Massage Alleviates Muscle Soreness After Exercise
In a systematic review and meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Physiology, researchers analyzed 11 articles (involving 504 participants) to evaluate the effects of massage therapy on alleviating delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and muscle performance after strenuous exercise.
The researchers found that muscle soreness ratings decreased significantly when the participants received massage intervention compared with no intervention. Massage therapy also improved muscles’ maximal isometric force and peak torque.
The findings suggest that massage therapy after strenuous exercise could be effective for alleviating DOMS and improving muscle performance.
Read the full study at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5623674.
NCBTMB and The Heart Touch Project Launch Pain and Palliative Care Specialty Certificate Program
The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) announced a partnership with The Heart Touch Project (THTP) to introduce the profession’s first Pain and Palliative Care Specialty Certificate Program.
Donna Sarvello, vice president, educational support, NCBTMB, says, “This comes at a crucial time as massage therapists and bodyworkers work with hospitals to provide safe, effective massage to patients interested in alternative, non-drug treatment options for pain. THTP training program is an essential foundation to understand the role of massage in pain and palliative care, effects of medications on massage therapy, working as part of an integrative pain and palliative team in a hospital and hospice setting, and much more.”
Candidates become eligible to obtain a Specialty Certificate by either completing the Heart Touch Pain and Palliative Care Massage Training Program and passing the NCBTMB Specialty Exam, or completing the NCBTMB Portfolio Review Process and passing the NCBTMB Specialty Exam. Upon completion of one of those pathways and passing the exam, candidates will earn an official NCBTMB Specialty Certificate in Pain and Palliative Care.
For more information on the Heart Touch Pain and Palliative Care Massage Program, visit www.hearttouch.org/pain-and-palliative-curriculum.
ISPA Names Zeel Spa 2017 Innovation of the Year
The International SPA Association (ISPA) honored Zeel Spa with the first annual ISPA Innovation of the Year award at the October 2017 ISPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas.
The Zeel Spa platform launched in 2015 and allows spas, salons, and hotels to book a licensed, vetted, and insured massage therapist to fill vacant appointments. A large and growing number of top massage providers now use Zeel Spa to solve their staffing issues due to spikes in customer demand and last-minute absences.
“As the creator of the Massage On Demand category in the global massage industry, innovation is at the heart of what we do, and one of our core values. It’s a great honor to be recognized by the International Spa Association for the continued innovation we bring to the industry,” says Samer Hamadeh, founder and CEO of Zeel. “Zeel looks forward to expanding our partnerships with spas and empowering them to meet and exceed their staffing and revenue goals.”
Learn more about Zeel at www.zeel.com.