BackgroundMassage is the largest complementary medicine profession in Australia, in terms of public utilisation, practitioner distribution, and number of practitioners, and is being increasingly integrated into the Australian health care system. However, despite the increasing importance of massage therapists in Australian health care delivery, or the increased practice and education obligations this may entail, there has been little exploration of practice, research, and education characteristics of the Australian massage therapist workforce.PurposeTo identify practice, research, and education characteristics among the Australian massage therapist workforce.SettingsThe Australian massage therapy profession.Participants301 randomly selected members of the Association of Massage Therapists (Australia).Research DesignA 15-item, cross-sectional telephone survey.Main Outcomes MeasuresMassage therapists’ demographic information, practice characteristics, and education and research characteristics.ResultsMost respondents (73.8%) worked 20 hours per week or less practising massage, nearly half of all respondents (46.8%) treated fewer than 10 massage clients per week, and over three-quarters (81.7%) of respondents were self-employed. Massage therapy was the sole source of income for just over half (55.0%) of the study respondents. Only 5.7% of respondents earned over the average wage ($50,000) through their massage activities. Nearly half of all respondents (43.3%) reported regularly exceeding their continuing professional education (CPE) quota mandated by their professional association. However, 21.1% reported struggling to achieve their CPE quota each year. Over one-third of respondents (35.6%) were not interested in acquiring further CPE points beyond minimum requirements. Respondents were significantly more likely to have an active approach to research if they had higher income (p = .015). Multivariate analysis showed factors associated with access to CPE to be the only significant predictors for increased CPE.ConclusionsThe massage profession in Australia remains largely part-time and practitioners earn less than the average Australian wage. The factors that underlie research and education involvement appear to be highly individualised and, therefore, policies targeting specific groups may be arbitrary and ineffective.

Background: Traditionally, safety and improving safety in the treatment of pregnant women has involved identifying risks that lead to errors or adverse events, and implementing strategies to mitigate potential harm. There is research that suggests that other factors such as a lack of service, lack of care or a lack of quality also contribute to participants feeling unsafe. Currently there is no evidence-based research on the psychological aspects of the safety of massage during pregnancy. Purpose: The present study aim was to investigate women’s perceptions and experiences of the safety of massage during pregnancy. This included exploring what attributes of the clinician or practice and events that occur during the massage helped pregnant women feel safe. Setting: Phone interview with participants from Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Participants: 20 women who received massage whilst pregnant. Research Design: Qualitative design using thematic analysis. Results: There were five main themes related to safety and massage: 1) Autonomy— able to voice my needs and be heard; 2) Pregnancy massage is more than just a massage; 3) When my therapist is experiencedand qualified, I feel safer; 4) The continuity of the massage industry’s message about the safety of massage; and 5) Decision-making around massage safety. Conclusions: Safety is made up of not only the treatment that massage therapists provide, but also the environment they provide it in and how they administer both the treatment and the consultation. The lack of cohesion in messaging about the safety of massage during pregnancy makes women doubt the safety of massage.

No abstract