Free Educational Resources for Massage Therapists

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The RMT Education Project: Free Educational Resources for Massage Therapists

The RMT Education Project: Free Educational Resources for Massage Therapists

The RMT Education Project is an initiative that is working to promote the benefits of massage therapy to an international audience, here I have to put together a resource page for massage therapists.

Video Resources

Here is a selection of educational videos that therapists can use as a general refresher.

TED-Ed - TED-Ed’s mission is to spark and celebrate the ideas of teachers and students around the world.
• What happens when you have a concussion? - Clifford Robbins
• Oxygen’s surprisingly complex journey through your body - Enda Butler
• What makes muscles grow? - Jeffrey Siegel
• How blood pressure works - Wilfred Manzano
• How to grow a bone - Nina Tandon
• How your muscular system works - Emma Bryce
• How does the immune system work? - Emma Bryce
• How do your kidneys work? - Emma Bryce
• The power of the placebo effect - Emma Bryce
• Why do your knuckles pop? - Eleanor Nelsen
• How does your brain respond to pain? - Karen D. Davis
• How do scars form? - Sarthak Sinha
• How do nerves work? - Elliot Krane
• The mystery of chronic pain - Elliot Krane

Crash Course - Tons of courses in one awesome channel.
• Anatomy & Physiology 
• Study Skills

Open Michigan - Educational videos on musculoskeletal assessments from the University of Michigan
• Exam of the Elbow 
• Exam of the Hand and Wrist 
• Exam of the Hip 
• Exam of the Knee
• Exam of the Foot and Ankle 

The BMJ Practice Pointer
• Assessment of shoulder pain for non-specialists 

Podcasts

A short list of podcasts about the body or about manual therapy.

Liberated Body
• Episode 10 - Journeying Through the History of Massage - Matthew Lacoste
• Episode 11 - Mapping the Anatomy of Connection - Tom Myers
• Episode 25 - Pain Science and How to Be A Happy Mover - Todd Hargrove
• Episode 40 - Navigating Pain - Neil Pearson
• Episode 49 - Connective Tissue and Inflammation - Helene Langevin
• Episode 54 - The End of the Structural Model? - Eyal Lederman
• Episode 64 - Movement Matters - Katy Bowman

Functional F1RST
• The neurodynamics of peripheral nerves, explained - Michael Shacklock
• Myths and facts about pelvic health - Carolyn Vandyken
• The scientific basis of neurofunctional acupuncture - Alejandro Elorriaga Claraco
• How To Efficiently Run Your Own Practice - Sanjeev Bhatia
• Therapeutic alliance enhances patient outcomes - Jasdeep Dhir
• The Inner Workings of TMJ Dysfunction - Erson Religioso III
• Exercise is as effective as surgery for rotator cuff shoulder pain - Jeremy Lewis
• Perfect posture is a myth - Greg Lehman
• Are your x-ray and MRI results helpful or harmful? - Bahram Jam

Blogs

Better Movement is maintained by Todd Hargrove. Todd regularly posts high quality content that discuss the science of movement and pain.
• Why Do Muscles Feel Tight
• A Systems Perspective on Motor Control, Part One 
• Can Pain Be a Tip With No Iceberg?
• How Does Foam Rolling Work? 
• Is Movement Therapy Rocket Science? 

BodyinMind was developed by Lorimer Moseley as a method to promote better understanding of the clinical pain sciences. Most post are from academics, so the quality of the content is high but often requires an eye for detail, in order to pull out the salient points.
• Time To Embrace Bioplasticity? 
• Everything You Wanted To Know About CENTRAL SENSITISATION 
• Isometrics reduce tendon pain 
• Classification of patients with low back-related leg pain 

PainScience is one of the most comprehensive resources available for therapists looking for insights into aches and pains. Paul Ingraham, the creator of PainScience is a retired massage therapists from Canada who now writes and maintains the website full time.
• Trigger Point Doubts 
• Pain is Weird
• Your Back Is Not Out of Alignment

The Massage Therapists Development Centre - This blog is all about changing the perception of massage therapy and is the fastest growing community of massage therapists. 
• How Massage Therapists Can Recognize And Deal With A Heart Attack
• Myofasical Release And Massage Therapists
• Back Pain Myths: Posture, Core Strength, Bulging Discs 

The RMT Education Project is a resource that provides insight into the body and a number of open access resources for massage therapists.
• Sports Massage for Athletic Performance
• Scar Management 
• Rehabilitation for Acute Muscle Strains
• Dupuytren's Disease 
• Temporal Mandibular Disorder (TMD)
• Tennis Elbow
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 
• Low Back Pain 
• Sciatica
• Plantar Fasciitis 
• Does Massage Work: A Review of The Research
• Four Science Backed Ways Massage Makes You Feel Better

Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)

A selection of open online courses from Ed-X or Coursera. 

Health Science

The University of Michigan (Four Part Anatomy Certificate) - Learn the foundations of human anatomy by understanding the major organ systems, their functions.
• Course 1: Musculoskeletal and Integumentary Systems
• Course 2: Cardiovascular, Urinary, and Respiratory Systems
• Course 3: Human Neuroanatomy
• Course 4: Gastrointestinal, Reproductive, and Endocrine Systems

Arizona State University (Introduction to Health and Wellness) - Explore current concepts in health, exercise, and wellness and learn how to shape your own personal health.

University of Minnesota (Preventing Chronic Pain) - This course uses evidence-based science to better understand chronic pain conditions and how they can be prevented through self-management.

University of Michigan (Sleep: Neurobiology, Medicine, and Society) - The objective of this course is to give students the most up-to-date information on the biological, personal, and societal relevance of sleep.

Business

University of Pennsylvania (Four Part Digital Marketing Certificate) - Gain a competitive advantage and learn essential digital marketing skills and strategies.
• Course 1: Fundamentals of Digital Marketing, Social Media, and E-Commerce
• Course 2: Marketing Analytics
• Course 3: Selling Ideas
• Course 4: Managing the Value of Customer Relationships

University of Pennsylvania (Entrepreneurship) - This is a four-course series is designed to take you from opportunity identification through launch, growth, financing and profitability.

University of Michigan (How to Start Your Own Business) - This is a six course specialization that will cover a progression of topics necessary for successful business creation including: mindset, ideation, planning, action and strategy. 

Rochester Institute of Technology (Soft Skills) - This is a six course professional certification program, you will learn essential soft skills employers’ value most, from communication fundamentals and teamwork to advancing critical thinking.

Open Access Research

A list of Ten Open Access Research Articles about massage therapy and pain.