Research Perch

Listen in for Research Perch, as host Annie LaCroix, MTF Associate Director of Operations, speaks with MTF Research Director, Dr. Niki Munk, and special guest Rachel Romanelli, an experienced massage therapist, educator, clinic owner, and healthcare advocate. The three discuss data collection methods within massage therapy practice, and their utilization in the upcoming Case Series Study being conducted within MassageNet Practice-Based Research Network. Learn more at www.massagenet.org

The 2026 MTF Community Service Awards application process opens January 1, 2026—with an exciting update! The maximum award amount has increased to $20,000, up from a previous maximum award of $5,000. In this episode, MTF Research Director, Dr. Niki Munk, speaks with Community Service Award Committee Chair, Dolly Wallace, about reasons for the change, history of the Award program, and how your organization can apply.

Enjoy a lively and informative discussion as MTF Case Report Contest Chair, Robin Miccio, speaks with 2025 Silver Award winner Hailey Robertson about her report, "Massage Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis."

Join us for Research Perch, as International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (IJTMB) Associate Editor, Dr. Sarah Fogarty, speaks with Dr. Cynthia Price about the upcoming September 2025 Special Issue of IJTMB concerning massage therapy and mental health.

Listen in to Research Perch as we speak with Dr. Niki Munk and Sami Zabel about the MassageNet Special Session and activity held at the 2025 International Massage Therapy Research Conference in Alexandria, VA. The session provided the opportunity for MassageNet Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) member massage therapists to share their ideas about research topics, and to decide on the topic of the first research study developed and run entirely by MassageNet. Webinar-style virtual convening of MassageNet members: Thursday, August 28 @ 7PM EST Additional Resources: www.MassageNet.org · Research question framework: "How do massage therapists approach/treat X in practice and to what effect?" Related Research Perch Episodes: MassageNet Study: MT Mental Health Knowledge Practice-Based Research Network 101

Listen in to Research Perch as MTF President Adrienne F. Asta, BA, LMT, speaks with author and educator Ruth Werner, BCTMB, about the upcoming 2025 International Massage Therapy Research Conference (IMTRC) in Alexandria, VA. Learn how attending can benefit you and your clients, explore speakers and topics, and find out how IMTRC impacts research in the field.

Listen in to Research Perch as MTF President Adrienne F. Asta speaks with Cynthia Price, PhD, MA, LMT, and Sarah Fogarty, PhD, LMT, about the Call for Abstracts relating to Massage and Mental Health for an upcoming special issue of the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (IJTMB). Learn more about the scope of content for this issue as we invite educators, therapists, and researchers to submit their data and experiences to IJTMB. Visit www.ijtmb.org to submit a paper.

Listen in to Research Perch as MTF President Adrienne F. Asta speaks with Spencer Pon, Gold Winner of MTF's 2023 Student Case Report Contest, about his winning case report, Massage Therapy for Ankle Mobility and Spasticity in an Adult with Cerebral Palsy: A Case Report. Pon's research focused on the effectiveness of massage therapy in increasing ankle mobility and decreasing spasticity in an adult with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Individuals with spastic CP commonly experience challenges such as increased deep tendon reflexes, tremors, and muscular hypertonicity. Through five massage therapy treatments administered over six weeks, Pon saw significant improvements in ankle mobility and a decrease in spasticity, offering promising insights into the potential benefits of massage therapy for individuals with CP.

Research Perch continues—Case Series Guidelines Part 2. Listen in as Dr. Niki Munk and Robin Miccio speak with Dr. Michael Fleischmann from Victoria University, Melbourne, AU, about his recent paper, "A Clinician's Guide to Performing a Case Series Study," and how such guidelines can impact the future of integrative care and working with allied health professionals. Part 2 discusses informed consent in retrospective studies and how case series fit into the research pyramid.

Listen in as Dr. Niki Munk and Robin Miccio speak with Dr. Michael Fleischmann from Victoria University, Melbourne, AU, about his recent paper, "A Clinician's Guide to Performing a Case Series Study," and how such guidelines can impact the future of integrative care and working with allied health professionals. Part 1 discusses case series and case studies—the vital base of the research pyramid—and differences between prospective and retrospective approaches.

Learn more about the MTF Research Grant, Massage Service Integration in a Military Primary Care Clinic: Implementation and Impact Study, conducted by the Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management (DVCIPM), Rockville, MD. The study researches massage therapy's promising evidence-based approach to reducing the burden of chronic pain within the Department of Defense and Veterans Administration. Listen in as MTF President Adrienne Asta, BA, LMT speaks with the Primary Investigator of the study, Dr. Tracy Rupp, and lead massage therapist, Kevin Johnson, LMT, NASM CPT. This grant was funded through MTF with generous financial support from the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA).

Learn more about the mechanisms of pain and the importance of pain validation in client care. Join us for Research Perch, as host MTF Vice President Lindsay Bodkin, BA, LMT, CPT, speaks with educators Whitney Lowe (Academy of Clinical Massage) and Douglas Nelson, LMT, BCTMB (Precision Neuromuscular Therapy Seminars).

Listen in to Research Perch, as MTF President, Adrienne Asta, speaks with Dr. Amanda Baskwill, Executive Editor of International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, about the journal's writing mentorship program.

Learn more about Basics of Research Literacy (BRL), an online continuing education course for massage therapists and educators about incorporating principles of research literacy in your practice and teaching. MTF President Adrienne Asta speaks with author/educator Whitney Lowe (Academy of Clinical Massage) about the new and revised 3-hour NCBTMB-approved interactive skill-building experience, which was created as a fundraiser for the Foundation.

"How do we take a [randomized controlled trial] mind-body massage protocol and then actually access it—actually make it accessible to patients in the real world?' What would that look like?" Hear from Kathryn Hansen, ANP-BC, who is the Principal Investigator of the 2022 MTF Research Grant-funded project, Mindful Awareness in Body-Oriented Therapy (MABT) for Chronic Pain: An Implementation Science Pilot Study., Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.. Learn more about implementation science and its real world implications for massage therapists and clients in this engaging episode of Research Perch.

Mindful Awareness in Body-oriented Therapy (MABT) combines manual, mindfulness and psycho-educational approaches to teach interoceptive awareness and related self-care skills. Learn more about MABT and an NIH-funded study looking at how it can be used to combat the opioid epidemic, as MTF President Adrienne Asta interviews researcher Cynthia Price and Megan Sherman, one of the LMT research interventionists on the project.

Join us for Research Perch! Listen in as MTF Research Committee Chair, researcher Dr. Niki Munk, interviews doctoral student Sami Zabel, about her MassageNet study exploring massage therapists' knowledge and attitudes about mental health and mental illness—and how you can participate!

Join us for Research Perch! In Part 2 of this two-part episode, host Adrienne F. Asta welcomes Michele Kolakowski, LMT, CD & CPD (DONA), CLC, and Carole Osborne, BCTMB, two of the co-authors of the highly successful book, "Pre- and Perinatal Massage Therapy." The trio discuss recent research into the efficacy of massage and birth narrative storytelling for women immediately following unplanned cesarean birth. Additional links and materials at https://massagetherapyfoundation.org/perinatal-massage-part-2/

Join us for Research Perch! In this two-part episode, host Adrienne F. Asta welcomes Michele Kolakowski, LMT, CD & CPD (DONA), CLC, and Carole Osborne, BCTMB, two of the co-authors of the highly successful book, "Pre- and Perinatal Massage Therapy." The trio discuss recent research into the efficacy of massage and birth narrative storytelling for women immediately following unplanned cesarean birth.

Join us for Research Perch, as MTF Vice President and Community Service Grant Proposal Review Committee Chair, Adrienne Asta, BA, LMT, speaks with Jenny Harrow-Keeler, MA, of the California-based Integrative Healers Action Network (IHAN) about their work providing integrative health services during wildfire events and other crises. IHAN is the recipient of a 2021 MTF Community Service Grant for their project entitled, "Community Clinics for Disaster-Impacted Communities." To learn more about IHAN and how you can be a part, visit www.ihanclinics.org.

Starting in April of 2020, researchers from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Prisma Health, Clemson University, and Indiana University (IUPUI) began conducting a survey to gather information about the experiences of all healthcare providers/professionals during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Join host Robin Anderson as she welcomes back Project COPE investigators Dr. Ann Blair Kennedy (USC Greenville) and Smith Heavner (Prisma Health), for a final update on the results and insights from Project COPE. To learn more about conclusions reached by this study, view Smith Heavner's Dissertation here: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/2914/ View our previous Research Perch interviews with Project COPE investigators here: https://massagetherapyfoundation.org/project-cope-share-your-story-research-perch/ https://massagetherapyfoundation.org/update-on-project-cope-share-your-story-research-perch/

How does a massage therapist become a massage therapy researcher? Join us as MTF President Robin B. Anderson, MEd, LMT, BCTMB, CEAS, MTF Trustee Niki Munk, PhD, LMT, and Graduate Student Sami Zabel discuss the educational pathways to becoming a massage therapy researcher.

What is a Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN)? Join us as MTF President Robin B. Anderson, MEd, LMT, BCTMB, CEAS, MTF Trustee Niki Munk, PhD, LMT, and Graduate Student Sami Zabel discuss the purpose and benefits of PBRNs for massage therapists, students, researchers, and clients.

Learn more about how data was collected during Phase One of the MTF Ergonomics Project. Join us as host Robin Anderson speaks with Stefan Schulz and Paula Kalmeta from Briotix about this fascinating process.

Get excited to share your practical and creative knowledge by submitting an abstract to the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (IJTMB)! Join host Doug Nelson, LMT, BCTMB, as he speaks with IJTMB Executive Editor Dr. Ann Blair Kennedy, LMT, BCTMB, DrPH, and IJTMB Practice & Education Section Editor Amanda Baskwill, PhD(c), MSc, BEd, RMT about the recent IJTMB article, "Trends of Publication in the Education and Practice Sections of the IJTMB: A Call to Action." Learn about the types of information sought for publication and how you can contribute.

Listen in as MTF Community Service Grant Committee Chair Adrienne Asta interviews Chanda Santana from the DIVAS Who Win Freedom Center, Inc., Athens, Georgia. DIVAS is a 2020 MTF Community Grant recipient for their program, SHE Retreats: Trauma Informed Massage and Self-Care. Learn more about this innovative program to support women who are survivors of sex trafficking and/or overcoming addiction and trauma to aid them in successfully reentering society.

Join MTF President Robin Anderson and Stefan Shulz from Briotix as they discuss the fundamentals of ergonomics, and how ergonomic principles were studied in MTs over the course of Phase One of the MTF Ergonomics Project.

Listen in as host Robin Anderson and 2019 MTF Student Case Report Silver Award Winner Amy Frost-Hunt from MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta, discuss her report, Effects of Massage Therapy on Multiple Sclerosis: a Case Report. This student case report was later published in MTF's journal, the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, and made into poster format.

In this follow-up episode of Research Perch, host Doug Nelson welcomes Dr. Niki Munk, Associate Professor at Indiana University (IU) School of Health and Human Sciences, and IU student, Board-Certified massage therapist Mica Rosenow, to discuss the currently ongoing research project, "Assessing Affective Measures in the 2020 Pandemic," and how you can be a part of the study. Participate here through March 31, 2021: https://massagetherapyfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/IU-Study-Flier-for-Client-2020-Pandemic-Survey.pdf

Learn more about hospital-based massage therapy by tuning in to MTF's two-part Research Perch podcast interview with guests Laura Bliven-Leapley, RN, MSN, NE-BC, RN-BC, BS, and Karen Kerns, M.S., CCC-SLP, MBA, and Cynthia Spake, B.S.Ed., LMT, from the Massage Therapy Program at Blessing Hospital, Quincy, Illinois. Part Two is a continuation of the details of how Blessing's MT Program works, how it has affected patients patient care, and what it is like to be a massage therapist in this setting. Listen to Part One first to learn about the reasons for and inspiration behind the massage therapy program at Blessing Hospital and how it works.

Learn more about hospital-based massage therapy by tuning in to MTF's two-part Research Perch podcast interview with guests Laura Bliven-Leapley, RN, MSN, NE-BC, RN-BC, BS, and Karen Kerns, M.S., CCC-SLP, MBA, and Cynthia Spake, B.S.Ed., LMT, from the Massage Therapy Program at Blessing Hospital, Quincy, Illinois. In Part One, learn about the reasons for and inspiration behind the massage therapy program at Blessing Hospital and how it works. Part Two(coming soon) will detail how Blessing's MT Program works, how it has affected patients patient care, and what it is like to be a massage therapist in this setting.

Massage has promising potential to help rebuild muscle in those who cannot handle weight-bearing or resistance exercise. In this episode of Research Perch, learn more about MTF's 2018 Research Grant award to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation for their study, Massage as an Intervention for Muscle Atrophy, as host Doug Nelson speaks with study investigators Esther Dupont-Versteegden, PhD, and Tim Butterfield, PhD, ATC, FACSM, FNATA.

Listen in as host Doug Nelson speaks with Shiatsu Therapist Leisa Bellmore, MSc, ST, about her research studying hand self-Shiatsu massage for sleep, and her work at Toronto Western Hospital's Al & Malka Green Artists' Health Centre in Toronto, Canada.

Contribute to research while connecting with your clients during the COVID-19 pandemic— whether or not they are visiting your practice. In this episode of Research Perch, host Doug Nelson welcomes Dr. Niki Munk, Associate Professor at Indiana University (IU) School of Health and Human Sciences, and IU student, Board-Certified massage therapist Mica Rosenow, to discuss the currently ongoing research project, Assessing Affective Measures in the 2020 Pandemic, and how you can be a part of the study.

In this special follow-up episode of Research Perch, host Doug Nelson brings back Project COPE investigators Dr. Ann Blair Kennedy (USC Greenville) and Smith Heavner-Sullivan (Prisma Health), for an update on the progress of this important study and information on how you can help be a part of capturing a unique moment in history. View our first Research Perch interview with Project COPE investigators here: Project COPE: Share Your Story [Research Perch]

How can you become involved in research? Join host Doug Nelson, LMT, BCTMB, as he speaks with Executive Editor of the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (IJTMB), Dr. Ann Blair Kennedy, LMT, BCTMB, DrPH, about the value of submitting a case report to IJTMB. Learn more about how you can dive into research and move the profession forward through writing about the work you already do with your clients.

Learn more about the MTF Community Service Grant program. Host Doug Nelson, LMT, BCTMB, and MTF Community Service Grant Review Committee Chair, Adrienne F. Asta, BA, LMT, discuss the purpose and value of MTF Community Service Grants and describe some of the projects that have been funded over the history of the program.

As of April 16, 2020, researchers from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Prisma Health, Clemson University, and Indiana University (IUPUI) are conducting an ongoing survey designed to gather information about the experiences of all healthcare providers/professionals (including physicians, nurses, allied health, complementary and integrative medicine practitioners, those in dentistry, mental health and any students in these fields) during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. In this special episode of Research Perch, host Doug Nelson speaks with three investigators working on this study; Dr. Ann Blair Kennedy (USC Greenville), Dr. Niki Munk (IUPUI), and Smith Heavner-Sullivan (Prisma Health). Join us to learn more about the implications of this important work and how you can help be a part of capturing a unique moment in history. Click here to participate in Project COPE: https://bit.ly/2XS9RgM

Learn more about MTF Research Grant opportunities. Host Doug Nelson, LMT, BCTMB, and MTF Research Grant Proposal Review Committee Chair JoEllen Sefton, PhD, ATC, CMT, discuss the history and evolution of MTF Research Grants and some of the valuable projects that they have funded.

Listen as we discuss how instructors can use MTF's free downloadable eBook, "Instructors' Guide to Teaching Research.," to help students become comfortable accessing research related to different client conditons. Host Doug Nelson, LMT, BCTMB, and MTF Education Committee Chair Brent Jackson, M.Ed., BS, LMT, speak with educator and MTF Education Committee volunteer Pete Whitridge, BA, LMT, about how to get the most out of the chapter he wrote for the eBook. Download the Instructor's Guide and other FREE MTF eBooks here.

Listen as we discuss how instructors have used MTF's free downloadable eBook, "Instructors' Guide to Teaching Research.," to help enhance massage therapy curriculum. Host Doug Nelson, LMT, BCTMB, and MTF Education Committee Chair Brent Jackson, M.Ed., BS, LMT, speak with Beverley Giroud, LMT, Director of Education at the Costa Rica School of Massage Therapy, Samara, Costa Rica, about how she has implemented the eBook in her classes.

Listen in as we discuss free downloadable MTF eBook, "Instructors' Guide to Teaching Research." Host Doug Nelson, LMT, BCTMB welcomes educator and eBook collaborator Brent Jackson, M.Ed., BS, LMT, and new instructor Jordan Meyer, LMT, from the Blue Sky School of Professional Massage & Therapeutic Bodywork in Grafton, Wisconsin, to talk through how instructors can use the eBook to teach research concepts to their students. Download this and other FREE MTF eBooks here.

Learn more about the enriching possibilities of participating in a research article discussion club in this podcast interview with guest Deborah Zerkle, LMT, CA, CIMT, CPMT, from the Massage Therapy Program at Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH), Columbus, Ohio.

Writing a case report expands student's skills and deepens their level of understanding. Listen as MTF President Doug Nelson speaks with educators whose students consistently rank at the top of submissions we receive to the yearly MTF Student Case Report Contest.

Hospital-based massage programs are on the rise as care providers seek non-pharmacological modalities for pain and stress relief. Learn about how these programs work by tuning in to MTF's two-part Research Perch podcast interview with guests Corrie Frey, LMT, CIMI, CPMT, and Deborah Zerkle, LMT, CA, CIMT, CPMT, from the Massage Therapy Program at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio. Part One gives an overview of how the massage therapy program at NCH got started and the services they provide. Part Two discusses how a hospital-based massage program works.

Hospital-based massage programs are on the rise as care providers seek non-pharmacological modalities for pain and stress relief. Learn about how these programs work by tuning in to MTF's two-part Research Perch podcast interview with guests Corrie Frey, LMT, CIMI, CPMT, and Deborah Zerkle, LMT, CA, CIMT, CPMT, from the Massage Therapy Program at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio. Part One gives an overview of how the massage therapy program at NCH got started and the services they provide. Part Two discusses how a hospital-based massage program works.

Join host Doug Nelson, LMT, BCTMB, CNMT, as he facilitates a discussion of, "Integration of Massage Therapy in Outpatient Cancer Care," with study author Virginia Cowen, PhD, LMT, and Jerrilyn Cambron, LMT, DC, MPH, PhD. This article is published in the Foundation's open-access, peer-reviewed journal, the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. You can view the full article at: http://www.ijtmb.org/index.php/ijtmb/article/view/393/422

Listen in as we discuss "Massage Therapy Restores Peripheral Vascular Function Following Exertion." Ruth Werner and Dr. Nina Cherie Franklin walk us through the implications, how it can grow our practices, and how it can help us serve our clients better.