The Massage Therapy Foundation (MTF) announced today that the John Hancock Nonprofit Marathon Program has granted them three invitational entries (bibs) for the 2016 Boston Marathon. 

The Foundation is looking for three qualified runners to be a part of Team MTF—Running for Research. The selected runners will have a chance to participate in this event, as well as raise money for the MTF.

A Seattle-based reiki program received funds from Washington state’s Department of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans with free reiki training and treatments. The 9–12 month program teaches veterans how to soothe themselves using the harmonizing power of energy work, as well as strategies for turning the skill into a vocation through which they can help others and their communities.

By popular demand, free access to the replay of the ABMP Back Pain Summit has been extended by one week. You now have until Monday, October 26 to view the presentations and obtain certificates of completion for CE reporting.

A study published in the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork found that massage “was shown to have a stabilizing effect on measures of static and dynamic balance and physiological factors related to stability in older adults.”

The study measured the results of a single 60-minute, full-body massage on 35 healthy, older volunteers, with the intention of determining whether massage therapy has a beneficial effect on the stability of older adults. The findings show that massage therapy may help reduce the number of falls older adults suffer.

The ABMP Back Pain Summit took place Monday, October 12, reaching 13,000-plus registrants from around the world, making it the largest gathering of massage therapists and bodyworkers ever.

Presenters included Clint Chandler, Drew Freeman and Rick Garbowski, Whitney Lowe, Douglas Nelson, Til Luchau, Diana Thompson, and Heath and Nicole Reed.

Replays of the conference will be available for the next seven days. Attendees are still eligible to earn 7 CE hours.

The ABMP Back Pain Summit will take place Monday, October 12, from 8:00 a.m. MT to 6:15 p.m. MT. Registration is free, and 7 CE hours are available for those who attend the conference.

Practitioners, students, schools, and instructors in the massage profession can attend any and all of the sessions, and replays will be available to those who register for one week after the event.

The following is the schedule of presentations:

New Continuing Education Designed for Spa and Salon Professionals

Universal Companies has opened a Wellness & Beauty Learning Center in Southern California. The company will provide classes and on-site training in the new 8,500-square-foot facility located in Torrance, California. Advanced continuing education will be offered for a broad range of wellness and beauty professionals, including spa and med-spa practitioners, estheticians, massage therapists, salon technicians, independent practitioners, and solopreneurs.

Green Spa Network, a not-for-profit association dedicated to promoting sustainability in and through the spa and wellness industry, has announced the winners of its 2015 Sustainability Awards.

The annual awards celebrate groundbreaking activities, comprehensive measures, unique contributions, and overall leadership in environmental management, green techniques, or sustainability.

This year’s winners are:

Have you communicated lately with your clients?

The Autumn 2015 issue of Body Sense magazine is now available.

Click here to launch.

As an ABMP member, you have access to this beautiful 16-page publication to share with your clientele, to remind them about the value of frequent bodywork. Simply visit www.abmp.com/bodysense, then click on the “Current issue: Autumn 2015” link.