This selection of massage news articles will help you keep on top of what’s happening in the massage therapy industry

Pain Medication May Increase Back Pain

A study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine indicates that steroid and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can prolong the very pain they are intended to treat.

The study followed human subjects and examined a mouse model of pain.

“Analysis of pain trajectories of human subjects reporting acute back … identified elevated risk of pain persistence for subjects taking NSAIDs,” the authors wrote. “Thus, despite analgesic efficacy at early time points, the management of acute inflammation may be counterproductive for long-term outcomes of LBP sufferers … In mouse pain assays, early treatment with a steroid or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) also led to prolonged pain despite being analgesic in the short term.”

The New York Times included this quote in its report on the study: “People overuse the term ‘paradigm shift’, but this is absolutely a paradigm shift,” [Thomas Buchheit, director of the regenerative pain therapies program at Duke] said. “There is this unspoken rule: If it hurts, take an anti-inflammatory, and if it still hurts, put a steroid on it,” he added. “But,” he said, the study shows that “we have to think of healing and not suppression of inflammation.”

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast Cancer Awareness Month runs the duration of October. The month is intended to raise awareness of the impact of breast cancer.

The month’s organizers are making a free Ebook available; its content will help facilitate easeful conversations about breast health.

Read these articles to learn more about massage therapy’s role in benefiting cancer patients’ recovery:

• Oncology Massage: An Integrative Approach to Cancer Care

Review Focuses on Oncology Massage, CAM for Cancer Patients — And the Need for Stronger Research

Myofascial Massage Improves Pain & Mobility After Breast Cancer Surgery

• Lymph Drainage Massage for Breast Cancer Survivors

MASSAGE Magazine Wins National Award 

FOLIO: Eddie & Ozzie Awards in September named MASSAGE Magazine the winner of an Eddies Award, which honors editorial excellence. The magazine’s August 2021 issue #303, themed Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, was awarded first place in the category of Full Issue, B2B, Health & Wellness. 

More than 1,300 entries were received across nearly 170 categories for the 2022 FOLIO: Eddie & Ozzie Awards. Finalists represent the highest scoring entries per category, adjudicated by qualified editorial and design professionals, according to FOLIO. 

The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Issue was conceived by MASSAGE Magazine Publisher and Area President at Arthur J. Gallagher Nick Doyle, with the objective of educating readers about the need for greater diversity, equity and inclusion in massage therapy education and practice. The publication’s sister magazine, Chiropractic Economics, was named a FOLIO finalist. 

“I could not be more excited for our teams,” said Doyle. “The teams have worked so hard to bring the best issues possible to the markets, and this recognition is proof they have done just that!” 

5 Steps to Take on Inflation in Your Practice

The U.S. annual inflation rate accelerated past 9% in mid- 2022, the highest since January 1982, and almost nothing, from gas and energy to food and housing, has escaped its economic clutches. How can a small-business owner adapt to this period of high inflation? Payroll Vault, a company that specializes in payroll services, suggests the following:

1. Update your financial statement. Businesses should have a clear understanding of where they make and spend their money, and of what essential costs are rising.

2. Create a simple budget for the next three to six months. Using your updated financial statement, craft a new budget for the next few months with conservative estimates.

3. Think about what you can outsource. Are there any processes that you could actually save time and money on by hiring an outside vendor?

 4. Commit to stronger hiring and training practices. Employee turnover or insufficient onboarding are some of the costliest areas in business. Shoring these up will help you maintain consistency and confidence during The Great Resignation, and cut down on wasteful spending.

5. Double down on customer service. One of the most significant issues during the pandemic was customer service, as businesses were forced to change their operations. Finding new, affordable ways to maintain consumer loyalty will be a major factor in fighting off price and inflation impacts, and keep your clients coming back.

Read “5 Resources to Help You Begin Recession-Proofing Your Small Business.”

420: Number of participants in studies selected for a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of scar massage among burn patients. The conclusions: “The meta-effects of scar massage among burn patients are significantly improved scar formation and reduced pruritus and anxiety. Providing scar massage is feasible and effective for burn patients. Future research should evaluate its long-term effects.”

—Source: Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Legislative Updates

Indiana: Among several rule changes, massage therapists who are currently certified will automatically become licensed. Those who are not yet certified have until Jan. 11, 2023 to apply for licensure. The state board also determined multi-tier continuing education requirement ranging from 0 to 24 hours depending on the time period for which a license is valid. CE is waived for state license holders who also hold a current Board Certification in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork credential issued by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. (Source: -IR- Database: Indiana Register, Title 847 State Board of Massage Therapy, Final Rule.)

Maryland: Passage of SB 37 resulted in the elimination of the Registered Massage Professionals designation and created one designation, Licensed Massage Therapist, and increased the educational hours to 750 from 600, effective Nov. 1, 2026 (SB 37 via Maryland General Assembly.)

New Jersey: AB 4279 levies a 7% tax on massage, bodywork and somatic services, except such services provided pursuant to a doctor’s prescription. This tax would affect several professions and services, including massage, tattooing, tanning and limousine services, among others. The tax would generate monies for the state’s Children’s Health Promotion Fund and be used for improved access to healthy food; nutrition and exercise education; and to raise public awareness about healthy lifestyle for low-income children and families. As of press time, this bill had been referred to the Assembly Health Committee. (Source: Legiscan.)

Karen Menehan

About the Author

Karen Menehan is MASSAGE Magazine’s editor in chief-print and digital.