ASAE Magazine Praises ABMP’s Free CE Program
Associations Now magazine, the publication of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), praised ABMP’s Education Center and the launch of free continuing education (CE) hours for members in its “Best Benefit Ever” online series.
ASAE represents more than 21,000 members from trade associations and individual membership societies of varying professions as “The Center for Association Leadership.” ASAE’s “Best Benefit Ever” series identifies associations that are finding ways to innovate and provide value to members.
The newly designed ABMP Education Center allows members and nonmembers to sort through the 100-plus on-demand webinars by CE provider, webinar topic, and intended audience. ABMP members can watch each webinar on demand, then pass a short quiz to earn free CE. All courses are NCBTMB approved, but eligibility for CE depends on state board requirements.
In the Associations Now article, ABMP President Les Sweeney says, “As a lot of associations move toward trying to boost nondues revenue, especially from certifications and classes, we think this is an interesting shift to attract new members and build member retention.”
Read the Associations Now article at www.associationsnow.com/2016/04/best-benefit-ever-associated-bodywork-massage-professionals.
To learn more about ABMP’s free CE program, visit www.abmp.com/ce.

Aromatherapy Shows Promise in Treating Pain and Nausea
In a study conducted to examine the use and effectiveness of essential oil therapeutic interventions on pain, nausea, and anxiety, essential oils offered significant clinical improvements.
Patients rated their pain, anxiety, and nausea on a numeric scale (0–10) before and after receiving nurse-administered aromatherapy. Sweet marjoram resulted in the largest single-oil average pain change, while lavender and sweet marjoram had equivalent average anxiety changes; ginger had the largest single-oil average change in nausea.
Each of the oils also showed ancillary benefits for other symptoms.
To read more or view the abstract, visit www.bit.ly/1TjGWoM.

Massage Soothes Babies Born with Birth Defects from Zika Virus
Mothers of babies born in Brazil with microcephaly are turning to alternative treatments for relief for their children, who are typically very sensitive to stimulus and are highly irritable. Microcephaly is a birth defect thought to be linked to the Zika virus.
A parental therapy group called Room to be a Mother is providing free workshops in which they teach parents natural techniques to soothe their infants. The techniques include a traditional Indian shantala massage for the babies, a sling that keeps them tightly held to their mother’s chest for comfort, and the use of a specially shaped bucket for warm baths meant to mimic the womb.
Therapist Rozely Fontoura says massage therapy is particularly helpful for the babies, as it works by producing endorphins and reducing the stress hormone cortisol. “The production of endorphins and the reduction of cortisol helps a lot,” she says.
Daniele Santos, a mother whose son was born with microcephaly, says her son is much calmer now. “His crying after the massages and baths became less shrill,” she says.
Read more at http://fxn.ws/1M3qQCR.