Massage Therapy Foundation’s (MTF) International Massage Therapy Research Conference (IMTRC) was established to bridge the gap between research and practice in the massage therapy profession, by bringing together massage therapy researchers and massage therapists in clinical practice. At 2025 IMTRC in Alexandria, VA, MTF Research Committee members harnessed this opportunity to learn more about the implementation of evidence-based practice from the clinical practitioners themselves.
Any conference attendee with a current clinical practice, identified as having a minimum of one client per month, was invited to participate in surveys designed by MTF Research Committee members Robin Miccio and Dr. Portia Resnick. The survey had three parts, including demographic information, a validated evidence-based practice beliefs scale (adopted from nursing) and questions that were generated specifically for the study. What follows is a sneak peek into what was learned about the practitioners present at 2025 IMTRC.
The demographic portion of the survey generated very interesting data about the types of massage treatments given by the massage therapists. When asked, “what types of treatments do you do?” the 63 participants generated 39 unique combinations with most massage therapists using a combination of 3 to 6 treatment types. The minimum number of treatments provided was 2, Swedish/relaxation and Manual Lymphatic Drainage, by one massage therapist. Five people provided all 8 treatment types (excluding “other”). Swedish massage was included in 33 of the 39 treatment combinations and performed by 57 of the 63 participants. Both deep tissue and myofascial release were performed by 52 of the participants, but not the same 52 participants, meaning some used one but not the other.
When asked about their client population, there were 36 unique combinations of client populations. The largest population included those seeking general health and wellness with 48 of the 63 participants using this descriptor for the clients. The 48 included 8 people who exclusively worked with those seeking general health and wellness. The next most popular participant descriptor included athletes/active individuals and medical/oncology, both being treated by 30 of the participants (but not the same 30 participants). There were 24 participants who worked with a geriatric population and 16 who worked with prenatal/postpartum clients.
The data from the evidence-based practice beliefs and other additional questions are still being analyzed by the research team. The team intends to submit findings for publication by the end of the 2025, so hopefully you can read more in an issue of International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (IJTMB) in 2026 or 2027!