National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) faculty member Jerrilyn Cambron, LMT, DC, PhD, delivered a keynote presentation at the 2018 Oncology Massage Healing Summit held April 27-29 in Bloomington, Minn., titled Oncology Massage Research: A Call to Action. The theme of this year’s conference was Opening the Circle: Expanding the Tribe.

The purpose of her keynote presentation was to inspire practitioners to actively share information and become involved in continuing research efforts.

“Research is the foundation of modern medicine,” said Dr. Cambron, “It’s the common language across health care fields.” Her keynote defined how research continues to impact the fields of oncology and massage, as well as ways practicing oncology massage therapists can become more involved in initiatives to advance the field.

Dr. Cambron encourages practitioners to improve their research literacy and participation in order to spread awareness of therapeutic techniques for patients undergoing the stress, anxiety, and pain of cancer recovery. Her message: Spread the word about the importance of research and be an active research participant in the professional community, so more patients will receive relief from pain and improve their quality of life.

“One way that all oncology massage therapists could get involved in research is to publish case reports in scientific journals,” she said. “Case reports only focus on one interesting patient with the purpose of sharing the information on the patient’s signs and symptoms, treatment method, and the outcome of treatment, so that health care professionals can read about different types of solutions.” Dr. Cambron also presented on how to write and support case reports at the conference.

In addition to her active speaking and presenting schedule, she is the dean of the College of Allied Health Sciences and Distance Education at National University, the senior associate editor of the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (JBMT), and the immediate past-president of the Massage Therapy Foundation. She has spent 25 years engaged in clinical research, and enjoys discussing its importance and impact at all levels of health care.

Dr. Cambron is also the founder and principal investigator of MassageNet.org, a practice-based research network for massage therapists, and a strong supporter of massage therapy research in the clinical practice setting.

Learn more about Dr. Cambron and her dedication to service and research at NUHS faculty and NUHS research.