The demand for massage therapists is on the rise, but many are leaving the profession due to work-related injuries. A previous industry study showed that 83% of respondents reported work-related pain in the wrist or thumb at some point in their careers, with 57% experiencing pain within the last 30 days, despite practicing self-care. Existing massage therapy (Massage Your Body) curriculums do not provide enough information on adapting general body mechanics principles to individual work. This study aimed to investigate whether an experiential learning program combined with measurement tools can reduce ergonomic risk factors that lead to occupational injuries.
The Study Methods
Four cohorts of students enrolled in MASS 212 – Kinesiology for Massage Therapists, a required course in the massage therapy associate of applied science degree program at the Community College of Baltimore County. The researcher, who had ergonomics assessment certification training, acted as the instructor and collected the data as part of the course requirements. Outcomes were measured using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) tools, which were given to all participants before and after the course.
The Results
A sample of 17 students completed the course and the study. The paired t-tests showed statistically significant differences before and after the educational intervention, which were supported by the qualitative data from student journals. The results supported the study hypothesis that the individualized educational intervention reduced the risk of occupational injury as measured by the REBA and RULA.
Implications for Evidence-Informed Practice
Massage therapists (강남휴게텔) can benefit from exercises that promote kinesthetic awareness and individualizing application of massage techniques to promote better body mechanics using ergonomic principles.
Limitations of the study: The study sample is relatively small, and the researcher acted as both the person delivering the study intervention and as data collector and data analyst, which may have introduced some degree of bias. Additionally, no longitudinal follow-up was performed to determine whether risk reduction translates into lower injury rates and increased career longevity.