The Massage Therapy Foundation is excited to have received a great deal of interest in its Ergonomics Project Phase II data collection! To date, over 100 MassageNet members have signed up to participate. Behind the scenes, a tremendous amount of activity is taking place.

The project started with design of the data collection forms. The forms captured information about the massage therapist, their client, and the therapy space. Questions included information on the massage duration, client body type, and number of massages performed in a day. MTs were asked about their perceived exertion level following a massage, which can be compared to physiological data collected (including heart rate).

Sensor devices for this study were configured so that they could be worn during a treatment without interfering with the MT’s work. This was accomplished by use of straps which allowed the devices to be worn on the upper arm instead of the wrist.

The data collection process began with shipping devices to the first set of the MassageNet member participants. Upon receipt of the device, a participant onboarded via tutorials providing education on sensor use/care, and received instructions on responding to the surveys. They then wore the device during their normal massage routine for one calendar week. When the process was complete, the device was cleaned and shipped to next participant.

Briotix Health will provide MTF with data collection support, transferring the data to sheets where it will later be analyzed by the study leaders for trends among the massage therapists.

We look forward to sharing more about the data collected as the project unfolds!