  Welcome Friends! We at the Massage Therapy Foundation are thrilled to welcome you to a brand new year of exciting events, thought-provoking research, stimulating grants and contests, new educational resources, and opportunities to impact the communities we live in by helping those in need.
 Thank you to Biotone for the in-kind donation of the team artwork. 2018 Boston Marathon®: Team MTF—Running for Research #TogetherForward Since 2012, the Massage Therapy Foundation has been honored to participate in the oldest and most well-known marathon in the world—2018 Boston Marathon® as part of John Hancock's Marathon Non-Profit Program. This year we celebrate the awarding of four bibs to Team MTF—Running for Research. Our runners are training to support their favorite foundation! In this issue hear about running rockstars Lindsay Bodkin and Desiree Bourgois van Oosting, and stay tuned for next month to read about our two other star runners, Shadonne Harris and Teresa Matthews!  Lindsay's motto for this run is simple: "I'm running for the people who never had the chance." Lindsay, who has been avidly running for two years, is always amped to take on a good challenge.
Lindsay and her husband, both Licensed Massage Therapists, own a private massage therapy practice in upstate New York. Together, they are the official massage therapists for the Adirondack Thunder. Both are actively involved in the AMTA New York Chapter, of which Lindsay's husband is the Chapter President. Lindsay is the Chair for the Government Relations Committee and holds a seat on the Convention Committee. She is also a proud AMTA National Delegate. "Ethics, practices, and research in massage therapy are our life!" she says. "I couldn't be more honored to be a part of this team!"  Thank you to our Boston Marathon® Premier Sponsor, AMTA! Running the Boston Marathon® is a dream come true for Desiree, a Licensed Massage Therapist and 20-year member of the AMTA. Desiree began her running career ten years ago and has since completed four marathons, several half marathons, and 5Ks. "I was moved to tears of joy when I received my call from the Massage Therapy Foundation," she says. "This means so much to me. I plan to do my best on this prestigious course!" This will be the sixth consecutive year that MTF has participated in the 2018 Boston Marathon® as part of John Hancock's Marathon Non-Profit Program. Team MTF—Running for Research will represent the Massage Therapy Foundation in the 121st Boston Marathon® on April 16, 2018. Please consider supporting our team as they run to advance the knowledge and practice of massage therapy by supporting scientific research, education and community service. 
Brand New Issue of IJTMB Have you perused the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (IJTMB)? Or gotten completely engrossed for several hours? IJTMB is an open-access, peer-reviewed publication filled with vital information that we all can share. Don't miss out on the opportunity to extend your knowledge and improve your practice! Be sure to check out our new issue which features the following article:  Are RCTs Limiting Our Research Results? Determining the Efficacy of Randomized Controlled Trials
The majority of massage therapy research studies conducted over the course of the last thirty years utilize Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) as the gold standard for evaluating results.
A recent article titled, "A Commentary on the Role of Randomized Controlled Trials in Massage Therapy," written by Amanda Baskwill, MSc, Bed, RMT, of the Massage Therapy Program at the Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning in Toronto, ON, Canada, and published in the newest edition of IJTMB (Vol. 10, No. 4, December 2017) places RCTs under the microscope to investigate their efficacy and possible limitations when used to determine results relating to massage therapy technique and practice.
The article seeks to understand whether researchers are limiting their range of results by solely utilizing the key features of RCTs to determine a study's outcome. Key features of RCTs include random allocation of participants to groups, strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, a control group against which the intervention is tested, blinding of evaluators and participants, and standardization of the study protocol.
The commentary concluded that while RCTs provide a useful research foundation, they are limited. Baskwill recommends the use of effectiveness studies, convergent parallel mixed methods, and case reports, in addition to traditional RCTs.
"That RCTs provide a useful research foundation cannot be disputed; however, to understand the complex treatment that is massage therapy, additional research methods are needed to explore important questions about the effectiveness of massage therapy in the real world," Baskwill writes.
Upcoming Grant Submission Deadlines Research Grants: March 1, 2018 Community Service Grants: April 2, 2018 Poster Abstract: April 2, 2018 Student Case Report Contest: June 1, 2018    
Your Support is Foundational Every year we offer funding to the researchers who can make the greatest contributions, community service projects with the greatest need, and educational programs which will have the greatest impact on the future of our profession. From our humble beginnings as a three-volunteer organization in 1990, we have grown into a thriving foundation that has granted over $400,000 to meet these goals. Fulfilling our mission is not easy. We receive a greater number of deserving grant applications than we are able to fund. The support we receive from our generous donors and volunteers makes a huge difference in the lives of others and the future of the massage therapy profession. It's not too late to donate before the end of our fiscal year on February 28th. Even a small contribution can mean the difference between saying yes or no to a deserving grant applicant. Please consider supporting our mission in any way you are able. 
Massage Therapy Foundation 900 Davis Street, Suite 950 Evanston, Illinois 60201 Phone :847.869.5019 Fax: 847.864.1178 www.massagetherapyfoundation.org Email not displaying correctly?
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