MANUAL THERAPY AWARDS

To encourage research in manual therapy, Cardon Rehabilitation Products, TherEx, OPTP, and the Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy are sponsoring prizes to be awarded based on scientific merit in three areas:

  1. Experimental studies
  2. Case studies
  3. Review articles

Awards will be selected from all papers published in JMMT in a given year. Award winners will be announced in the first issue of the next volume.

The Cardon Award For Excellence in a Published Research Article

To encourage research in manual therapy, Cardon Rehabilitation Products and JMMT are sponsoring a prize in the amount of $1000 for an outstanding experimental study. The goal of the experimental study is to evaluate a manual therapy assessment or treatment technique. The concept of validity is central to the experimental study. Thus, within the confines of the study, the results are accurate, the method and analysis used can bear up under scrutiny, and the interpretation of the findings are supported by the data collected. In addition, the conclusions reported can be generalized to practice settings and subjects outside those described in the study. The format for the experimental study also requires that the researchers make their assumptions clear, their methods repeatable, and their interpretations clearly separate from the methods and results. Experimental papers provide a forum for presenting one's own findings and conclusions and for arguing for or against competing hypotheses in manual therapy.

The TherEx Award For Excellence in a Published Case Study

To encourage case studies in manual therapy, TherEx and JMMT are sponsoring a prize of $750 for an outstanding case presentation. The goal of the case study is to report on a patient or a small group of patients that a manual therapist feels should be brought to the attention of colleagues. Specifically, the case study method integrates basic science knowledge with patient assessment and treatment techniques. Within each case, emphasis is placed on the most clinically relevant aspects of each musculoskeletal condition. In addition, a selective review of the literature is also included for each case study. In all, the cases provide the reader with information about clinical decision-making. The intent is to facilitate critical thinking and to promote professional growth.

The OPTP Award For Excellence in a Published Review of the Literature

To encourage reviews of the literature in manual therapy, OPTP and JMMT are sponsoring a prize of $750 for an outstanding review article. The goal of the review article is to present a large amount of information on a subject comprehensively and efficiently. In addition to a command of the literature in a specific area of manual therapy, the writer must also apply critical appraisal skills to material that is being reviewed. Specifically, it is not enough for a review to summarize the findings of research studies and case reports. Some comment should be made on the research design and methodological quality of the works being reviewed. By combining content review with methodological critique, review articles are intended to bring clinicians and researchers up to date on the state of the art in manual therapy.


For further information about JMMT and the annual Manual Therapy Awards for research, literature reviews, and case studies, contact:

John M. Medeiros
Executive Editor
JMMT
P.O. Box 713
Forest Grove, Oregon 97116
USA
Phone: 503-359-2322
Fax: 503-359-3542
E-mail:

For submission of articles for peer-review, please contact:
Chad Cook, Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief
JMMT
317 Eden Drive
Hillsborough NC, 27278
USA
Phone: (919) 684-9575
Fax: (919) 668-3024
E-mail: