Catching up with the Latest in Massage Research
Key Findings and Why They Matter ~ A live, 7-hour in-person class with Michael Hamm
The evidence is clear: Massage Therapy is helpful for many widespread health conditions. But which ones, and how does it work? Practitioners who are grounded in the latest science are equipped to be more effective in the treatment room and more honest in their advertising. This 7-hour live course is designed to give you a fun, relevant, and actionable tour of the latest research findings on Massage Therapy.
What we do in practice is often helpful — we know it, we’ve seen it. But if our curiosity stops there, are we really living up to our potential?
How and why is massage therapy helpful, and for whom? How do we maximize benefit, minimize harm, and communicate effectively about our work?
Most of us got a few nuggets of massage research in massage school, and we learned a lot about the effects of massage (e.g. “massage breaks up adhesions”). But based on the best evidence, many things that we were taught are just not true, or the mechanisms are different than we thought.
What really happens when we do massage? What are massage therapy’s effect on pain, inflammation, and perception? Does massage therapy “flush toxins”? What do we really mean by words like these? Does massage therapy relieve muscle soreness? How? Surprising findings on massage therapy’s effectiveness in the treatment of anxiety, depression, chronic pain, visceral adhesions, and immune function. Cutting-edge science on fascia: its behavior, disease precesses, and diagnostics. We will also include a discussion of the post-COVID implications for Massage Therapy clinical reasoning.
What does this mean for my massage practice? Making better treatment decisions. Finding the best information quickly. Communicating more clearly with clients and colleagues. Improving how you take a medical history and monitor progress across sessions. Using research to boost your practice and referral base. Building a common language with physicians and other allied providers.
This class is live, and not a webinar. Offering this class live allows for more engagement, interaction, creativity, and entertainment!
“ This class is always engaging, even thrilling, in parts. Every LMT would greatly benefit from this class and its implications. “ -Brian Utting
Michael Hamm, LMT CCST, (license #MA 21821) maintains a bodywork practice focused on orthopedic injury and trauma recovery. He teaches anatomy, research literacy, and neurofascial bodywork in Seattle and around the US. Mike is a Trustee for the Massage Therapy Foundation and co-chair of the Foundation's Best Practices Committee. He was awarded the AMTA Service to the Profession Award in 2013. Mike believes that we're witnessing a powerful moment in the history of integrative medicine, and is trying to help bodyworkers take part in the conversation. When not practicing or teaching, Mike plays music in a Seattle band. To learn more about Mike's work, click here.
Instructor: Michael Hamm, LMT, CCST (license #MA 21821)
CE hours: 7 CE hours (NCBTMB-approved)
Tuition: $120 if registered with a $70 deposit.