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From the Editor: Winter 2010

This issue of Massage Therapy Canada marks the completion of 2009 and the start of a new decade.

The previous issue, Fall 2009, took a look at the “spa setting.” As we had hoped, communication about massage, as it relates to the spa industry, was stimulated. Whether fact or opinion, we want to hear from you. In the issues to come, we would like to explore massage therapy in many settings and/or with many groups of people. If you work in a specialized – or interesting – setting, write to us and tell us its pros and cons.

In these pages, we take a look at massage therapy in the geriatric setting. An interesting article comes to us from Sharon Puszko, PhD, CMT, who owns the Day-Break Geriatric Massage Institute in Indianapolis, Ind. We encourage feedback from therapists in Canada and abroad, working in this setting and with this important group of clients/patients. As we know, working with the aging requires unique care. This is an area of practice that is very important and pertains to all health-care providers working with this growing population.

Also in this issue, we hear from some of the provinces in our quest to “catch up on Canada.” We will hear from others in the issues to follow. We want our readers to be up to date on provincial and national issues, developments, special events and research. Through contributions from associations, groups and readers, we can collectively create the communication needed to build a national massage community. Massage Therapy Canada’s newly designed website, www.massagetherapycanada.com, is a terrific tool for interacting with colleagues and building our community. Make sure you check in often for news, event listings, our online digital edition, a communication blog, and many other useful features and resources.

Our cover story, “Empowering the Client,” is a dialogue-centred look at informed consent. As a touch-based profession, we can never revisit discussion around responsible client care too many times. Lee Kalpin reminds us that informed consent is much more than a checklist of points to cover in order to proceed with treatment. Special thanks go to Lee Kalpin, RMT, for this submission.

Future change in our professional landscape is inevitable; involvement and influence in the direction of that change is an option. Don Dillon, RMT, contributes a look at the dangers of indecision, and the public misperceptions of massage therapy it may cause.

If you would like to contribute to Massage Therapy Canada on the topics described and/or offer any suggestions about topics you would like to see included, contact me at jrogers@annexweb.com with a quick e-mail describing your potential submission.

We wish you good health and success in 2010.

Jill Rogers, RMT
jrogers@annexweb.com