Special Issue on Oncology Massage

In November, the Society of Integrative Oncology (SIO), which was founded in 2003 to promote and integrate complementary and alternative treatments into current cancer therapies, published a special massage-oriented issue of the Journal of the Society of Integrative Oncology. The issue examines reports on massage therapy in cancer treatments, including overviews of massage research methodology and data on medical programs that integrate massage therapy into their cancer-fighting regimen. Access to articles is free to SIO members. The journal is available at http://bcdecker.com/productDetails.aspx?BJID=329.

MBLEx Test

The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards introduced its Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) in October and says, as of press time, Arkansas, Iowa, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia have adopted it. “The profession is past due for a current, comprehensive test that is affordable, convenient to take, and supported by a competent, caring organization,” says Patty Glenn, LMT and Federation president.

ABMP Donates $20,000 to Nonprofits

The gifts also marked ABMP’s milestone of 61,000 members, making it the largest massage membership association in the nation.

Help After Heart Surgery

A Mayo Clinic five-month pilot study shows massage therapy dramatically reduces pain levels for heart surgery patients. The study involved fifty-eight patients who were asked to rate the level of pain they were experiencing on a scale of one to ten. Thirty patients were then given massage treatments. The twenty-eight patients who received no treatment reported no change in pain management, while the other thirty lowered their assessment scores to one. The findings prompted the Mayo Clinic to hire a full-time massage therapist. As an additional response to patient surveys, the Mayo Clinic has also developed a CAM treatment series known as the Healing Enhancement Program, which incorporates music therapy, guided imagery, and stress education classes to promote full-body and emotional wellness as part of recovery. The findings of the Mayo Clinic study can be located in the November 2007 issue of Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.

Meetings of the Minds

Boston was buzzing with bodyworkers this past autumn when professionals fascinated with the function of fascia gathered for the First International Fascia Research Congress October 4–5 at the Harvard Medical School conference center. A portion of those attendees then stayed on for the International Association of Structural Integrators (IASI) conference.

More than seven hundred individuals from twenty-eight countries representing sixty disciplines gathered to share their research and experiences with fascia, sparking a great deal of conversation about ways clinicians and scientists can share information and partner on future research. A proceedings book is available for purchase at www.fascia2007.com. A DVD will be available for $100 to Congress attendees and $200 to all others.

An estimated three hundred fifty bodyworkers attended the IASI conference October 5–7 at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge. Keynote speakers included Judith Aston, Emilie Conrad, Jane Harrington, and Joseph Heller. During a Friday session, IASI unveiled the Ida P. Rolf Research Foundation for research in the area of structural integration. Rolf’s sons, Alan and Richard Demmerle, were on hand to host a presentation about her life and legacy.