The Friday File | Issue 16 - Volume 9 | March 6, 2020

What's Happening at the RMTAO

Canadian Pain Taskforce Online Consultation

The Canadian Pain Task Force is leading a national consultation with the aim of helping the Government of Canada better understand and address the needs of the millions of Canadians who live with pain.

We encourage you to share your experience and ideas on this topic. Your input will shape our taskforce's report to Health Canada in June 2020.

This consultation will be open online from February 27 to April 17, 2020.

It is recommended that you read the 2019 report before providing your feedback.

Read more...

World Lymphedema Day

Today is World Lymphedema Day, which was designed to make cures and treatments for lymphedema and lymphatic diseases a global priority.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage, which can be performed by Registered Massage Therapists with additional training, has shown promise in reducing edemas and inflammation, and preventing lymphedema.

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Fraud Prevention Month

March is Fraud Prevention Month, which is a campaign that prevents Canadians from becoming victims of fraud by helping them recognize, reject and report fraud.

RMTAO members have access to our Fraud Prevention Strategies for Massage Therapists which provide some guidelines on preventing fraud and details about common fraudulent practices.

Program Spotlight: Perkopolis

RMTAO members have access to exclusive discounts on products and services through our program partner Perkopolis!

Featured Discount: Get up to 25% off Turbo Tax Online, Canada's #1 best-selling tax software year after year. Just in time for tax season!

To access discounts, contact the RMTAO at info@rmtao.com for your Perkopolis discount code.

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Clinical Tidbit - Mid/Lower Cervical Mobilization

By Aaron Rutter PT, BScPT, FCAMPT, CAFCI

The Canadian C-Spine Rule

Stiell IG et al. The canadian c-spine rule versus the NEXUS low-risk criteria in patients with trauma. N Engl J Med 2003; 349:2510-2518.

When the Canadian C-Spine rule is followed it does a great job of ruling out a cervical fracture which can sometimes be done clinically without the need for an x-ray.

Join Aaron Rutter on Sunday April 19 in Ottawa for the Mid/Lower Cervical Mobilizations course to learn more about assessing and treating the cervical spine.

Member Question of the Week

I need legal advice. Does the RMTAO have any resources available to me?

RMTAO members who purchased their insurance through the Trisura Portal have access through their free legal assistance hotline.

There is no limit to the amount of times you can call the hotline, and you can speak with a lawyer for as long as you need.

If you purchased your insurance through the Trisura Portal, you can access the information about how to access the hotline on the second page of your insurance coverage certificate.

If you purchased your insurance directly through the RMTAO instead of the Trisura Portal, there is a list of lawyers with significant experience working with RMTs that we can provide you, and many of them will offer a free 30 minute consultation.

Do you have a question? Email info@rmtao.com

Business Tip of the Week

Design a Better Decision-Making Process for Your Organization

Unfocused meetings. Competing priorities. Confusion over who gets to make the final call. These are often signs that your organization has poorly designed decision-making processes. Rather than treating the symptoms, you can take on the system itself. Start by breaking down the types of decisions being made across your organization, then determine who should make which ones. Distribute decision rights thoughtfully to ensure everyone is clear on the boundaries of their departments and roles. Of course, no one makes decisions in a vacuum, and we often have to rely on others to execute our choices. Make sure to connect anyone who’s impacted by the decision to ensure effective coordination. You might need to identify liaisons to other teams, create shared calendars, or develop online portals where meeting minutes are posted. Finally, be sure to build in metrics to monitor how effective decisions are. Regularly assess what’s working and what’s not, and make changes accordingly. .

Adapted from “How Systems Support (or Undermine) Good Decision-Making,” by Ron Carucci

Research Article of the Week

Pain and Emotion: A Biopsychosocial Review of Recent Research

Objective and Method: Research on emotion and pain has burgeoned. We review the last decade's literature, focusing on links between emotional processes and persistent pain.

Results: Neurobiological research documents the neural processes that distinguish affective from sensory pain dimensions, link emotion and pain, and generate central nervous system pain sensitization. Psychological research demonstrates that greater pain is related to emotional stress and limited emotional awareness, expression, and processing. Social research shows the potential importance of emotional communication, empathy, attachment, and rejection.

Conclusion: Emotions are integral to the conceptualization, assessment, and treatment of persistent pain. Research should clarify when to eliminate or attenuate negative emotions, and when to access, experience, and express them. Theory and practice should integrate emotion into cognitive-behavioral models of persistent pain.

Lumley MA, Cohen JL, Borszcz GS, et al. Pain and emotion: a biopsychosocial review of recent research. J Clin Psychol. 2011;67(9):942–968.

Read the full article...

The Learning Curve - The RMTAO Education Series

The Learning Curve provides education to massage therapists in a variety of hands-on workshops and lecture-based seminars across Ontario focused on three main areas-Competency, Business, and Modality. The Continuing Education Program is designed to help massage therapists increase their knowledge base to continuously improve for both their own personal success and that of the client.

Click here for more information about the courses that are offered by the RMTAO.

Ankle and Foot Dysfunctions
March 22, 2020 - Kingston

Rib Mobilizations
April 5, 2020 - Toronto

Mid/Lower Cervical Mobilizations
April 19, 2020 - Ottawa

Lumbar Mobilizations
May 24, 2020 - Windsor

The Hidden Cause of Low Back Pain: The Hip
June 7, 2020 - Ottawa

Upper Cervical Spine Mobilizations
June 14, 2020 - Sudbury

Upcoming Community Networks and Related Activities

The RMTAO has created a feature on RMTAO.com for Community Networks. Members and non-members can access information about the latest upcoming network activities on our list of upcoming events! Don't see a Community Based Network near you? You can contact Laura Fixman at laura@rmtao.com to learn more about starting one!

London Community Based Network
Date: Friday, March 6, 2020
Time: 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Edgar and Joe's Cafe , 255 Horton Street E. London, ON
Topic: This is a casual meeting for ALL RMTs and students, RMTAO members or not, to get together with peers, update and discuss latest CMTO and RMTAO news, talk over practice issues, keep track of HST initiatives, and share knowledge. Newer RMT? Tap into some experience! An old hand? Find some fresh perspective, get a boost and pass on your hard-won know-how. Keep an eye out for the extra workshops and presentations, usually every 6-8 weeks, on a variety of days of the week so we can all attend something at some point.
Contact: Dani Faucher at danifaucher.rmt@gmail.com
Read more about the event
Future Meetings: April 6, May 8, June 1

Barrie Community Based Network
Date: Friday, March 13, 2020
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Georgian College, Room E119 1 Georgian Dr, Barrie, ON
Topic: Special guest, Michael Feraday, Executive Director and CEO of the RMTAO
Parking available in lots E/H or D, pay on site or through Honk Mobile App (lot E/H - zone 9509 or lot D - zone 9508) = $7/d After the discussion, feel free to join us at Sakana House at 347 Cundles Rd E in Barrie for something to eat.
Contact: Jocelyn Buitenhuis, jbuits.rmt@gmail.com
Read more about the event

Guelph Community Based Network
Date: Monday, March 16, 2020
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: TBD
Topic: Special guest Michael Feraday - Executive Director and CEO of the RMTAO
Contact: Renata Deforest, renatarmt@bell.net
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Halton-Peel Community Based Network
Date: Thursday, April 23, 2020
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Location: Fifties Diner, 649 Fourth Line, Oakville, ON L6L 5B3
Topic: Special guest Michael Feraday - Executive Director and CEO of the RMTAO
Contact: Lily Meyer, hprmts@outlook.com
Read more about the event

Quinte Community Based Network
Date: Sunday, April 29, 2020
Time: 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: TBD
Topic: Remex exchange & general discussion. Let’s learn from one another and continue to fill our “toolbox” by coming together for a “show and tell” with our favorite remedial exercises. Join our Facebook group for details on upcoming meetings and workshops for our region: Quinte region RMT’s CBN.
Contact: Stephanie Webb, stephaniewebbrmt@gmail.com
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Niagara Community Based Network
Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Time: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Location: St Catharines Public Library, 54 Church Street , St Catharines
Topic: Visit from Michael Feraday, RMTAO ED & CEO Proposed agenda: mingle til 7:30 pm, then a short presentation of the RMTAO's mission and Ends Policy, any current initiatives, followed by Q & A until 9 pm.
Contact: Don Dillon, donquinn.dillon@sympatico.ca
Read more about the event

IN THIS ISSUE

Canadian Pain Taskforce Online Consultation
World Lymphedema Day
Fraud Prevention Month
Program Spotlight: Perkopolis
Clinical Tidbit - Mid/Lower Cervical Mobilizations
Member Question of the Week
Business Tip of the Week
Research Article of the Week
The Learning Curve
Upcoming Community Networks and Related Activities