Kate is in the final year of her ACMT LEVEl 6 BTEC

Evaluating the effectiveness of the Jing Method of Clinical Massage on the wellbeing of desk-based workers who work during regular office hours

In 2024, I embarked on an advanced degree level qualification in my field: the BTEC Level 6 in Advanced Clinical and Sports Massage offered by Jing Advanced Massage, it is the only place that offers this highest level of education a manual therapist can achieve in the UK. Jing has been running for 22 years and is taught and overseen by experts in the field of musculoskeletal pain, education, sports science and psychology. All the tutors are currently practicing massage therapists with successful clinics which makes them great mentors to learn from.

As part of our course work, we are given an opportunity to design and carry out a study into the effects of a clinical massage wellness programme. Participating in this study is therefore an exciting opportunity to be part of a piece of scientific research! I have chosen to evaluate the effectiveness of the Jing Method of Clinical Massage on the wellbeing of desk-based workers who work during regular office hours.

As a nation we have become more sedentary and 70% of the sitting we do occurs when we are working. A sedentary lifestyle contributes to the nick named "sitting disease" with obesity and diabetes linked, but also changes in mental health.

Maintaining good mental health is as important as looking after your physical health and I want to bring something positive to the table and hopefully offer some solutions to help you manage your wellbeing combating the effects that sitting for long periods at work can bring.

Who is involved in the research?

All participants are...

Are over the age of 18.

Have an occupation that involves working at a desk or sitting in meetings for the majority of the time

Work during regular office hours. i.e. Monday to Friday between the hours of 8am to 6pm.

Either work in an office, from home, or have a hybrid work set up.

Are experiencing symptoms of stress, anxiety or low mood/depression .

Those who were not able to take part included:

Individuals actively seeking treatment for anxiety, depression, or stress. OR

Individuals diagnosed with and seeking ongoing treatment for certain mental health conditions.

What do I mean by wellbeing?

For the purposes of this study, well-being is measured against three factors, these are levels of…

· Stress

· Anxiety

· Depression

Symptoms of these conditions include:

Feeling stressed. Feeling anxious. Low mood or sadness. An inability to relax.

Feeling irritable. Low self-esteem. Struggling to concentrate or make decisions.

Feeling overwhelmed or worrying. Problems sleeping. Headaches. Muscle tension, aches or pain.

Fear of trying new things. Acting withdrawn (avoiding family/friends/hobbies).

Changes in appetite. Low energy levels, Tiredness, Fatigue. Low libido.

A formal diagnosis was not required for any of these conditions by a doctor, but participants were all experiencing symptoms above ‘normal’ levels as assessed by a standardised wellbeing questionnaire called the DASS-42 at the start of the study. Normal levels are those experienced on average by the general population, these should be easily manageable levels.

I was unable to accept people who are actively seeking treatment for anxiety, depression, or stress, whether this was in the form of new medication (i.e. if they started taking your medication since the 1st April 2025), talking therapies, or other forms of soft tissue therapies including acupuncture, reiki, Bowen technique, cupping, or other forms of massage as these will potentially affect the results of the study.

People currently diagnosed with and seeking ongoing treatment for one of the following mental health conditions were not able to take part: bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, psychosis, an eating disorder, borderline personality disorder (BPD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or experiencing suicidal thoughts, you will be unable to participate. Sadly, these conditions fall outside of the scope of this study.

Step 1: Is this for me?

Kate is in the final year of her ACMT LEVEl 6 BTEC

Evaluating the effectiveness of the Jing Method of Clinical Massage on the wellbeing of desk-based workers who work during regular office hours

Who is involved in the research?

What do I mean by wellbeing?

MORE ABOUT WHAT IS INVOLVED AND WHEN IT'S HAPPENING

This study has now begun and is no longer searching for participants.