ArticleInternational journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork2016
Clarifying Definitions for the Massage Therapy Profession: the Results of the Best Practices Symposium.
Article in International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers.
What it found
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed.
- Swedish massage as an adjunct approach to Help suppOrt individuals Pregnant after Experiencing a prior Stillbirth (HOPES): feasibility and acceptability findings from a convergent parallel mixed-methods single-arm trial.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2026Trial
- Public Trust in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork: Building and Maintaining Credibility.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2026Article
- Effect of Massage Therapy on the Circulatory System: A Literature Review.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2026Article
- The Effect of Massage Therapy on Anxiety Levels Experienced by Traditional-Aged Undergraduate Business Students.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2026Article
- The Effect of Self-Massage on Immune Function, Stress, and Quality of Life in Young Adults: A Pilot Randomized Control Trial.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2026Article
- Acknowledging the Unavoidable: Addressing Dual Relationships in Massage Therapy.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2026Article
- Shaping Understanding: The Role of Professional Language in Massage Therapy.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2026Article
- Through Massage to the Brain-Neuronal and Neuroplastic Mechanisms of Massage Based on Various Neuroimaging Techniques (EEG, fMRI, and fNIRS).Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Mental Health Impact of Massage and Massage Therapy for Survivors of Domestic and Family Violence and/or Sexual Abuse: A Scoping Review.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2025Article
- A Qualitative Scoping Review of Massage and Massage Therapy on the Mental Health and Well-being of Individuals Living with a Serious and Potentially Life-limiting Physical Illness.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2025Article
- The Multisystem effects of Long COVID Syndrome and Potential Benefits of Massage Therapy in Long COVID Care.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2024Article
- What is Effective in Massage Therapy? Well, "It Depends…": a Qualitative Study of Experienced Orthopaedic Massage Therapists.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2024Article
- Applying Scientific Rationale to the Current Perceptions and Explanations of Massage and Miscarriage in the First Trimester.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2023Article
- Massage Therapy: A Person-Centred Approach to Chronic Pain.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2022Article
- Prevention of Physical Risk and Rehabilitation of Muscle Injury in Sanda Competition.Occupational therapy international · 2022Article
- Population-Focused Approaches for Proactive Chronic Pain Management in Older Adults.Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses · 2021Article
- The Journey of a Massage Therapist's Experience After Receiving a Formal Complaint.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2021Article
- Assessment of the reporting quality of randomised controlled trials of massage.Chinese medicine · 2021Article
- What Should We Do Different, More, Start and Stop? Systematic Collection and Dissemination of Massage Education Stakeholder Views from the 2017 Alliance for Massage Therapy Educational Congress.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2019Article
- A Survey of Licensed Massage Therapists' Perceptions of Skin Cancer Prevention and Detection Activities.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMassage therapists are at times unclear about the definition of massage therapy, which creates challenges for the profession. It is important to investigate the current definitions and to consider the field as a whole in order to move toward clarity on what constitutes the constructs within the profession. PURPOSE: To determine how a sample of experts understand and describe the field of massage therapy as a step toward clarifying definitions for massage and massage therapy, and framing the process of massage therapy practice.
settingA two-day symposium held in 2010 with the purpose of gathering knowledge to inform and aid in the creation of massage therapy best practice guidelines for stress and low back pain.
participantsThirty-two experts in the field of massage therapy from the United States, Europe, and Canada.
designQualitative analysis of secondary cross-sectional data using a grounded theory approach.
resultsThree over-arching themes were identified: 1) What is massage?; 2) The multidimensional nature of massage therapy; and 3) The influencing factors on massage therapy practice. DISCUSSION: The data offered clarifying definitions for massage and massage therapy, as well as a framework for the context for massage therapy practice. These clarifications can serve as initial steps toward the ultimate goal of creating new theory for the field of massage therapy, which can then be applied in practice, education, research, and policy.
conclusionsFoundational research into how experts in the profession understand and describe the field of massage therapy is limited. Understanding the potential differences between the terms massage and massage therapy could contribute to a transformation in the profession in the areas of education, practice, research, policy and/or regulation. Additionally, framing the context for massage therapy practice invites future discussions to further clarify practice issues.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.