTMB (Public Health)

Explore the multifaceted role of massage therapy in healthcare through a debate format. Three experts dissect massage therapy’s relevance in public health, rehabilitation, and palliative care through research and practice lenses.

This session will explore the multifaceted role of massage therapy in healthcare, confronting research challenges for an unconventional and holistic applied discipline. Through an audience-engaged debate among three domain experts, the question of whether massage therapy most optimally aligns with the healthcare integrated public health, rehabilitation, or palliative care frameworks. Key discussions will center on how massage therapy harmonizes with the core principles and interventions of each explored field domain and related research challenges, facilitators, and implications. The debate aims to foster a comprehensive understanding of massage therapy’s contribution to health outcomes within a healthcare context and to clarify its position within clinical research settings.

Objectives

- Understand the diverse roles of massage therapy in different healthcare domains.
- Critically analyze and debate the placement of massage therapy within healthcare structures.
- Appreciate the complexities and professional implications of categorizing holistic healthcare practices.

Day 3: April 29, 2025 Tuesday

Case Report Symposium: Robin Miccio, MS, LMT (Moderator), Tina Brown, BA, LMT, Jill Cole MA, LMT, BCTMB

This moderated symposium will explore multiple case report author’s experiences, processes, and findings.

Facebook: A Versatile Tool for Massage Therapists (Tina Brown, PhD(c), MA, LMT)
I will discuss two of my doctoral research projects:

- Facebook: A Virtual Support System for Massage Therapists Who Report and Discuss Consumer Sexualized Behaviors: A Netnographic Study; and
- Exploring Facebook Group Engagement for Self-Administered Massage Adherence and Accountability During Recovery Among Planned Single-Knee Surgery Patients

Graduate Research in Massage Therapy: The Journey Towards Dissertation (Jill Cole MA, LMT, BCTMB)
This presentation will focus on my experiences in the Rehabilitation and Health Sciences PhD Program at the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences. Beginning in 2021, I started my coursework part-time as I worked full-time for the University of Kentucky HealthCare Integrative Medicine and Health, as Massage Therapy Program Coordinator. My professional life intersected with academic pursuits, as my research began to focus on how massage therapy affects pain and anxiety in patients with cancer. Further, the question of the feasibility of delivering massage therapy in patients with cancer while receiving infusion grew. This intersection led me to the development of research posters, specific aims, a systematic review, theory/conceptual paper, dissertation study, presentations, and grant writing. I am excited to share my academic pursuits, and how my experiences as a massage therapist has informed the journey towards my dissertation and ultimately, a PhD.

Research Dissemination and International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork: Amanda Baskwill, PhD, RMT, Sarah Fogarty, PhD, LMT & Ann Blair Kennedy, DrPH, LMT, BCTMB (Moderator)

Learn more about massage therapy research dissemination, particularly in regard to its importance for the field. Recently-published contributions to the IJTMB will be discussed with regard to their contribution to the field and related key aspects for application to clinical practice.

Research Oral Presentations: Kathryn Hansen, PhD, MSN, ANP-BC and others TBA

Implementation and Patient Outcomes from a Pilot Study of Mindful Awareness in Body-Oriented Therapy (MABT) as a Chronic Pain Treatment Modality in an Integrative Health Clinic (Kathryn Hansen, PhD, MSN, ANP-BC)
Mindful Awareness in Body-oriented Therapy (MABT) is an 8-session protocol delivered by massage therapists. In randomized controlled trials, MABT has demonstrated improvement in interoceptive awareness, emotional regulation and coping skills in participants. Dr. Hansen will discuss the pilot study reporting on the implementation of this research protocol into real world practice. Implementation and effectiveness outcomes in an integrative chronic pain clinic were gathered using administrative data, staff surveys, and focus groups. Seventy patients were referred to the program, 41 initiated sessions, and 73% completed the eight-session protocol with significant improvements in physical function, fatigue, sleep disturbance, social roles, and pain interference. Patients also reported enhanced interoceptive awareness and emotion regulation.

MassageNet PBRN Activity / Open Space (All IMTRC attendees are welcome to participate): Niki Munk, PhD, LMT and Samantha Zabel, MA, PhD(c)

This special session for MassageNet members will be the first opportunity for members to share their ideas about research topics, and to decide on the topic of the first research study developed and run entirely by MassageNet. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss research ideas, capabilities, and practice needs in order to develop a project that is specifically geared toward what MassageNet members want to know and what their clients will benefit from. If you are not yet a MassageNet member, join today and help your colleagues decide future directions of research! Visit www.massagenet.org to sign up.