Welcome, Today Is
I am excited to announce that W.T.I.'s 2nd Annual National Massage Therapy Awareness Week Event was a huge success.
The students of Withlacoochee Technical Institute, in partnership with Citrus Memorial Health Systems, conducted an action research project that had the following preliminary results:
Participants: 105 active participants
* Each participant received a pre blood pressure reading, a 15 minute seated chair massage, and a post blood pressure reading.
* Also every 5th participant was randomly selected to be in the control group.
* The control group participants sat in a chair for 15 minutes, they also received a pre blood pressure and post blood pressure reading.
* Once they completed their 15 minute waiting period and had their post blood pressure reading they received their 15 minute massage.
* They received one more final blood pressure screen to determine if massage continued to effect blood pressure after resting.
* All blood pressures were taken by and LPN's or RN's, with all blood pressure taken on the left arm.
* All massage were given within 30 seconds to 1 minute from the time of the pre blood pressure reading.
* All post blood pressure readings were taken within 10-20 seconds from completion of massage.
* All participants stayed in their seated position when having their post blood pressure reading.
* All participants completed an exit survey to rate our students performance. ( I will post our overall raw score on a scale of 1/5)
* I will also attach testimonials/comments that were made in their exit survey.
These are the preliminary results, we should have all of our data compiled by the middle of next week to see the true "effects of massage on blood pressure."
Once we have compiled the data I will send the final results. All information collected will be copied and distributed to the American Massage Therapy Association (National/ Florida) along with the AMTA Council of Schools.
I look forward to sharing the information with the community and am excited to see our final results.
Just a reminder this was the largest research project Withlacoochee Technical Institute has tackled. These students have been in school for 9 weeks and performed above and beyond my expectations. It is truly amazing to see how a dream can turn into a reality.
Thank you,
Jeffery B. Wood LMT, COTA/L
W.T.I. Massage Therapy Program Director
AMTA Heart of Florida Chairman
