Leisa Bellmore, MSc | Middlesex University (original) (raw)
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Papers by Leisa Bellmore, MSc
International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork: Research, Education, & Practice, 2022
Background: Dementia is a progressive neurological condition that affects over 50 million people.... more Background: Dementia is a progressive neurological condition that affects over 50 million people. It impacts quality of life for those diagnosed, their care partners, and the relationship between the two. Strategies to enhance quality of life and relationships are needed. Shiatsu may improve care partners’ well-being. Using touch through shiatsu may offer a meaningful way for care partners to interact with their partners living with dementia. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore care partners’ experience of using both self-shiatsu and shiatsu with their partner, as well as to explore care partners’ perceptions of the impact of shiatsu on the quality of their relationship. Setting: This study took place at a centre providing programs for persons living with dementia and their care partners. Participants: Participants were current and former attendees of the centre’s programs. Research Design: This was a qualitative study with an interpretive/descriptive approach. Care pa...
Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 2021
LAY SUMMARY This study tested a no-cost, drug-free technique to promote sleep for Veterans and th... more LAY SUMMARY This study tested a no-cost, drug-free technique to promote sleep for Veterans and their family members. The technique, hand self-shiatsu (HSS), had promising outcomes in other studies with chronic pain patients and young athletes after concussion. HSS is easy to learn, takes only 10–15 minutes to perform before bed, requires no equipment, and is best done once in bed for the night. The sleep and daytime fatigue of 30 people who were taught HSS and 20 who were not were compared across a two-month period. The two groups were similar in age and gender. The self-report measures showed that people who did HSS reported less daytime fatigue and less sleep disturbance than those who did not. Also, in interviews at the end of the study, participants were very favorable about how easy and potentially useful HSS was. They also commented on the benefit of feeling more in control of their sleep. Although the study has limitations, the findings are promising. A HSS educational video,...
International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork: Research, Education, & Practice
Background: Sleep problems exist for up to 30% of young people, and increase in the case of those... more Background: Sleep problems exist for up to 30% of young people, and increase in the case of those with chronic pain. Because exclusive pharmacological management of sleep problems for children with pain is contraindicated, the development of appropriate non-pharmacological sleep interventions is a significant, largely unmet, need. Purpose: This study examined whether the application of a standardized hand self-shiatsu (HSS) intervention within a population of young people with chronic pain would be associated with improved objectively and subjectively measured sleep. Setting: The Pain Management Clinic of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Hospital, a large tertiary care centre in Edmonton, Alberta and the University of Alberta. Research Design: Sixteen young adults, aged 17 to 27, were recruited for a case series study. The intervention involved participants self-applying a standardized hand shiatsu protocol. Participants wore an actigraph for one week at baseline before learning the...
International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, 2022
Background: Dementia is a progressive neurological condition that affects over 50 million people.... more Background: Dementia is a progressive neurological condition that affects over 50 million people. It impacts quality of life for those diagnosed, their care partners, and the relationship between the two. Strategies to enhance quality of life and relationships are needed. Shiatsu may improve care partners' well-being. Using touch through shiatsu may offer a meaningful way for care partners to interact with their partners living with dementia. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore care partners' experience of using both self-shiatsu and shiatsu with their partner, as well as to explore care partners' perceptions of the impact of shiatsu on the quality of their relationship. Setting: This study took place at a centre providing programs for persons living with dementia and their care partners. Participants: Participants were current and former attendees of the centre's programs. Research Design: This was a qualitative study with an interpretive/descriptive approach. Care partners were taught selfshiatsu to manage stress and a simplified, short shiatsu routine to use with their partner. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to elicit care partners' experiences and explore their ongoing use of shiatsu at two and six weeks post-workshop. Findings: Four care partners completed the study. A wide range of experiences with shiatsu were described, representing four key themes: Enhanced Awareness, Integrating Shiatsu into the Relationship, Barriers and Facilitators, and Potential and Possibility. Two found self-shiatsu beneficial. Using shiatsu with their partner was a favourable experience for only one, who found it a pleasant way to connect and interact. None of the participants felt using shiatsu with their partners affected their relationship quality. Conclusions: The findings of this study are inconclusive. Self-shiatsu may be a helpful self-management approach for some care partners, but not for others. Shiatsu for persons living with dementia may not fit into the routines of many care partners. For others, however, it may offer a means to connect.
Military, Veteran and Family Health, 2021
Introduction: The determinants of Veterans' and their family members' health and well-being are c... more Introduction: The determinants of Veterans' and their family members' health and well-being are compromised by sleep deficiency (SD). The use of long-term drug therapies for treatment is controversial, and the evidence to support positive outcomes is limited. Instead, guidelines recommend non-pharmacological sleep interventions for SD. Hand self-shiatsu (HSS) is a drug-free, pragmatic, easy-to-learn self-management technique that provides patients with an intervention they can actively control, thus contributing to feelings of self-effi cacy. The objective of this work was to examine whether a prescribed HSS intervention would result in improved objectively and subjectively measured sleep. Methods: This was a non-randomized controlled study. Objective (actigraphy) measures and standardized self-report questionnaires were applied at baseline and at four and eight weeks post-intervention. Participants also completed a detailed sleep log. Results: No signifi cant differences were found in the actigraphy sleep dimensions across the three measurement time points in either the intervention or the control group. With respect to the self-report measures, a signifi cant change was detected for sleep disturbance ( 2 2 = 10 [ n = 25], p = 0.007) for the intervention group, and 77% stated they would recommend HSS to others. A significant change in two self-report measures was noted in the control group, a potential artifact of the sub-optimal recruitment to this group imposed by coronavirus disease 2019 restrictions. Discussion: Although actigraphy data did not support the hypothesis, the self-report measures and qualitative information from participants' end-of-study interviews indicated endorsement of HSS for the management of sleep difficulties and increased self-effi cacy.
International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, 2020
Background: Sleep problems exist for up to 30% of young people, and increase in the case of those... more Background: Sleep problems exist for up to 30% of young people, and increase in the case of those with chronic pain. Because exclusive pharmacological management of sleep problems for children with pain is contraindicated, the development of appropriate non-pharmacological sleep interventions is a significant, largely unmet, need. Purpose: This study examined whether the application of a standardized hand self-shiatsu (HSS) intervention within a population of young people with chronic pain would be associated with improved objectively and subjectively measured sleep. Setting: The Pain Management Clinic of the Stollery Children's Hospital Hospital, a large tertiary care centre in Edmonton, Alberta and the University of Alberta. Research Design: Sixteen young adults, aged 17 to 27, were recruited for a case series study. The intervention involved participants self-applying a standardized hand shiatsu protocol. Participants wore an actigraph for one week at baseline before learning the HSS technique, and then at four-and eight-week follow-up. At the same measurement points they completed validated self-report measures of their sleep quality and daytime fatigue. Each participant also completed a sleep log to supplement the actigraphy data and to collect their general impressions of the HSS experience. Data were analyzed with SPSS 23 software, using Freidman's test for analysis of variance. Results: The objective data did not support the hypothesis that this standardized HSS protocol improves objectively measured sleep. However, standardized self-report measures demonstrated statistically significant improvement in perceived sleep disturbance (chi-squared test [χ 2 ] = 8.034, p = .02), sleep-related impairment (χ 2 = 7.614, p = .02), and daytime fatigue as measured by the PROMIS Fatigue SF 8-a (χ 2 = 12.035, p = .002), and the Flinder's Fatigue Scale (χ 2 = 11.93, p = .003). Qualitative sleep log information indicated widespread endorsement of HSS for the management of sleep difficulties. Conclusion: Contrary to objective f indings, self-report data support the technique of HSS to improve sleep. Partici-pants' comments reflected an overall high level of acceptance and appreciation for the HSS technique. Results highlight the importance of expanding the theory and practice related to sleep measurement to better integrate the qualitative domain.
Countless people have extolled the virtues of helping others, something that we can easily do in ... more Countless people have extolled the virtues of helping others, something that we can easily do in our daily lives. Many have also espoused the advantages of volunteering. Giving our time, energy and talents is not always a simple thing to fit into our hectic lives, but the benefits of doing so have been noted, not only in literature, but also in research.
This article provides a personal perspective on the experience of volunteering and an outline of the many benefits derived from volunteer work.
Journal of Integrative Medicine, 2014
Difficulty falling asleep (sleep latency) and staying asleep (sleep maintenance) are common probl... more Difficulty falling asleep (sleep latency) and staying asleep (sleep maintenance) are common problems for persons living with pain. Research demonstrates that sleep problems are, in turn, related to exacerbation of chronic pain. There is a growing body of evidence for a range of pragmatic, non-pharmacological sleep interventions that can potentially be incorporated into pain management programs. This study looks at the outcome of teaching patients with musculoskeletal pain standardized pre-bedtime hand self-Shiatsu (HSS) to reduce sleep latency. A case series design, with participants acting as their own controls, was selected to facilitate hypothesis generation for this novel, under-researched intervention. Sleep efficiency, latency and maintenance, sleep beliefs, pain intensity and basic participant demographics were collected at baseline with actigraphy and standardized self-report questionnaires. After one week of baseline data collection, the HSS intervention was taught to participants. Follow-up data were collected at 2 and 8 weeks post-intervention. Data collected at baseline and the two follow-up periods revealed no apparent changes in the objective actigraphy data. However a trend toward improved self-reported sleep latency (time to fall asleep) and sleep duration (time spent asleep) emerged. A number of participants reported they were more concerned with increasing their period of unbroken sleep as opposed to their total sleep time and it is possible that HSS may be useful to be applied during nighttime awakenings as well as before bed. None of the participants reported adverse effects of the intervention. These preliminary findings are promising and future studies exploring the mechanism of action and with stronger control of treatment fidelity are indicated.
International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork: Research, Education, & Practice, 2022
Background: Dementia is a progressive neurological condition that affects over 50 million people.... more Background: Dementia is a progressive neurological condition that affects over 50 million people. It impacts quality of life for those diagnosed, their care partners, and the relationship between the two. Strategies to enhance quality of life and relationships are needed. Shiatsu may improve care partners’ well-being. Using touch through shiatsu may offer a meaningful way for care partners to interact with their partners living with dementia. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore care partners’ experience of using both self-shiatsu and shiatsu with their partner, as well as to explore care partners’ perceptions of the impact of shiatsu on the quality of their relationship. Setting: This study took place at a centre providing programs for persons living with dementia and their care partners. Participants: Participants were current and former attendees of the centre’s programs. Research Design: This was a qualitative study with an interpretive/descriptive approach. Care pa...
Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 2021
LAY SUMMARY This study tested a no-cost, drug-free technique to promote sleep for Veterans and th... more LAY SUMMARY This study tested a no-cost, drug-free technique to promote sleep for Veterans and their family members. The technique, hand self-shiatsu (HSS), had promising outcomes in other studies with chronic pain patients and young athletes after concussion. HSS is easy to learn, takes only 10–15 minutes to perform before bed, requires no equipment, and is best done once in bed for the night. The sleep and daytime fatigue of 30 people who were taught HSS and 20 who were not were compared across a two-month period. The two groups were similar in age and gender. The self-report measures showed that people who did HSS reported less daytime fatigue and less sleep disturbance than those who did not. Also, in interviews at the end of the study, participants were very favorable about how easy and potentially useful HSS was. They also commented on the benefit of feeling more in control of their sleep. Although the study has limitations, the findings are promising. A HSS educational video,...
International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork: Research, Education, & Practice
Background: Sleep problems exist for up to 30% of young people, and increase in the case of those... more Background: Sleep problems exist for up to 30% of young people, and increase in the case of those with chronic pain. Because exclusive pharmacological management of sleep problems for children with pain is contraindicated, the development of appropriate non-pharmacological sleep interventions is a significant, largely unmet, need. Purpose: This study examined whether the application of a standardized hand self-shiatsu (HSS) intervention within a population of young people with chronic pain would be associated with improved objectively and subjectively measured sleep. Setting: The Pain Management Clinic of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Hospital, a large tertiary care centre in Edmonton, Alberta and the University of Alberta. Research Design: Sixteen young adults, aged 17 to 27, were recruited for a case series study. The intervention involved participants self-applying a standardized hand shiatsu protocol. Participants wore an actigraph for one week at baseline before learning the...
International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, 2022
Background: Dementia is a progressive neurological condition that affects over 50 million people.... more Background: Dementia is a progressive neurological condition that affects over 50 million people. It impacts quality of life for those diagnosed, their care partners, and the relationship between the two. Strategies to enhance quality of life and relationships are needed. Shiatsu may improve care partners' well-being. Using touch through shiatsu may offer a meaningful way for care partners to interact with their partners living with dementia. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore care partners' experience of using both self-shiatsu and shiatsu with their partner, as well as to explore care partners' perceptions of the impact of shiatsu on the quality of their relationship. Setting: This study took place at a centre providing programs for persons living with dementia and their care partners. Participants: Participants were current and former attendees of the centre's programs. Research Design: This was a qualitative study with an interpretive/descriptive approach. Care partners were taught selfshiatsu to manage stress and a simplified, short shiatsu routine to use with their partner. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to elicit care partners' experiences and explore their ongoing use of shiatsu at two and six weeks post-workshop. Findings: Four care partners completed the study. A wide range of experiences with shiatsu were described, representing four key themes: Enhanced Awareness, Integrating Shiatsu into the Relationship, Barriers and Facilitators, and Potential and Possibility. Two found self-shiatsu beneficial. Using shiatsu with their partner was a favourable experience for only one, who found it a pleasant way to connect and interact. None of the participants felt using shiatsu with their partners affected their relationship quality. Conclusions: The findings of this study are inconclusive. Self-shiatsu may be a helpful self-management approach for some care partners, but not for others. Shiatsu for persons living with dementia may not fit into the routines of many care partners. For others, however, it may offer a means to connect.
Military, Veteran and Family Health, 2021
Introduction: The determinants of Veterans' and their family members' health and well-being are c... more Introduction: The determinants of Veterans' and their family members' health and well-being are compromised by sleep deficiency (SD). The use of long-term drug therapies for treatment is controversial, and the evidence to support positive outcomes is limited. Instead, guidelines recommend non-pharmacological sleep interventions for SD. Hand self-shiatsu (HSS) is a drug-free, pragmatic, easy-to-learn self-management technique that provides patients with an intervention they can actively control, thus contributing to feelings of self-effi cacy. The objective of this work was to examine whether a prescribed HSS intervention would result in improved objectively and subjectively measured sleep. Methods: This was a non-randomized controlled study. Objective (actigraphy) measures and standardized self-report questionnaires were applied at baseline and at four and eight weeks post-intervention. Participants also completed a detailed sleep log. Results: No signifi cant differences were found in the actigraphy sleep dimensions across the three measurement time points in either the intervention or the control group. With respect to the self-report measures, a signifi cant change was detected for sleep disturbance ( 2 2 = 10 [ n = 25], p = 0.007) for the intervention group, and 77% stated they would recommend HSS to others. A significant change in two self-report measures was noted in the control group, a potential artifact of the sub-optimal recruitment to this group imposed by coronavirus disease 2019 restrictions. Discussion: Although actigraphy data did not support the hypothesis, the self-report measures and qualitative information from participants' end-of-study interviews indicated endorsement of HSS for the management of sleep difficulties and increased self-effi cacy.
International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, 2020
Background: Sleep problems exist for up to 30% of young people, and increase in the case of those... more Background: Sleep problems exist for up to 30% of young people, and increase in the case of those with chronic pain. Because exclusive pharmacological management of sleep problems for children with pain is contraindicated, the development of appropriate non-pharmacological sleep interventions is a significant, largely unmet, need. Purpose: This study examined whether the application of a standardized hand self-shiatsu (HSS) intervention within a population of young people with chronic pain would be associated with improved objectively and subjectively measured sleep. Setting: The Pain Management Clinic of the Stollery Children's Hospital Hospital, a large tertiary care centre in Edmonton, Alberta and the University of Alberta. Research Design: Sixteen young adults, aged 17 to 27, were recruited for a case series study. The intervention involved participants self-applying a standardized hand shiatsu protocol. Participants wore an actigraph for one week at baseline before learning the HSS technique, and then at four-and eight-week follow-up. At the same measurement points they completed validated self-report measures of their sleep quality and daytime fatigue. Each participant also completed a sleep log to supplement the actigraphy data and to collect their general impressions of the HSS experience. Data were analyzed with SPSS 23 software, using Freidman's test for analysis of variance. Results: The objective data did not support the hypothesis that this standardized HSS protocol improves objectively measured sleep. However, standardized self-report measures demonstrated statistically significant improvement in perceived sleep disturbance (chi-squared test [χ 2 ] = 8.034, p = .02), sleep-related impairment (χ 2 = 7.614, p = .02), and daytime fatigue as measured by the PROMIS Fatigue SF 8-a (χ 2 = 12.035, p = .002), and the Flinder's Fatigue Scale (χ 2 = 11.93, p = .003). Qualitative sleep log information indicated widespread endorsement of HSS for the management of sleep difficulties. Conclusion: Contrary to objective f indings, self-report data support the technique of HSS to improve sleep. Partici-pants' comments reflected an overall high level of acceptance and appreciation for the HSS technique. Results highlight the importance of expanding the theory and practice related to sleep measurement to better integrate the qualitative domain.
Countless people have extolled the virtues of helping others, something that we can easily do in ... more Countless people have extolled the virtues of helping others, something that we can easily do in our daily lives. Many have also espoused the advantages of volunteering. Giving our time, energy and talents is not always a simple thing to fit into our hectic lives, but the benefits of doing so have been noted, not only in literature, but also in research.
This article provides a personal perspective on the experience of volunteering and an outline of the many benefits derived from volunteer work.
Journal of Integrative Medicine, 2014
Difficulty falling asleep (sleep latency) and staying asleep (sleep maintenance) are common probl... more Difficulty falling asleep (sleep latency) and staying asleep (sleep maintenance) are common problems for persons living with pain. Research demonstrates that sleep problems are, in turn, related to exacerbation of chronic pain. There is a growing body of evidence for a range of pragmatic, non-pharmacological sleep interventions that can potentially be incorporated into pain management programs. This study looks at the outcome of teaching patients with musculoskeletal pain standardized pre-bedtime hand self-Shiatsu (HSS) to reduce sleep latency. A case series design, with participants acting as their own controls, was selected to facilitate hypothesis generation for this novel, under-researched intervention. Sleep efficiency, latency and maintenance, sleep beliefs, pain intensity and basic participant demographics were collected at baseline with actigraphy and standardized self-report questionnaires. After one week of baseline data collection, the HSS intervention was taught to participants. Follow-up data were collected at 2 and 8 weeks post-intervention. Data collected at baseline and the two follow-up periods revealed no apparent changes in the objective actigraphy data. However a trend toward improved self-reported sleep latency (time to fall asleep) and sleep duration (time spent asleep) emerged. A number of participants reported they were more concerned with increasing their period of unbroken sleep as opposed to their total sleep time and it is possible that HSS may be useful to be applied during nighttime awakenings as well as before bed. None of the participants reported adverse effects of the intervention. These preliminary findings are promising and future studies exploring the mechanism of action and with stronger control of treatment fidelity are indicated.