AMTA Research and Evidence-Based Practice 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Evidence-based practice (EBP) in massage therapy integrates which THREE components?
- Client age, insurance coverage, and session length
- Best available research, clinical expertise, and client values/preferences (Correct answer)
- Therapist experience, advertising claims, and peer recommendations
- Anatomy knowledge, technique variety, and marketing skills
Correct answer: Best available research, clinical expertise, and client values/preferences
EBP combines the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and respect for individual client values and preferences.
Question 2: Which research design is generally considered HIGHEST in the hierarchy of evidence?
- Case study
- Expert opinion
- Randomized controlled trial (RCT) (Correct answer)
- Observational cohort study
Correct answer: Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
Randomized controlled trials minimize bias through random assignment and are considered the gold standard for evaluating treatment effectiveness.
Question 3: A systematic review in massage therapy research is BEST described as:
- A single case study analyzed in detail
- A comprehensive synthesis of multiple studies on a specific topic (Correct answer)
- An expert's personal clinical opinion
- A manufacturer's product claim
Correct answer: A comprehensive synthesis of multiple studies on a specific topic
A systematic review systematically identifies, selects, and synthesizes all available research on a defined question to draw evidence-based conclusions.
Question 4: The term 'placebo effect' in massage research refers to:
- The harmful side effect of a massage technique
- Improvement due to client expectation or belief rather than the specific intervention (Correct answer)
- The benefit derived solely from proper technique
- The therapist's therapeutic touch ability
Correct answer: Improvement due to client expectation or belief rather than the specific intervention
The placebo effect is an improvement in outcomes attributable to the patient's expectation of benefit rather than to the specific treatment being studied.
Question 5: Dr. Tiffany Field is MOST associated with research demonstrating the benefits of massage therapy for:
- Olympic athletic performance
- Premature infant weight gain and development (Correct answer)
- Reducing postoperative scarring
- Treating chronic migraines in adults
Correct answer: Premature infant weight gain and development
Tiffany Field's landmark research at the Touch Research Institute showed that premature infants receiving massage gained weight faster and had improved development outcomes.
Question 6: A 'peer-reviewed journal' in massage therapy research is one in which:
- Articles are written by therapists for other therapists informally
- Submitted articles are evaluated by experts in the field before publication (Correct answer)
- The journal is free to access for all practitioners
- Articles are approved by a government health agency
Correct answer: Submitted articles are evaluated by experts in the field before publication
Peer review means that submitted manuscripts are critically evaluated by independent experts in the field before being accepted for publication.
AMTA Research and Evidence-Based Practice 1
Evidence-based practice (EBP) in massage therapy integrates which THREE components?