By Mary Preuss

2018 was a triumphant year for The Science of Massage Institute (SOMI), for our current students and for our former students.

SOMI clinical expertise was recognized and our MEDICAL MASSAGE PROTOCOLs are now used by the world-respected Barrow Neurological Institute as well as several regional hospitals and clinics (including St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Clinic) where physicians now prescribe Medical Massage as a routine medical procedure.

The Journal of Massage Science’s audience grew tremendously, and we now have faithful readers in every corner of the globe.

SOMI’s Medical Massage Certification Program attracted more therapists than ever before who are trying to keep up with the need for trained professionals in science-based Medical Massage as taught by Dr. Ross Turchaninov.

Dr. Ross, the founder of The Science of Massage Institute, was selected to receive this year’s “Dr. David G. Simons Award” from the National Association of Myofascial Trigger Point Therapists (NAMTPT).

NAMTPT was founded 34 years ago by students and followers of Dr. J. Travell and Dr. David G. Simons.

Dr. J. Travel, MD and Dr. D.G. Simons, MD

NAMTPT is an exceptional educational organization which unites physicians, chiropractors, physical therapists and massage therapists by offering them cutting edge professional knowledge in the field of somatic rehabilitation. Each Annual NAMTPT conference is a professional event lined up with exceptional theoretical and clinical presentations uniting like-minded people in the quest for the best, most reliable methods to relieve patients’ suffering from somatic pain and dysfunction.

Each year NAMTPT selects a female and a male who are scientists, authors, educators or practitioners to recognize their contribution to somatic rehabilitation either by:

1. Contributing to the greater knowledge of myofascial pain and/or neuro-musculoskeletal pain through writing, research, clinical investigation or

2. Contributing to the field as a dedicated teacher who has spent years as a hands-on practitioner in the field that deals with rehabilitating individuals with myofascial pain and dysfunction.

It was truly an honor that NAMTPT selected Dr. Ross Turchaninov to be the recipient of the 2018 “Dr. David G. Simons Award.” We see that this Award as recognition of entire The Science of Massage Team as well to our former and current students.

Dr. Ross wrote this about the event:

“I greatly appreciated that NAMTPT recognized my work by presenting this beautiful award to me. It means so much more than recognition of our efforts. This story began more than 30 years ago.

I worked on my PhD in Medicine while working as young physician in the former Soviet Union between 1983 and 1986. Part of my PhD was the clinical research and examination of Medical Massage and manual therapy as clinical tools of rehabilitation after bone defects and replacement surgeries. Because of the Iron Wall, at that time, access to world scientific sources was very difficult and time consuming in the Soviet Union. However, I and my colleagues tried extraordinary things to get the necessary data.

Periodically I was able to get copies of very interesting articles from American and European medical journals which were exceptionally written and reasoned. This inspired me in many ways, including tuning up my scientific work, while greatly contributing to my clinical expertise. I translated these articles hour after hour. They were written by Dr. D.G. Simons or he was the leading co-author. At that time, I didn’t have a clue who Dr. Simons was. It was only after I arrived in the United States that for the first time saw both volumes of Trigger Point Manual and learned about his and Dr. J. Travel’s personal contributions to somatic medicine. Now I understood why I treasured Dr. Simons’ articles so much.

I was standing on the podium of the NAMTPT Conference accepting “Dr. David G. Simons Award’ when I thought about the incredible twists and turns our lives prepare us for and one more time I recognized the importance of the cumulative power of science and the mental power of mankind which unites us around the world for the common goal of helping others in great need.”


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