New Board of Directors - Welcome

We are very pleased to have a full Board of Directors this year.  At the March 6th AGM in Saskatoon several members were nominated to the Board, and a motion was passed to accept all of the nominations.
The full list of Directors is shown above.  If you wish to contact any of the Directors, all correspondence must be directed to the MTAS office, either via e-mail, mail, fax or telephone.

New Reach Bulletin Newsletter Format

In an effort to streamline the production of our membership newsletter, make it more easily accessible for members, and to reduce the amount of paper we use, we have switched to a new electronic format.  This issue is the first to use this new technology, so if you find mistakes or formatting errors, I would appreciate your patience as I grow accustomed to working with it. 
For those members who still require a paper copy of the newsletter, please note that it will no longer be formatted specifically as a print document, but will instead be a printed copy of the electronic format, and will therefore not appear the same as the newsletters you have received previously.
If you wish to change your preference for printed vs. electronic communication, please e-mail Jayne at mtas@sasktel.net or call the office at 306-384-7077.

Directors' Reports

Notes from the President’s Desk
I have lots to report since our last newsletter…our AGM on March 6th was extremely well attended. The AGM is a wonderful time for members to express their KUDO’s and concerns. It is this input that helps our board to move forward in representing our membership.

At the meeting, our board grew from 9 directors to 14 directors. I would like to thank Barb Schultze for her years of commitment as Continuing Education Director. You have helped develop our Con Ed program and we appreciate all the time and effort you have given to this position. Our new directors are: Darcel Kjelshus, Aileen Tran Mapletoft, Garret Woynarski, Marles Kerns, Gus Giannoutsos and Tanya Auger. It is so very exciting to have these new faces and their energy on our board.

In April, Jolene Rigg took on the position of Past-president and I was elected President.

Our Education Committee has been very active this spring completing the draft of the new practical exam and doing presentations at the massage schools here in the province. Great job Don! It’s exciting to see student membership numbers going up.

Our Legislation Committee is working hard and is moving forward. They are meeting in July in Regina and hope to meet with government representatives. Personally, I had no idea was a long process this has been. We are cautiously optimistic that there is light at the end of this very long tunnel. Way to go Jessica and new committee member Garret.

Our PR director, Darlene, has nailed down some very cost effective radio advertising. We are tweaking the details and hope to have ads played in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert in the not-to-distant future. (Darlene McCoshen is also our Membership Chairperson so she has stepped down from Public Relations and Darcel Kjelshus will now take over the Public Relations chair.)

In May, our Executive Director, Lori Green and I attended both the Canadian Health and Life Insurance Association (CHLIA) Claims Conference and the Canadian Massage Therapy Alliance of Canada (CMTA) meetings. 

- The CHLIA Conference is a wonderful opportunity for us to meet with the insurance companies. We receive great feedback from them and are currently working together with CHLIA on standardized billing. We found at this conference that we had a fantastic opportunity to network with the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors. We found that our Associations have a lot of parallel concerns and opportunities as we work towards becoming a regulated health profession. We have asked for a letter of support for legislation from their national body and they have encouraged us to also ask their provincial body for a letter of support. This is very exciting. The insurers have continued to express their frustration with not knowing if a Massage Therapist has sufficient training, especially in non-regulated provinces. We continue to encourage them by telling them that we are working with the Canadian Health and Anti-Fraud Association in developing a national registry of competent massage therapists. It’s good to see our relationship with the insurers grow and strengthen.

- The CMTA AGM and meetings were very productive. New policies were ratified, new executive elected (congratulations to our Executive Director, Lori, who was elected Vice-President), there was continued support for the insurance committee to work towards completion of the National Provider Directory and there was very much a sense of working towards our goal of collaborating to advance massage therapy as a health care profession in Canada. We had very exciting news that both PEI and the NWT’s have been approached by their Governments for consultations regarding umbrella legislation of unregulated health professions of which massage therapy is one. If this is successful, it means that legislation in those two provinces will merely be an application process. Both provinces have been working hard toward legislation in the past so these were exciting announcements.

All in all, it’s been a busy and productive spring.

With all these positive efforts, we do have an area of concern. In the last few months we have had reports from a few non-profit organizations that RMT’s that have offered to volunteer at their events have not been showing up. MTAS works closely with several organizations to provide volunteer RMT’s. As you can imagine, this has been frustrating for the organizers and portrays a measure of unprofessionalism on the massage profession. Please make every effort to meet your commitments. Remember you are representing MTAS as well as yourself.

Wishing the students well as they head into final exams. We look forward to having you join us in a profession we love.

Julianne Heagy, RMT

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Executive Director's Report
The past few months have been busy but fruitful at both the Provincial and National levels.

I was very pleased with the turnout at our members meeting in March and in particular with the strong and full slate of Board members elected. I would like to express my gratitude to Jolene Rigg who came back from her Past President position to lead us last year as President; I am happy that she will return once again to Past President and use her new career as a chartered accountant to advise and counsel us on our financial issues. A fond farewell to Barbara Schultze, Competency chair and thank you for your dedication and expertise shared with the Board and membership. I am excited to work with all of the returning and new Board members and to welcome Julianne Heagy as our President.

The Board started off with orientation and team building, going through a facilitated meeting on the KOLBE index. We now all have a good working knowledge of our strengths and ability to guide our Association over the next two years. Everyone has brought their vast knowledge, energy and passion for the profession to the table, and I expect the membership will be proud of our Association’s growth over the next few years.

In order to expedite Board work we are venturing in the world of technology with fewer face-to-face meetings and more video- and tele-conferencing. This is a learning curve for all of us, but we are looking forward to the challenge!

We are beginning to market the Association through a large radio campaign that will begin in late August through Rawlco Radio. Stay tuned for more information. We also just received cover recognition in the Saskatchewan Fitness Magazine. This is currently available for viewing on the MTAS website.

On the National level, what once was shall be again. We are currently back to the acronym CMTA as we have not yet secured the MTAC name with Industry Canada. The National meetings of the Massage Therapy Alliance took place in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island in early May. In the past few years the Alliance has been struggling to identify common ground and interest in issues affecting us nationally. Our mission has been ratified and reads “A forum for collaboration to advance massage therapy as a health care profession in Canada.” A management team has been elected with Marilyn Sparling (PEI) President, myself as Vice President, Marny Hamilton (Ont) Treasurer, and Barbara Thibideau (NB) Secretary. I will also continue as Chair of the National Insurance Association, working with Brenda Locke and Damon Marchand (BC), Mike Pollard (NFLD) and Julianne Heagy (MTAS President).

To this end we now have a clearer mandate and have identified provincial regulation and insurance as our two main priorities. We have drafted an interim operations plan to be evaluated in January, 2012. Some items that we will be working together on are: full support for provinces seeking regulation such as Saskatchewan and developing resources on the benefits and risks of regulation. We will continue to work with the Insurance industry through the Canadian Health and Life Insurance Association (CHLIA) and the Canadian Life Anti-fraud Association (CHCAA) through participation at their conferences and with open dialogue throughout the year.

MTAS has delivered our application for regulation to the Province and the committee will be meeting in July to discuss our next steps. We are also hoping to have a scheduled meeting with the Ministry of Health. At that time we will deliver the petitions that we have received from the membership - currently we have over 1200 signatures in support of legislation for our profession.

At the office we are looking forward to meeting our new members in July, after the Membership Qualifying Exams taking place in June. This will be the last year of the current exam format. The Education Chair Don Wickstrom, Chief Examiner Cassandra Exner-Williams and member Monty Churchman have worked tireless over the past few months in developing a new practical examination format more suited to test competency in a work situation. This exam was piloted and evaluated on May 15th, through consultation with MTAS examiners and school representatives. Congratulations on your hard work!

A reminder that members are responsible for updating their CPR and First Aid certification at the office. Currently we have sent out reminders to 71 members to supply their renewal certificates. In keeping with Mr. Barry’s analogy of MTAS budgets…………..do we need to budget more dollars for stamps? In August we also will be sending out advance notice for the October membership renewal.

I continue to marvel  at the work of the Board and member input. Your e-mails and phone calls are always welcome at the office. I encourage our new student members to keep working towards your careers and to feel free to access the office and our membership for any assistance you may need.

The office experiences a slower pace during the summer months - Jayne will be on holiday from July 11th to August 2nd, and I will be away from August 1st to 22nd. 

Enjoy your summer months!

Lori Green

Newsletter Advertising Opportunities

Our new electronic newsletter format presents some new opportunities for advertising. 

Firstly, we have space in the footer for 3 graphic files.  Each one must be submitted by e-mail to the MTAS office in .jpg, .gif or .bmp format, no larger than 250 x 250 pixels.  These ads will be $75.00 each + GST for members or $150.00 each for non-members and will be booked on a first come, first served basis. 

Secondly, because the electronic format uses pixels, rather than physical dimensions to describe space, we will no longer be able to offer the standard business card size, quarter page, half page and full page ad spaces that you have been used to seeing in the past.  Ads must now be submitted in the correct size using graphic format - .jpg, .gif or .bmp files.  Click here for the size details and advertising rates.

We recognize that not all members have access to a graphics program or a graphic designer, so we will still accept your ad in plain text format.  
• The advertiser is responsible for supplying the ad text via e-mail (no exceptions).
• Plain text only; no graphics, logos or images; no special formatting, fonts, outlines etc.
• Ads will be typed in the Classified Ads section, in random order.
• Ads will be separated from each other by a solid line.
• Colour maybe added to the ad text – advertiser must specify the colour(s) and location(s).  Additional charges will apply.
Click here for advertising rates.
 
The fnal option is a link insertion.  This option allows your link to access either a landing page on your website or a specific document, and will open up as a new tab in the web browser.
• The advertiser is responsible for supplying the link via e-mail, as a .pdf file or URL.
• Maximum .pdf file size is 1MB.
• Links will be placed in the Classified Ads section, in random order.
• Links will display as a one-line string   e.g. “Click here to access website - www.saskmassagetherapy.com”
• Ads will be separated from each other by a solid line.
Click here for advertising rates.

If you would like to send out an ad to our membership, please also consider using our e-blast ad service.  This option has not changed - to send out an ad to the 777 members [out of our total 809 members] with e-mail addresses on file, is still $25.00 + GST for members and $50.00 + GST for non-members.  There is no size restriction for these ads, and they go directly to each member.  All you need to do is send an e-mail to Jayne at the MTAS office, including the exact text for your ad.  I can usually send these out the day they are received, and we can either invoice you via e-mail, or you can pay with a credit card on the telephone.  The other option we have always had available is our website classified advertising tool.  The cost for this is $45.00 + GST per month for members and $60.00 + GST per month for non-members.  Follow the same procedure as outlined above to get your ad onto our website.

Letters to the Editor

As you know, we already practice an "open door" policy of communication with our members, both in person and in writing or by telephone.  You are welcome to come in to see us, write to us or phone us with any questions, concerns or comments you may have for either the office staff or Board of Directors.
In an effort to solicit more member participation and dialogue, we will now be including this "Letters to the Editor" column in each electronic newsletter.  Although we have always requested member submissions to the newsletter in the past, perhaps this format will encourage more of you to let us know what's on your mind.  
Letters may be submitted by e-mail to mtas@sasktel.net.
 

Minutes of 2011 AGM

Massage Therapist Association of Saskatchewan, Inc
Annual General Meeting
March 6th, 2011 - 9:00 a.m.
Travelodge Hotel – Galaxy Ballroom B
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Minutes of the meeting

Call to order (9:04 a.m.) – President Jolene Rigg

1.0 Housekeeping:
 Introduction of current Board of Directors and Staff, Parliamentarian – Dr. Brent Thoma and special guests Don Stewart, MTAS auditor from Stewart, Gee and Associates and Donelda Gowan–Moody, MTAS member and guest speaker.
 The AGM is being recorded - must come to the microphone to speak. For recording purposes, please identify yourself every time you speak.
 Turn off all cell phones.
 Coffee is outside in the foyer and will be served at 10:30am.
 Bathrooms are also outside in the foyer.
 Please leave your voting cards on the tables for collection at the end of the meeting.
 Reminder to the students present - not permitted to vote.

2.0 Review/amend/adopt Agenda
2011 AGM -1 Motion to adopt the Agenda
A. Senz/W. Linfield CARRIED

2011 AGM-2 Motion that Dr. Brent Thoma be the Parliamentarian for today’s meeting
W. Wenaus/W. Barry CARRIED

3.0 Outline of Governance Procedures – Dr. Brent Thoma

4.0 Review/amend/adopt Minutes of AGM April 18th, 2010
2011 AGM-3 Motion to review/amend/adopt the Minutes as presented.
L. Stephens/D. deBussac CARRIED

5.0 Business arising from Minutes – nothing from the floor.

6.0 Thesis presentation – “Research perceptions and utilization among massage therapists in Saskatchewan” Donelda Gowan-Moody, RMT, MSc.

7.0 Director’s Reports
7.1 President – Jolene Rigg - nothing to add.
7.2 Treasurer - Kyla McDonald

2011 AGM-4 Motion to accept the audited statements of 2010 as presented
K. McDonald/L. Stephens CARRIED

2011 AGM-5 Motion to appoint Stewart Gee and Associates as the auditors for 2011
K. McDonald/L. Foster CARRIED

7.3 Education/Exam – Don Wickstrom. Thanks to Peggy Bell for her years of service as Chief Examiner, introduce Cassandra Exner-Williams as the new Chief Examiner.
7.4 Insurance – Julianne Heagy – nothing to add.
7.5 Complaints/Discipline – Len Waker – nothing to add.
7.6 Membership/Public Relations – Darlene McCoshen – nothing to add.
7.7 Continuing Education – Barbara Schultze – nothing to add.
7.8 Legislation – Jessica Green – not in attendance.
7.9 Executive Director – Lori Green. On behalf of Jessica Green, regarding the petition on legislation. We are currently at approximately 700 names, and would like to reach 1000 before sending these to the Government. Please continue to send them in to the office.
Thank you to the Board for their direction over the last year, and to the membership for their input.


New Business:
8.0 Amendments to the Bylaws
Amendment #1:
9.5 (b) Motion to strike “MTAC” and replace with “additional fees”.
2011 AGM-6 K. McDonald/D. McCoshen CARRIED

Amendment #2:
9.5 Membership Fees and Annual Dues (iv)
Motion to strike “December 31st” and replace with “November 1st”.
2011 AGM-7 K. McDonald/D. McCoshen DEFEATED

Motion #3:
That the membership fees be raised by $70.00/year for practicing members and by $35.00/year for non-practicing members. This will result in the total cost of $400.00/year and $200.00/year respectively.
2011 AGM-8 W. Barry/C. Exner-Williams


Discussion/debate from the floor resulted in an amended motion:

Motion #4:
That the increase be $25.00/year for practicing members and $12.50/year for non-practicing members. This will result in the total cost of $355.00/year and $177.50/year respectively.
2011 AGM-9 C. Exner-Williams/A. Struck


Further discussion/debate from the floor resulted in a new motion:

Motion #5:
To commit the amended motion and the main motion to a committee to determine what the annual membership fees should be, and to report back with recommendations to the membership at the AGM 2012.
Committee to be comprised of 5 members and the Board Treasurer.
Members to make up committee: Carey Gerlinsky, Darcel Kjelshus, Angelique Schroeder, Warren Barry, plus Don Wickstrom (current Education Director) and Kyla McDonald (current Treasurer).
2011 AGM-10 C. Gerlinsky/L. Foster CARRIED

(Note to the above motion #5: after the vote, B. Lidington suggested that the committee should include the Education Director. By unanimous consent, the membership in attendance agreed. The above motion #5 reflects this suggested addition.)

Report of the Nominating Committee – Christina Battyanie
 Five (5) Board members returning to complete their terms as elected –Julianne Heagy, Christina Battyanie, Kyla McDonald, Jessica Green and Jolene Rigg.
 Board members seeking re-election: Don Wickstrom, Len Waker and Darlene McCoshen.
 Seeking election: Aileen Tran Mapletoft - Saskatoon, Gus Giannoutsos – Regina, Garret Woynarski – Regina, Tanya Auger – Regina.
 Currently have positions available for another two (2) Directors.

9.0 Elections.
Christina Battyanie, Vice President - call for further nominations from the floor:
 Marles Kernes, nominated by Michelle Franklin-Fiddler.
 Lenise Mang – nominated by Karen Seitz.
 Darcel Kjelshus – nominated herself.

There are 14 positions on the Board of Directors, 5 returning Board members and therefore 9 open positions. Currently have 10 nominations, thus requiring an election.
Lenise Mang – declined the nomination.

2011 AGM-11 Motion that nominations cease
C. Battyanie/L. Stephens CARRIED

10.0 Approval of the slate
There are six (6) new Board members, in addition to the current eight (8), making a full complement on the Board of Directors, therefore no need for an election.

2011 AGM-12 Motion to move that the Board of Directors be appointed as presented.
L. Foster/K. Braun CARRIED

 Thanks to Barbara Schultze and Guy Loiselle for their service.
 Welcome the new Board of Directors - Christina Battyanie, Kyla McDonald, Don Wickstrom, Julianne Heagy, Len Waker, Darlene McCoshen, Jessica Green, Aileen Tran Mapletoft, Garret Woynarski, Gus Giannoutsos, Tanya Auger, Darcel Kjeslhus and Marles Kernes.

11.0 Date of next meeting:
We need to hold it in February. To be in compliance with the Non-Profit Corporations Act, we have to hold the AGM within 120 days of year end (October 31st).
2011 AGM-13 Motion to hold the next AGM in Regina on February 26th, 2012.
A. Senz/A. Struck CARRIED

Meeting adjourned at 11:17 a.m.

To read this document as a .pdf file, with formatting intact, please click here.

AGM 2012 save the date

The 2012 Annual General Meeting will be in Regina on Sunday, February 26th at the Travelodge Hotel on Albert Street South.
Please save the date!
More details to follow closer to the event.

We Need More Stamps

This title might not make any sense to most of you, but to those of you who were at the last AGM, it might ring a bell. The conversation at the meeting was regarding my motion to increase the annual fees by $70 in order to increase the cash flow and have funds available for research and upcoming legislation. One of the comments made in the meeting was “how are we going to know if it is not used for stamps?” Hence the title.

Our association is heading down a path that I feel is not going to have a desirable outcome. Since the insurance industry is a major mainstay of our industry, whether that is through SGI, WCB, or by 3rd party coverage such as Blue Cross, Great West Life etc., any reduction of coverage through this medium will have a direct impact on the livelihood of massage therapists. Due to the financial resources and increased costs over time, the insurance companies will either increase premiums for coverage, or put that cost over to the companies paying for the policies. Either way, since massage therapy is one of the most used services, someone is going to have to justify the cost to cover those services. My question is, can we scientifically or statistically validate the work we do in order to justify the costs of that coverage? Unfortunately, the answer to that question right now is No. So, in order to do that, we need research, statistics, legislation and support. That costs money. So, are you willing to do one more massage per year, give up your one Venti mocha per month in order to protect your industry? What would it cost you if we didn’t? In business it always comes down to the 80 – 20 rule, 20% of the therapists will get 80% of the business, and the other 80% of the therapists will fight for what’s left. Which group do you want to be in?

For your information, the motion was defeated, and has gone to committee. We have decided not to buy more stamps!!

The following is a blog from Seth Godin I thought was fitting. Think about how this relates to our field in regards to how the public, insurance companies, other health practitioners view our industry.

We either ignore your brand or we judge it, usually with too little information. And when we judge it, we judge it based on the actions of the loudest, meanest, most selfish member of your tribe.
When a zealot advocates violence, outsiders see all members of his tribe as advocates of violence.
When a doctor rips off Medicare, all doctors are seen as less trustworthy.
When a fundamentalist advocates destruction of outsiders, all members of that organization are seen as intolerant.
When a soldier commits freelance violence, all citizens of his nation are seen as violent.
When a car rental franchise rips off a customer, all outlets of the franchise suffer.
Seems obvious, no? I wonder, then, why loyal and earnest members of the tribe hesitate to discipline, ostracize or expel the negative outliers.
"You're hurting us, this is wrong, we are expelling you."
What do you stand for?

Again, I always welcome your thoughts and feedbacks, as these articles are for you.

To your success,

Warren Barry, R.M.T.

Warren Barry is the Clinical Director, Owner, and Massage Therapist at Regina Rehab & Family Medical Clinic and President and Founder of Instinctive Solutions Inc. located in Regina, Sk. You can check out the website at www.reginarehab.com.  Warren can be contacted via e-mail at warren.barry@reginarehab.com or at warren@instinctivesolutions.ca

Members' Benefit Plan Cancelled

We were informed recently by Wiegers Benefits that the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce is no longer offering our members the health and dental plan that we were able to put in place a few years ago.
The reason behind this is low member participation and the rising cost of premiums.
Unfortunately there are no other options available to us - all of the benefit plan providers require mandatory 100% member enrolment in order to provide coverage for associations.  This was made very clear to us when we were doing the initial research into providing a membership benefits plan.

Membership Responsibilities

As you know, it is mandatory for all practicing members to carry at least $2 million liability and malpractice insurance, and to provide proof of this each year.  We have negotiated with Dusyk & Barlow that if you are insured with them, they will let us know that you are covered, so you no longer have to send in your own proof.  Dusyk & Barlow's policy renewal period coincides with ours and they send out reminder notices in advance, just like we do.  It is your responsibility to advise them if you have a new mailing address - if your insurance policy expires without renewal, you will have to submit all of the required paperwork to reapply.

Note that we do not specify that you must use Dusyk & Barlow as your broker; however if you are insured through another company, you MUST submit a copy of your certificate of insurance every year to the MTAS office, otherwise you risk suspension of your membership for failure to comply with the MTAS Bylaws.  This will affect your practice, because we advise the group insurance companies of your suspension, and your clients' receipts may therefore not be accepted.

We have recently spent many weeks chasing down 31 members who did not have proof of liability insurance on file, despite this being due at the beginning of November.  Please help us to avoid this cost (staff time, stationery, postage) by renewing on time and making sure you send the required documentation to us in a timely manner.  This applies to ALL the required MTAS paperwork - membership renewal fees and CPR/SFA as well as continuing education certificates.

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On a similar topic, this is a very early reminder for everyone that your MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL fees will be due the same time as always - NOVEMBER 1ST, 2011.  The fees for a practicing membership are $330.00 and for a non-practicing are $165.00.  There is no tax on membership fees.
Some members have recently commented that they:
a. lost the renewal notice;
b. never received the notice;
c. didn't realize fees were due at this time;
d. didn't receive enough notice that fees were due.

Hopefully this reminder will remedy all of the above.  Your membership renewal form and annual letter with your competency credit calculation to date will be sent out, as usual, in August.  If you prefer to pre-pay your membership fees, please feel free to do so.  You do not have to wait until November 1st.  The renewal form is available to download from our website - "Forms" section.

Judy Smith - Advanced Trigger Point for Lower Body Workshop

Judy Smith, RMT - "Advanced Trigger Point Technique for Lower Body"

Saturday, September 17th and Sunday, September 18th, 2011
9:00am to 5:00pm each day with one hour lunch break
At Ramada Hotel and Golf Dome – 806 Idylwyld Drive North, Saskatoon

14 primary credits

$350.00 early bird rate if paid in full before June 30th
OR $375.00 if paid in full after June 30th (subject to space availability)
OR
2 payments of $200.00 each (first payment by June 30th, 2nd payment by August 12th)

Registrations will be accepted on a first come, first served basis and spaces will not be held without payment.
Limited class size - first 32 people to register will be accepted. Minimum 16 therapists required.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REGISTRATION FORM

Please bring massage table, linens, towel and lotion and dress comfortably for hands-on work.
Cancellations before August 30th - full refund less $50.00 administration fee; cancellations after August 30th – no refunds will be given.

TRIGGER POINT TECHNIQUE
Myofascial trigger points are formed in muscles, tendons and ligaments by direct trauma, acute overload and overwork fatigue. They are also a tissue reaction to various kinds of stress, postural distortions, joint dysfunction, visceral disease etc. ANY condition that causes tissue stress, either acute short term or over the long term, will cause the formation of trigger points, with resultant pain, dysfunction and contraction or rigidity of tissue.

This workshop focuses on hands-on practical skills including: enhancing palpation skills; zeroing in on primary TPs; TPs in ligaments; the correlation of TPs/muscle groups to pathological conditions; prevention of negative reactions; specific treatment of all muscle groups and perpetuating factors. The application, being gentle and relatively painless, makes it easier on both therapist and patient.

Doug Alexander - TMJ Master Classes

TMJ: HEAD, NECK AND JAW MASTER CLASS

Preliminary member interest indicates that we should be able to fill 2 separate workshops (each minimum 16 people) - one in Saskatoon and one in Regina.

Both will be offered back-to-back during the last week of February, 2012:
- Tuesday 21st & Wednesday 22nd in Saskatoon - click here for registration form.
- Friday 24th & Saturday 25th in Regina (in conjunction with the AGM) - click here for registration form.

Workshop cost:
$350.00 if paid in full before September 2nd
$400.00 if paid in full after September 2nd
$425.00 2-payment plan (see registration forms for details)

14 primary credits per workshop

Since these workshops are a year away and we anticipate high demand, we are taking NON-REFUNDABLE ADVANCE DEPOSITS. If you want to secure your space now, but can't pay in full, please send in your registration form and the non-refundable deposit of $50.00. We will invoice you for the remainder, which must be paid in full before September 2nd, otherwise you forfeit your space and deposit.

Curriculum outline:
Mechanics and Pathomechanics of the TMJ
Elevator Muscle Evaluation and Treatment
Restoring Normal Head and Neck Alignment
Categories of TMJ Dysfunction
Treatment Planning and Referral

Overcome your “fear of the dark” in this two day seminar!
We thoroughly explore the anatomy and function of the TMJ. Participants gain confidence and specificity in evaluating and treating clients with clenching, grinding, clicking and popping in their jaws.

You will leave this course with new skills and … an envelope of examination gloves to begin treating clients the next day in your office.

Doug Alexander has been a massage therapist since 1985. He has explored the mouth and TMJ (his own and others) for most of his professional life. Enjoy yourself and learn new skills in an atmosphere of specificity and caring.

What MTAS members are saying about Doug's previous workshops:
“This was an excellent course and I will be able to put it to use easily.”

“Awesome! More than I expected and will be utilized immediately. Thanks!”

“I love this course. Doug has such a passion and love for what he is teaching. You can feel his dedication. It is a must for your massage practice.”

“This workshop provided me with information and techniques that I can IMMEDIATELY be able to apply. There was more than enough “hands-on” time and instruction that I feel well equipped to safely apply the knowledge.”

“I truly enjoyed the entire course. My mind was blown away within the first half-hour of the training. I feel confident to take these technique into my practice. Doug’s teaching method and his enthusiasm were infectious. I will look forward to being a part of any future courses offered. I feel mentally rejuvenated! Thank you!”

“I really enjoyed this class - the time passed quickly. We did not sit too long at one time - the movement and lots of table work was great."

Continuing Education Window

We are now 1/2 way through the current Con-Ed window. The window runs from November 1st, 2009 to October 31st, 2012.

If you have completed any workshops or classes during this period, we do encourage you to submit your proof of attendance to the office on an on-going basis, rather than waiting until the end of the window. This allows us to provide you with an accurate credit count, as well as avoiding delays and membership suspensions resulting from late submissions.

Touch U

Learn and Earn MTAS Approved Competency Credits Online - Free!
at MassageTherapyPractice.com a.k.a. TouchU.ca

Learn and earn from the comfort of your own home, day or night, 24-7!

The website is fully automated with instant access to courses, streaming video clips, onsite testing and certificate generation. We also keep an account page for you where you can access all courses you have ever taken and reprint any certificates you may have lost!

TouchU also offers courses for Massage Clients as well as Massage Therapists and MTAS members get free access to them all!

MTAS HAS PAID FOR ALL MEMBERS TO HAVE FREE ACCESS TO THIS SITE, SO WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MANY MORE OF YOU SIGN UP AND USE THIS VALUABLE RESOURCE.

You will need to create an account on the TouchU web site. This is done by clicking on the “Sign Up Now” button.
 
Enter your contact information in the screen that opens next and make sure that you enter the MTAS Association discount code of mqrzy43xj997.


Whenever you would like to take a course, log in and “purchase” the course for $0.00. You will not be asked for any credit card information, but do complete the shopping cart process. Then the course will be instantly available to you by clicking on the course name in the menu bar at the left or by accessing it via your account page.

TouchU will be publishing a series of new courses in 2011 for MTAS Members!  Check the TouchU website often for updates.

SGI & WCB Reminders

We have received a reminder from Cindy Roming, Manager of SGI Rehabilitation Services that members are NOT permitted to advertise that they offer treatment for SGI clients.
You ARE permitted to advertise that you treat injuries from motor vehicle collisions.
This rule is also applicable to chiropractors.  Cindy Roming has asked that if you are aware of any clinic advertising inappropriately, that you please contact her so that she can issue a cease and desist order.

Cindy Roming
Manager - SGI Rehabilitation Services
623 2nd Ave North
Saskatoon, SK S7K 0H3
Tel# 683-2138    Fax# 244-2513
Email: croming@sgi.sk.ca

The same also applies to treatment of WCB clients.

Quote for the Day

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will." -Vince Lombardi

Website Upkeep

This is a reminder about some of the MTAS website features accessible to you as a member. It was designed to be interactive, so that you can access your personal file and all the other resources 24/7.

The site is set up so that all members who have an e-mail address on file with us are able to log into the Members Only section using a username and password. If you have forgotten or misplaced your username and password, please send an e-mail to Jayne at mtas@sasktel.net or leave me a message at 306-384-7077 and I will reset your account for you. The website will automatically send you your new log-in information. If you are having difficulty with the site, please let me know.

Here are some of the features and tools you can access, to save you time and postage costs:

1. Make changes to your personal profile - address, phone numbers, clinic names etc. Whenever you change anything in this area, the site automatically sends me a notice.  Please remember to keep your profile up-to-date, as this is where the public finds your clinic contact and treatment information.
2. View your con-ed credit history for the current window (November 1st, 2009 to October 31st, 2012). This shows you all of the con-ed courses that you have sent into the office that have been added to your file.
3. Add con-ed credits to your file for the current window. If you choose to use this feature, you must still send in the paper certificate as proof of completion of the course. The credits will only be added to your total when we receive the paper copy at the office. (You can fax it, e-mail it, mail it, or come and visit us!) Just select the correct course from the alphabetical list of pre-approved courses and enter the correct completion date.
4. Look for Con-Ed courses that have been approved for credits by MTAS. This is a searchable database of all of the courses that have ever been approved for credits. Please note that some of these courses may be from past years and may never be repeated, however we leave them in the database to ensure our records are complete. You can search by course name, presenter name, number of credits, category (subject matter - e.g. MLD, CST, on-line, etc.) and type of credits (primary or secondary). To access this database, you must log into the members-only section with your username and password, then navigate to "Continuing Education" on the left hand side of the page. From there, go down to "Pre-approved Courses". The brings you to the search tool. If you are searching by course name, it works best if you enter as few letters as possible. e.g. you are looking to see which Hot Stone courses are approved for credits. Just enter "stone" and it will bring up all of them.
5. Communicate with the MTAS office. You can use the dialogue tool to send messages to the office. When we reply, you will receive the reponse via your profile section in the website, not in your e-mail in-box. Check the dialogue area for responses to all your questions.
6. Coming events list. This is an up-to-date chronological list of all the upcoming courses/workshops that we have been told about, or that we are hosting. If you know of something coming up and it is not on our list, just let me know. Courses must be pre-approved for MTAS competency credits to be posted here. Once the event date has passed, the listing automatically drops off. You do not need to log in as a member to view this list - it is accessible by anyone right from the homepage.
7. Download registration forms. We update the "Forms" section as we add new workshops. The membership renewal form is also here, as are the Con-Ed forms and other useful forms. No need to log in as a member to access this feature - just navigate down to "Forms" on the left hand side of the home page.
8. View classified ads. Members and the public can pay to post ads on our site.
9. Read archived issues of the Reach Bulletin.
10. Frequently asked questions. Lots of information here for you, the public, clients, employers etc.
11. MTAS information. Bylaws, Standards of Practice, Code of Ethics are all available for anyone to read.

And so much more!

I hope this helps those of you who may not have used our website before, or those of you who needed a refresher on how it works and what you can do with it. Don't be afraid to play - test out the features and see what the site can do. If you make a mistake, don't worry - the site automatically lets me know when a member makes any changes. I will let you know if I need clarification on something you added or changed.

Have fun and let us know if you have any difficulty or need help finding something.

Jayne L. Little
Executive Assistant - MTAS
Tel: 306-384-7077
E-mail: mtas@sasktel.net

CPR/SFA Certification

There seems to be some confusion over the requirement for these mandatory courses.

• You are only required to recertify once EVERY THREE YEARS.
• The recertification course qualifies for 5 primary credits, which may be counted once per window.  
• If your certification expires, you must retake the entire course, not just a recertification.  This is the Red Cross and St. John's Ambulance policy, not MTAS's rule.  The full course also qualifies for 5 primary credits.
• It is your responsibility to send in a copy of your new certificate immediately so that your membership file is current at all times.
• Non-practicing members only need to recertify BEFORE returning to practice.

Board Examinations

The summer Board Exam dates are:
Saskatoon: June 11th to 13th—Ramada Hotel
Regina: June 25th to 27th—Travelodge Hotel

We look forward to working with our examiners again this year.   If you are a trained examiner and wish to work either or both of these events, please contact Jayne at the MTAS office for an application form.  We do still need examiners for both dates.

Coming to You

We will be happy to come to your location to discuss the truths and myths of Regulation/Legislation for massage therapists in Saskatchewan. OR, feel free to create your own agenda for discussion.
The MTAS Executive Director, a Board member and Brenda Locke (BC Executive Director, time permitting) will be happy to attend a meeting. All you need to do is ask!We would require a minimum of 6 participants in any local area.  We will then work with you on a location and time.
Please call Lori at 384-7077 or email at execdir.mtas@sasktel.net.

Jessica's Tech Corner

Massage Therapy Client Communications
I would like to explore the subject of how technology can be applied to simplify and enhance two way external communications with your clients. The “internal” communication you have with your clients when you are treating them is not the subject matter. Effective “external” client communications is critical in developing a successful practice and attracting new clients, who in turn refer additional clients to you.

This could not be more evident than in today’s “connected society”, where clients and potential clients are looking for immediate interaction and feedback from those they choose to do business with.

There are many communication methods that fit into your practice. These technologies include the traditional telephone / answering machine, the postal service, electronic mail (email), websites with on-line booking request function, cellular smart phone and text messaging to name a few. The question is, “Which combinations of these technologies are best suited for you and your clients?”

To help answer this question, you must examine the demographics of your clientele. For example, if your clientele is made up of 100% senior citizens, it is unlikely that your primary method of communication should be text messaging over the cell phone network. The reverse is also true, if your clientele is made up of mostly younger people, say in their 20s, 30s and 40s, they would likely expect a form of electronic communications rather than traditional telephone voice call and the resulting voicemail tag. You will want to keep in mind that this is really about what is best for your clients and not what your preferences might be.

The reality is that your practice is likely made up of a diverse group of clients ranging from children to senior citizens. As a result, you may consider the adoption of additional communication methods that better appeal to your clients and potential clients. However, this doesn’t mean you need to add to your daily workload, as many communication methods available to massage therapists will actually save you time, effort and money (your time is money and new clients are revenue).

Let’s take a look at what these communication methods might look like where they have been implemented to support a clientele with a diverse age demographic. The methods may include:

 A home or office PC is a requirement. Personal computers might be a desktop, laptop or perhaps a tablet. In any case, the personal computer is a business requirement that enables business communications such as creating, receiving and responding to client email messages.
 Professionally branded Email accounts that work hand in hand with the home or office pc, allowing clients to communicate with the practice electronically. Business usage of Hotmail and Gmail accounts raise eyebrows from potential clients as they denote personal not business practice.
 A website to communicate information that will answer routine questions about your practice such as your hours of operation, the treatment modalities offered, your service rates, payment options, directions to your practice, FAQ’s, your no-show policy and other related matters. Since your website is often your potential client’s first glimpse of your service offering, it should be professionally designed and convey relevant content with easy to navigate pages. First impressions are often lasting impressions.
 On-line appointment tools on the website that offers clients immediate access to your availability schedule and allows them to request appointments at their convenience. In addition, these tools provide your clients with peace of mind that you have an opening that works for them and that their booking request is being considered. It also saves you, the massage therapist, valuable time.
 Telephone service with voicemail. Yes, this may sound like it is old school but it is still a requirement in any business setting. It will provide service to those clients that may be less tech-savvy and to anyone else who may only have access to a telephone. Voicemail systems that are provided by the telephone service provider or that are the digital type you purchase in a retail store, will provide you the ability to access your messages from any landline or cellular phone in the world.

Keep in mind the voicemail greeting should direct your clients to the other methods of contacting your practice include the option to request an appointment with you from your website, as this is the most common reason they are calling.
 Email messaging services that will automatically communicate appointment confirmations and reminders. This technology enhances your clients’ experience when doing business with you. It keeps them informed throughout the entire life cycle of their appointments. Best of all, it is an automated process and does not add additional workload on the personnel of the practice.
 Cell phone technology that will allow the therapists to be more accessible and responsive to their clients via voice, email and text messaging. During treatments of course, your cell phone “ring” function should be muted or turned off.

As you can see, the communication tools in place at modern massage therapy practices are intended to accommodate the majority of people and their communication preferences. They provide traditional communication services (telephone and voicemail), as well as modern methods for those who prefer a more instant response. It makes perfect sense when you meet clients for the first time to ask them what communication method(s) best suits them.

At first glance, these options may appear to be complicated and budget breaking. However, that is simply not the case. There are a variety of service providers that make these technologies readily available to massage therapists at a very affordable cost. The implementation of these tools can make you money, not cost you money.

You will find that a large percentage of your clients will end up preferring to use electronic methods to communicate with you. This will result in timesavings for you and them. You may elect to use this extra time to treat more clients or simply to spend more time with family and friends.

In closing, I hope this article got you thinking about how you might augment the way you presently communicate with your clients and potential clients. I hope it was an enjoyable read for you and that it provided you with some useful information to help enhance your business practices and improve bottom-line results.

Until next time, be well!


Submitted by Jessica Foster – mindZplay Solutions Inc.
mindZplay Solutions is a leading provider of massage therapy websites and practice management solutions. To learn more about our solutions for Massage Therapists visit us at www.massagemanedger.com or call toll free 888-373-6996.

Test Your Knowledge - Quiz

Quiz questions submitted by Aileen Tran Mapletoft and Navarra Good.
If you would like to submit questions for the August newsletter, please e-mail Jayne at the MTAS office.  You must provide the questions, 4 answers (one being correct), and the references used to verify your material.

1. Ischaemic-reperfusion is a process whereby blood supply is:
a. obstructed due to myocardial or cerebral infarctions and is the result of O2 deprivation
b. restored after obstruction and causes tissue damage due to increased exposure to free radicals
c. restored after obstruction and sodium-potassium pumps cannot resume normal function
d. the fusing of injured vertebrae

2. What is the most common symptom of head injury?
a. disturbance of consciousness 
b. pupils dilated
c. pain
d. breathlessness

3. Boils:
a. Are local viral infections of the skin
b. Is usually caused by the herpes simplex virus
c. Are staphylococcus infections
d. Often occur in the ceruminous glands

4. Name the deepest group of back muscles:
a. semispinales
b. piriformes
c. rotators
d. intertransversarii

5. Tinea (or ringworm) of the body can also be referred to as:
a. Tinea pedis
b. Tinea corporis
c. Tinea capitis
d. Tinea cruris

6. When the ducts of these glands become blocked, they may become infected resulting in acne:
a. sudoriferous glands
b. eccrine sweat glands
c. mammary glands
d. sebaceous glands

7. Herpes outbreaks are often preceded by the following symptoms:
a. Tingling
b. Itching
c. Pain
d. All of the above

8. Shingles is a painful condition caused by:
a. herpes Simplex-2
b. herpes zoster
c. herpes simplex-1
d. herpes simplex encephalitis

9. Which artery can be damaged if the pterion is damaged?
a. brachial artery
b. middle meningeal artery
c. lateral meningeal artery
d. maxillary artery

10. Treatment for a client with mild shin splints can include the following, EXCEPT:
a. Increase activity that was causing the pain
b. Alternate applications of heat and cold to affected area
c. Stretching to limit the accumulation of scar tissue
d. Swedish massage to reduce mild swelling

11. Psoriasis:
a. Is a contagious skin disease
b. Involves decreased production of new skin cells
c. Occurs most frequently on the elbows and knees
d. Is locally indicated for massage during the acute stage

12. Which muscle is NOT found within the borders of the suboccipital triangle?
a. rectus capitis posterior minor
b. rectus capitis posterior major
c. longus colli
d. superior oblique

13. The carotid artery splits at the:
a. thyroid cartilage
b. cricoid cartilage
c. C2
d. foramen magnum

14. Which of the following joints is NOT a diarthrosis of the gliding type?
a. metatarsophalangeal joints
b. acromioclavicular joint
c. intermetatarsal joints
d. carpometacarpal joints

15. The following steps can be taken to help prevent the development of skin cancer:
a. Make sure that hats cover the ears and the back of the neck
b. Use sunscreen with a minimum SPF 15
c. Reapply sunscreen after swimming or perspiring
d. All of the above

16. What kind of cartilage is the glenoid labrum made of?
a. chondrocartilage
b. hyaline cartilage
c. endocartilage
d. fibrocartilage

17. Tarsal tunnel syndrome is compression of the tibial nerve by what structure?
a. fluid from compartment syndrome
b. flexor hallucis brevis tendon
c. flexor pollicis brevis tendon
d. flexor retinaculum

18. Which of the following is NOT a function of calcium in the body?
a. muscle contraction
b. distribution of O2 to capillaries
c. movement of molecules across cell membranes
d. rigidity in bone tissue

19. Warts:
a. Are caused by the herpes simplex virus
b. Are caused by the human papillomavirus
c. Never spontaneously resolve
d. Should be removed with cross fibre frictions by the massage therapist

20. The common costal cartilage attaches to:
a. ribs 7 through 12
b. ribs 8 through 12
c. ribs 8 through 10
d. only ribs 11 and 12

Answers are the last item in this newsletter.

Massage for Cancer Survivors

Cancer Survivor? Getting Massage? Here's What You Should Know.

Sylvia Kreuger and I are representing the Saskatchewan Lymphovenous Learning Assoc. on the planning committee for the 2012 Lymphedema Symposium. It is a very exciting venture. A major part of the SLLA mandate is to educate medical professionals about lymphedema. We look forward to seeing many RMT's at the sessions.  MTAS has also been approached by the organizers of this event (University of Saskatchewan - School of Physical Therapy) for participation in determining the workshop content.

Below is an article I received a few days ago that pertains to massage and lymphedema. Manual Lymph Drainage / Complex Decongestive Therapy is a very specialized form of bodywork and is often confused with general massage by patients and professionals. There is potential to harm the lymphedema patient or person at risk of developing lymphedema when general massage techniques are used, even when there is no sign of swelling. That would be the message that I would like to bring forward to RMT's.

Also, there are very few Certified Lymphatic Therapists in Saskatchewan and we need more. Hopefully events such as the 2012 LE Symposium will generate interest in the field.

Eunice Mooney, RMT

---

Article from: www.opposingviews.com by Cinco Vidas
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/cancer-survivor-getting-massage-here-s-what-you-should-know
Submitted by Eunice Mooney, RMT

"Last month, I attended an extensive training taught by Morag Currin, author of Oncology Esthetics, A Practitioner’s Guide. I wanted to learn more about which spa treatments are safe during cancer treatments, and which may be ill-advised.

Morag, founder of Touch for Cancer, is a wealth of knowledge, and I learned so much from her. The main thing I want to tell my readers is this: It’s important to feel good during and after cancer, and I believe that spa treatments—particularly massage—can help reduce side effects and produce pain-killing endorphins. It is equally important, however, to educate yourself, and find an esthetician or massage therapist that knows what he/she is doing. Particularly if you’ve had lymph nodes removed, be very cautious in your selection. A therapist who doesn’t know any better may perform the wrong technique or massage too close and increase your risk of lymphedema, a long-term condition that can create chronic and painful swelling.

“Studies of massage for cancer patients suggest massage can decrease stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue and pain,” Morag says. “A physical connection through touch is really important for any person when not feeling well, and with any health challenges as it provides comfort.”

She goes on to warn, however, that regular spa treatments and pressure may trigger lymphedema, or exacerbate an existing case of it. Other things that may put you at risk of injury include a recent surgery, fragile skin (that may tear), pain, neuropathy, wounds, or radiation burns.

The main thing to remember is to be gentle, gentle, gentle, and follow these tips:
1. Avoid all aggressive therapies during cancer treatments, including deep tissue massage, hot stone therapy, Swedish massage, Shiatsu, sports massage, and anything that feels too rough.

2. Call before you go to the spa. Ask about licenses and certifications. Check the website. And ask if anyone on staff has experience working with not only cancer patients, but you’re particular condition. Check Morag’s website for a list of certified oncology estheticians in your area.

3. Observe when you go for your appointment. Does your esthetician ask questions? At the very least, he/she should have you fill out an extensive form detailing your medical treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, lymph node removal, ports, incision locations, white blood cell count, etc. Someone who doesn’t take the time to know this about you isn’t educated—go to someone else.

4. Ask about the type of products they’re planning to use. Ask to see the bottle and the ingredient list. Allow them to use only safe and nurturing formulas that are fragrance-free and made without sulfates, phthalates, and other potentially harmful ingredients. (Take our ingredients to avoid card with you.)

5. Stop anything that feels uncomfortable. If anything hurts or feels uncomfortable to you, tell the esthetician to stop. He/she should be more than willing to listen to you and make adjustments. If not, care enough about your health to leave."

---

The following is used with permission from Saskatchewan Lymphovenous Learning Association website www.sasklymph.ca

Questions People Ask
Who Gets Lymphedema?
It can affect men, women and children. Primary Lymphedema affects those born with a tendency to develop it. Secondary Lymphedema is caused by damage to the lymph system such as surgery, especially cancer surgeries where lymph nodes are removed. It can also be caused by radiation, infection, injury, burns and other trauma. People who live or travel to tropical climates can get it from parasites.

What Are Signs And Symptoms Of Lymphedema?
Signs or symptoms of lymphedema to watch out for include: a full sensation in the limb(s), skin feeling tight, decreased flexibility in the hand, wrist or ankle, difficulty fitting into clothing in one specific area, or ring, wrist watch, or bracelet tightness. If you notice persistent swelling, it's very important that you seek immediate medical advice (and get at least one second opinion) as early diagnosis and treatment improves both the prognosis and the condition.

What Can At Risk People Do To Avoid It?
There is nothing you can do to prevent primary lymphedema. For secondary lymphedema, protect your at risk body parts from sunburn, cuts, scrapes and insect bites. Gradually build up exercise tolerance. Don’t allow vaccinations, blood draws or blood pressure to be taken on your at risk limb. Avoid taking diuretics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Wear special compression garments for air travel. If your at risk body part swells, feels tight, or painful, seek medical attention. Many doctors are uninformed about lymphedema and its treatment, sometimes confusing it with obesity, so get a second or third opinion if necessary.

Can It Be Cured?
No. Once you have lymphedema, you have it for life. If it is caught early, with proper therapy the huge disfiguring limbs can be avoided. Once the enormous limbs have developed, they can be improved, but the treatment is time consuming, very expensive and not available in many areas of Canada.

How Is Lymphedema Treated?
The best treatment is Combined Decongestive Therapy. CDT includes compression bandaging, skin care, exercises, and a special massage called Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD). Once the limb has been reduced in size, costly (and uncomfortable) compression garments must be worn during waking hours. Very often, compression bandaging or an expensive compression device must be worn at night to keep the limb(s) reduced in size.

Successful management of lymphedema requires the cooperation of lymphedema educated physicians, therapists, compression garment suppliers, as well as patients and family members.

What Is SLLA?
The Saskatchewan Lymphovenous Learning Association (SLLA) is an advocacy group comprised of lymphedema patients, therapists and interested individuals. We are trying to raise awareness about the condition, particularly among doctors, therapists and health agencies. We encourage therapists to seek specialized training and provide information and support to those afflicted with the condition.

Visit our website Membership page for information about joining or e-mail sasklymph@yahoo.ca.

Where Can I Get More Information?
www.lymphnet.org
www.lymphnotes.com
www.activahealthcare.co.uk/lymph/pdfs/lf_best_practice.pdf
www.lymphedemapeople.com

Massage Therapy Foundation - Call for Poster Abstracts

Dear Colleague,
The Massage Therapy Foundation will hold its 14th annual poster session at the AMTA National Convention in Portland, OR from October 12‐22, 2011. We would like to invite you to submit a poster for consideration to be part of this important event.
This year we will have posters in three categories: original research, programmatic evaluation, and clinical case presentations.
The poster sessions are an integral part of the Foundation’s presence at the AMTA National Convention. They allow us to bring reports on research, programs, and clinical cases to a setting where 1,000 or more massage therapists can view them and be informed and inspired by your work.
If we select your abstract and you are unable to attend personally, a co‐author can present the poster, or you can ship the poster to our staff to display on your behalf.
You will find additional information on the poster session and poster specifications below. If you wish to participate, please submit an abstract to Alison Pittas, the MTF Program Manager for Research and Grants, at apittas@massagetherapyfoundation.org by July 1, 2011. Selected authors will be notified by August 1, 2011.
Additionally, Alison can be reached by phone at (847) 905‐1667 if you have any questions. I hope you will seriously consider participating, as your present will add to the success of our poster session and contribute to the dissemination of important information among massage therapists.

Best regards,
Ruth Werner, LMP
President, Massage Therapy Foundation
Jerrilyn Cambron, LMT, DC, PhD
Poster Review Committee Chair

Massage Therapy Foundation: Call for poster abstracts
The Massage Therapy Foundation invites abstracts for the 14th annual poster presentation at the 2011 AMTA National Convention to be held in Portland, OR October 19‐22, 2011. Abstracts must be submitted electronically by July 1, 2011. Selected authors will be notified by August 1, 2011.

Abstracts for the conference may be submitted to one of three categories:
Original Research – Reporting the results of research in massage therapy and body work.
Programmatic Evaluation – Describing the outcomes of innovative educational programs in massage therapy school curricula or with specialized client groups.
Clinical Case Presentation – Describing an interesting client case that reinforces specific learning objectives for massage therapists.

Submission requirements:
1. The abstract is limited to 300 words. The title, author names, affiliations, and references are not included in the word count. The poster’s text may be expanded beyond 300 words, if accepted.
2. Abstracts should include: (1) Introduction, (2) Objective, purpose, or aim, (3) Methods or case presentation, (4) Results or interpretation, and (5) Conclusion or implications.
3. An author's poster cannot have been presented at a previous National Convention.
4. The submission must be a completed study. Incomplete work (e.g., a proposed idea for a research project that has not begun or a project that was started but no data) will not be considered.  All studies involving human subjects’ research must have gone through appropriate IRB or ethics review and should state as such in your abstract.
6. Abstracts should be non‐biased, free from solicitations, and should not contain demonstrations of products for the purpose of sales.
7. Submission of an abstract acknowledges your acceptance for the abstract to be published in convention publications and on the affiliated websites.
8. Abstracts must be received by the announced deadline. Abstracts received after the deadline will not be considered.
9. The presenting author is required to ensure that all co‐authors are aware of the content of the abstract prior to submission.
10. Disclosure of financial relationships that the author(s) may have with the manufacturer/supplier of any commercial products or services related to the work should be indicated.
11. The authors are encouraged to be present at the poster sessions, but attendance is not mandatory.
12. Resubmission of abstracts that meet the above criteria and were not previously accepted are welcomed only if the abstract has been improved in some manner.

Submit abstracts to: Alison Pittas, Program Manager of Research and Grants, Massage Therapy Foundation at apittas@massagetherapyfoundation.org.  For questions call: (847) 905‐1667.

Smiles

How Bad Is It Really

From the e-zine, 'PAUSE '. Copyright 2011 Patricia Katz, Optimus Consulting.  (877) 728-5289 or www.patkatz.com.

41 years ago (April 13, 1970), Jack Swigert, astronaut on the infamous Apollo 13 mission delivered this memorable phrase, "Houston, we have a problem!", after an oxygen tank burst on their way to the Moon. In fact, Swigert's actual words were: "OK, Houston. Hey, we've got a problem here." But over the years and through the magic of editing, the phrase has been shortened for dramatic effect.

Once the discovery was made, and the problem identified, the Apollo mission quickly shifted from one of exploration (a third lunar landing) to survival (getting the crew back to earth alive). Imagine, however, if the flight crew and ground crew had all stayed stuck in their fear. What would have been the likelihood of a positive outcome?

It's been years since the event itself, and it's been years since I last saw the movie, Apollo 13. However, it's been nowhere near that long since I witnessed someone getting severely bent out of shape about a life altering event or circumstance - myself included.

Problems come and problems go. Some of them are Apollo dramatic and truly life threatening. Others are simply minor blips on the old Stress-O-Meter Radar. The challenge is one of sifting the serious challenges from the minor irritations.  That's where a degree of thoughtfulness comes into play. The next time you face a 'Houston, we have a problem' challenge, check to see whether you are responding from fear or thoughtfulness.

Knee jerk, fear based reactions hang out in the amygdala - also referred to as our primitive lizard brain. It's that part of the brain that creates and stores emotional memory, senses danger, and triggers the mind and body to high alert. If we only operate from states of high anxiety, chances are good we're not accessing the clearest thinking part of our brain.  It's a pretty strong likelihood that Chicken Little, he of 'the sky is falling' fable, was largely governed by his lizard brain - racing around in circles, freely distributing fear and anxiety, to all he met.

Fortunately, although we might share Chicken Little's panicky response to a life event, we don't need to stay stuck in our first reaction - hijacked by the amygdala. We do need to shift our attention to the neocortex - the part of the brain that's better known for it's analytical and reasoning abilities.

ACTION:
How then to leave the lizard behind and get a more thoughtful take on a challenging situation?

Try these actions:
- Name the fear at the center of your response. Take a closer look at its actual likelihood.
- Reach out to someone else whose point of view you respect to help you challenge your thinking.
- Tackle a first step - one small action or exploration in the direction of a solution. Let small wins propel you forward.
- Imagine a positive long-term outcome from the challenge at hand.
- Be thankful for all the other things that seem to be on track and have not gone sideways in your life.

A fresh perspective or two can go a long ways towards getting your feet back on solid ground.
 

CLASSIFIED ADS

Barral Institute - Visceral Manipulation: Abdomen 1; Organ Specific Fascial Mobilization (VM1)

Calgary, AB
October 27-30
Click here for details (http://shop.barralinstitute.com/Workshops/Abdomen-1-VM1/VM1-10-28-31-10-CAL_2)

Toronto, ON
November 3-6
Click here for details (http://shop.barralinstitute.com/Workshops/Abdomen-1-VM1/VM1-11-03-06-11-TOR)

Vancouver, BC
December 1-4
Click here for details (http://shop.barralinstitute.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1000/.f)

(NOTE:  all prices shown are in US funds)

Visceral Manipulation (VM) assists functional and structural imbalances throughout the body including musculoskeletal, vascular, nervous, urogenital, respiratory, digestive and lymphatic dysfunction. It evaluates and treats the dynamics of motion and suspension in relation to organs, membranes, fascia and ligaments. Strains in the connective tissue of the viscera can result from surgical scars, adhesions, illness, posture or injury. Tension patterns form through the fascial network deep within the body, creating a cascade of effects far from their sources for which the body will have to compensate. This creates fixed, abnormal points of tension that the body must move around, and this chronic irritation gives way to functional and structural problems. VM increases proprioceptive communication within the body, thereby revitalizing a person and relieving symptoms of pain, dysfunction, and poor posture.

www.barralinstitute.com
Tel: 866-522-7725
E-mail: info@barralinstitute.com

Just for Students

If you are a student and would like to contribute to the Reach Bulletin, please e-mail Jayne at the MTAS office - mtas@sasktel.net.
We will also post items of special interest to students in this section.

Quiz Answers

1 = b     2 = a     3 = c     4 = c     5 = b     6 = d     7 = d     8 = b      9 = b     10 = a
11 = c    12 = c     13 = a     14 = a     15 = d     16 = d      17 = d     18 = b     19 = b     20 = c