First up this month:

• Have you registered for the 2025 National Conference yet?
• Conference Scholarship awards and Life Membership: apply now!
• Interested in research? See the Conference Case Study Scholarship

2025 National Conference Registrations Now Open!

Don’t miss the National Conference in Perth from 13–15 June 2025, just four months away! Now is the perfect time to secure your spot at Australia’s largest Massage and Myotherapy event. Connect with leaders in massage, remedial massage, and myotherapy while enjoying inspiring educational sessions and valuable networking opportunities.
The Association will soon release more information about accommodation and tour discounts available to registered delegates, making it easy to turn your Conference experience into a memorable holiday as well!
Register today to ensure you don’t miss out!

Conference Scholarship Awards and Life Membership – last chance to apply for these fantastic opportunities!

Massage & Myotherapy Australia invites members to seize these very special opportunities, with applications closing soon - Monday 17 March at 5pm AEDT.
 

• National Conference Scholarship Award
This scholarship supports professional and student members to attend the 2025 National Conference in Perth, WA. This is a brilliant chance for someone who has never been to Conference before to enjoy this very special experience of attending a Conference focused on your own profession.
 

• Conference Case Study Scholarship
Showcase your expertise by submitting a case study and gain experience presenting at the 2025 National Conference. This scholarship provides funding to support your attendance at this premier event on 14–15 June 2025. If you are interested in research but not sure of your next step, this is the opportunity for you!
 

• 2025 Life Member Award
Do you know an outstanding member worthy of recognition? Nominate them for the prestigious Life Member Award and celebrate their significant contribution to the industry.

Don’t miss out on these opportunities! Submit your applications or nominations today. For more information, application and nomination forms, please click here.

Boost Your Wellbeing with Beyond Blue’s Wellbeing Action Tool
Massage & Myotherapy Australia is proud to collaborate with Beyond Blue to promote mental health and wellbeing in the community. Recently, the Association featured Beyond Blue’s Wellbeing Action Tool in a free webinar, providing members with valuable insights and practical strategies for enhancing mental health. This free, personalised resource offers tailored tips to help you feel more balanced, connected, and resilient. Whether you’re building mental fitness or seeking support during challenging times, the tool adapts to your unique needs. With more webinars planned throughout the year, there will be further opportunities to explore this tool and other vital resources. Don’t miss the chance to prioritise your mental health. Beyond Blue Wellbeing Action Tool.

Massage therapy for children, adolescents, and young adults: Clinical delivery and effectiveness in haematology and oncology

This research paper highlights the effectiveness of massage therapy in managing pain, stress, and anxiety in children, adolescents, and young adults with haematologic and oncologic conditions. Mandy Bartolovich, a certified paediatric massage therapist from the United States, provided massage therapy services at a paediatric academic medical centre. Between 2019 and 2021, Mandy delivered 3,015 massage therapy sessions to 243 patients, addressing significant symptoms such as pain and stress. Patients reported substantial and clinically meaningful reductions in pain (2.25 points), stress (2.50 points), and anxiety (2.52 points) on a 10-point scale, with greater improvements observed in patients with general haematologic and oncologic conditions compared to those with sickle cell disease (SCD). Mandy’s work demonstrated the safe integration of massage therapy into paediatric oncology and haematology care, underscoring the need for further research to optimise massage therapy delivery and collaboration with other therapies. Find out more.

Expand Your Expertise at The Menopause Summit!

Taking place in Brisbane Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 March 2025, the Menopause Summit is an invaluable event designed to enrich practice and support patient well-being. This summit offers practitioners a unique opportunity to gain essential knowledge, connect with industry leaders, and access practical resources to enhance patient care.  As a practitioner, empowering your patients starts with equipping yourself with holistic knowledge in areas not traditionally covered in professional training. This Summit will help you better support women navigating menopause with clarity, confidence and tailored care.

Key Benefits:

• Education – Gain holistic insights into menopause to better understand and support patients, improving both practice and patients outcomes.
• Networking – Engage with like-minded professionals and industry experts, fostering valuable connections and shared learning.
• patients Resources – Access evidence-based tools and practical strategies to support patients’ well-being during menopause.

Exclusive Offer
A $50 discount is available to Massage & Myotherapy Australia members using the code AAMT2025 when purchasing tickets through the affiliate link. This is an excellent opportunity to expand knowledge, strengthen patient support, and identify areas where collaboration with Allied Health professionals may further enhance care. Don’t miss out! For more information and to register please visit the link > https://www.themenopausesummit.com.au/

The COSBOA Roadshow

The COSBOA Roadshow is hitting the road with two tailored programs that address the most pressing issues facing small businesses today: Industrial Relations and Cyber Security. These critical topics are designed to help business owners and employees navigate the challenges in today's fast-paced and ever-evolving landscape. The next stop for the COSBOA Roadshow is Fortitude Valley in Queensland. Whether you're a business owner or an employee, this is a valuable opportunity to gain insights, ask questions, and ensure your business is well-prepared for the future.
> https://www.cosboa.org.au/roadshow

Moments to Movements with Yasmin London of Qoria

How can we harness technology for good while safeguarding our digital wellbeing? In this episode of Moments to Movements, host Luke Cook sits down with Yasmin London, a dynamic leader on a mission to help kids and their parents navigate the challenges of the digital age. As the Global Director of Digital Resilience at Qoria, Yasmin empowers school communities, parents, and young people to use technology positively and build safer online environments. Drawing on her background as an elite athlete, gold medallist, and former police officer, Yasmin combines resilience, courage, and communication expertise to create meaningful impact. 13 February 2025, 8am AEDT
Register now

It’s been a busy start to the year for Massage & Myotherapy Australia as we work on our new Strategic Plan, positioning the Association for future success. There are many exciting developments to be announced soon, and we look forward to engaging with you, our members, in the coming months. The Association takes pride in being open and approachable. Our staff and Board of Directors are always ready to assist, so please feel free to give us a call or send us an email.
In the meantime, if you haven’t already, I encourage all members to consider applying for the scholarships closing in March, with more information in the Conference & Events section above. If you are unsure about the application process, please don’t hesitate to contact the Association for assistance.
The National Conference in Perth is the premier event in Australia for massage therapists, remedial massage therapists, and myotherapists. With both local and international presenters, it's an invaluable opportunity for professional development. If you’ve never attended before, we encourage you to reach out and we would be happy to provide insights on what to expect.
Additionally, we will soon be launching the 2025 National Conference ‘Buddy System’ (First-Timers Program), designed to help ensure you feel comfortable and confident at the Conference.
I hope you have all had a great start to the year, and I look forward to engaging with you throughout the year.

Here’s to an amazing 2025.

Dan Lambrou, Editor

Vale Erik Dalton

Massage & Myotherapy Australia staff and the Board of Directors would like to express their condolences to the friends and family of Erik Dalton, who passed away recently. Erik Dalton, who held a PhD, was a manual therapist for more than four decades and an internationally renowned educator for more than 30 years. He was the founder of the Myoskeletal Alignment Technique^®, authored three bestselling textbooks, developed numerous online continuing professional education courses, and contributed to the Association's Massage & Myotherapy Journal. Erik’s profound contributions to modern manual therapy cannot be overstated, and his legacy will endure within the profession. He will be deeply missed.