Casey Stewart Smith

Revive Therapy, United Kingdom

Title: Assessing an online Jing MethodTM Advanced Clinical Massage Protocol to treat stress in unpaid carers of children or adults with disability

---

Biography

Casey Stewart Smith is an Advanced Clinical Massage Therapist specialising in a fusion of techniques to provide relief from chronic pain and stress related illnesses. Treatments are outcome based. She will take a holistic view of your life, of any pain, injury or stresses and strains that are limiting what you can do on a daily basis. She will then use a fusion of advanced massage techniques ranging from Deep and Soft tissue, Trigger Point Therapy, table Shiatsu, Myofascial work and stretching techniques to create a bespoke treatment plan.

Abstract

Objective

This study aims to build on previous studies which have shown positive evidence that providing weekly online massage and self-care, following the principles of The Jing MethodTM Advanced Clinical Protocol, has a positive effect on stress levels in unpaid carers of children or adults with disability.

Method

8 participants agreed to join the 16-week study, with initial levels for eligibility assessed using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) questionnaire. They were recruited from the researcher’s client base, social media, and through the Carers Centre Tower Hamlets. Control period: Week 1-6 Participants completed the DASS-21 questionnaire without any treatment. These findings established the group's stress level as a baseline. Intervention Period: Weeks 7–12 Using a modified Jing MethodTM protocol, weekly guided self-treatment sessions were conducted using the Zoom platform. Every session addressed a distinct area of the body. Four sessions were scheduled over two days were conducted in small groups of no more than five people to allow for flexibility—as the position of carer can be unpredictable.

The DASS-21 questionnaire was used throughout the 13 week project. Weeks 1-6 to establish baseline stress levels and weeks 7-12 during the intervention period, a follow-up was sent at week 13 to assess whether longer-term results. Participants were also encouraged to complete a self-care routine in the intervening period between sessions and were sent a written feedback form to fill in a few weeks later.

Result

All participants showed a marked decreases in levels of depression, anxiety and stress with average decreases by 58.5%, 42% and 50% respectively. Overall DASS-21 scores decreased by 38.7% during the intervention phase.

Conclusion

This research study clearly demonstrates that the adaptation of the Jing MethodTM principals to an online protocol has huge potential and that further investigation to establish optimum intervention levels could be helpful to improve efficiency and may have significant implications for the health and wellness field, including the future possibility of social prescription.