Building a body of evidence for aquatic bodywork: drop by drop

 

Where does aquatic bodywork stand in the wellbeing, healing and medical arenas?  Recently, I highlighted some special series of posts on Aquapoetics, one of which was: Healing or therapy

It's a topic that interests and challenges me as I continue to explore what I most value about my experience and practice of working in water in this way.  And I admit that I'm often disappointed by the apparent lack of interest or challenge among most of my colleagues.

With evidence-based medicine becoming a buzz word of increasingly signficant regulatory influence in the spa world and in integrative health practices, it's helpful to know what David Sackett et. al. had to say in the British Medical Journal back in 1996.

Three components of this way of providing medical care were given.  I've highlighted the two that you may not have realized (I did not) were included in their definition, emphasizing valuing individual experience, practice and choice in health.

I feel a lot more comfortable with this concept than I have done to date.  As aquatic bodyworkers, if we can provide clinicians with experience of the effectiveness of our work, we can begin to build the body of evidence that is currently lacking.  We don't have to wait for clinical trials alone.

Clinical expertise (experience and practice of individual clinicians)
+
Clinical evidence from systematic research
+
Patient's choice (taking into account individual values and preferences)

Here is an extract from the BMJ Editorial.  The full link is given below; I recommend reading more recent comments on the topic linked to from the article.

Evidence based medicine is the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. The practice of evidence based medicine means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research. By individual clinical expertise we mean the proficiency and judgment that individual clinicians acquire through clinical experience and clinical practice. Increased expertise is reflected in many ways, but especially in more effective and efficient diagnosis and in the more thoughtful identification and compassionate use of individual patients' predicaments, rights, and preferences in making clinical decisions about their care.

Evidence based medicine: what it is and what it isn't -- Sackett et al. 312 (7023): 71 -- BMJ.

Recently, a friend who lives in Denver shared with me that her primary health care physician (through a private health care service that comes with her husband's work in emergency medical services) gave her a glowing referral to a Watsu practitioner in the area. Evidence at work?

My suggestion:  Start sharing what you have learned through your aquatic bodywork practice - with your colleagues, your clients and their clinicians.  Find online venues - like this one and others I have highlights on this website - and get the flow of discovery going.