PRESENTER: ROBIN B. ANDERSON, MED, LMT, BCTMB, CEAS

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Course Description:   

Career longevity and safe workplace environments have become significant concerns potentially impacting the massage therapy profession today. In this workshop, we discuss how the art and science of ergonomics can be correlated to the profession in the establishment of good habits and safe parameters to contribute to longevity in any career.  We will then take a closer look at the latest research project that the Massage Therapy Foundation is working on to give back to the profession to help develop best practices.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this 90-minute course, participants will be able to:

1.       Discuss the basic foundations of ergonomics as it is utilized in work force task analyses.

2.       Recognize tools and measures used in ergonomics evaluations.

3.       Apply the concept of ergonomics as it relates to massage therapy and bodywork work tasks.

4.       Explore the framework of the Massage Therapy Foundation’s (MTF) latest ergonomics research project.

Course Schedule:

    Introduction and Didactic Knowledge (45 minutes)

Basic ergonomics and injury prevention

Definitions and statistics

Common repetitive stress injuries

Work adaptation to the bodyworker

Common ergonomic assessments used to evaluate work tasks

REBA, RULA, NIOSH, RMFA, Office parameters

Measurement tools (pinch grip, force grip, weight scales)

Useful observation and action recording

Interviews and qualitative data

MTF’s Ergonomics Research Project (30 - 35 minutes)

Foundational Research – what do we know about massage therapy work?

Concerns and identifiable goals

How can ergonomics help?

MTF Project Initiatives

Critical thinking discussion and wrap-up (10 - 15 minutes)