International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (IJTMB)
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Massage Therapy for Lyme Disease Symptoms: a Prospective Case Study
Get PDFIntroduction: To study the effects of massage therapy (MT) on Lyme disease (LD) symptoms and affect.
Methods: A 21-year-old female college student previously diagnosed with LD was recruited for a prospective case study that incorporated alternating periods of treatment and non-treatment across 65 days. Her self-reported symptoms of pain, fatigue, and impairment of concentration were assessed by means of a daily diary with corresponding visual analog scales. Immediate effects of MT on affect were assessed by completion of the Positive and Negative Affect Scales before and after each treatment session.
Results: LD symptoms decreased during treatment periods and increased during non-treatment periods. Positive affect was increased at every MT session.
Conclusions: MT is a promising treatment for the symptoms pain, fatigue, and impaired concentration associated with LD. In addition, MT reliably increased positive affect. Massage therapists should consider using light-to-medium pressure MT for treatment of persons who present with a similar pattern of LD symptoms, and further research with this population is warranted
The Drive for Legitimation of Massage Therapy in New Zealand
Get PDFResearch into body work based complementary and alternative therapies, such as osteopathy and chiropractic has highlighted barriers and benefits of professionalization for these professions. There has been no examination of the road massage therapy has taken towards legitimation and professionalization. This review article examines the drive by massage therapists for legitimation as health professionals within New Zealand. Massage therapy has an extensive and complex history. Within this history, massage therapy has gone from being part of orthodox medicine and acceptable, to being complementary and marginalized as an industry. In an effort to overcome this position, the massage therapy industry has attempted to gain legitimation by establishing professional associations, defining scopes of practice, lobbying government, and raising education standards. This article also discusses the historical journey of massage therapy, the evolution of massage therapy education in New Zealand, higher education as a means to occupational recognition and control, and the elements of professionalization that may support legitimation and occupational boundary protection for massage therapists
Therapeutic Massage Provides Pain Relief to a Client with Morton’s Neuroma: A Case Report
Get PDFBackground: Morton’s neuroma is a common cause of pain that radiates from between the third and fourth metatarsals and which, when symptomatic, creates sensations of burning or sharp pain and numbness on the forefoot. Many conservative and surgical interventions are employed to reduce associated pain, but not enough research has been conducted to recommend patients to any one approach as the most reliable source of pain management.
Purpose: The objective of this case report is to describe the effect of massage therapy on one woman with symptomatic Morton’s neuroma.
Participant: A physically active 25-year-old female with diagnosed symptomatic Morton’s neuroma who has not found relief with previous conservative intervention.
Intervention: Six session of massage therapy once weekly for 60–75 minutes focused on postural alignment and localized foot and leg treatment. The client also completed an at-home exercise each day. Change was monitored each week by the massage therapist reassessing posture and by the client filling out a pain survey based on a Visual Analog Scale.
Results: The client reported progressive change in the character of the pain from burning and stabbing before the first session to a dull, pulsing sensation after the third session. She also recorded a reduction in pain during exercise from a 5/10 to 0/10 (on a scale where 10 is extreme pain).
Conclusion: This study describes how massage therapy reduced pain from Morton’s neuroma for one client; however, larger randomized control studies need to be done in order to determine the short- and long-term effects of massage therapy on this painful condition
Massage Therapy and Labor Outcomes: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Get PDFIntroduction: Massage is a time-honored method by which women have received comfort throughout the millennia, yet it has not been rigorously evaluated in the modern day delivery suite. No study to date that we are aware of has evaluated the effect of massage therapy by a regulated massage therapist on labor pain.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of massage therapy provided by registered massage therapists in managing pain among women in active labor.
Methods: BC Women’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC. Research Design: a randomized controlled trial. Participants: 77 healthy nulliparous women presenting in spontaneous labor. Intervention: Swedish massage administered for up to five hours by a registered massage therapist during labor vs. standard care. Main outcome measures include: cervical dilation at the time of administration of epidural, compared using estimated marginal means in an analysis of covariance. We also compared perception of pain at three time periods during labor according to cervical dilation at 3–4 cm, 5–7 cm, and 8–10 cm using the McGill Present Pain Intensity Scale.
Results: The mean cervical dilation at the time of epidural insertion after adjustment for station of the presenting part, cervical dilation, and status of membranes on admission to hospital was 5.9 cm (95% CI 5.2–6.7) compared to 4.9 in the control group (95% CI 4.2–5.8). Scores on the McGill Pain Scale were consistently lower in the massage therapy group (13.3 vs. 16.9 at 3–4 cm, 13.3 vs. 15.8 at 5–6 cm, and 19.4 vs. 28.3 at 7–8 cm), although these differences were not statistically significant.
Conclusions: Our findings from this pilot study suggest that massage therapy by a registered massage therapist has the potential to be an effective means of pain management that may be associated with delayed use of epidural analgesia. It may therefore have the potential to reduce exposure to epidural analgesia during labor and decrease rates of associated sequelae
The Effects of Massage Therapy after Decompression and Fusion Surgery of the Lumbar Spine: a Case Study
Get PDFBackground: Spinal fusion and decompression surgery of the lumbar spine are common procedures for problems such as disc herniations. Various studies for postoperative interventions have been conducted; however, no massage therapy studies have been completed.
Purpose: The objective of this study is to determine if massage therapy can beneficially treat pain and dysfunction associated with lumbar spinal decompression and fusion surgery.
Participants: Client is a 47-year-old female who underwent spinal decompression and fusion surgery of L4/L5 due to chronic disc herniation symptoms.
Research Design: The research design was a case study in a private clinic involving the applications of seven, 30-minute treatments conducted over eight weeks. Common Swedish massage and myofascial techniques were applied to the back, shoulders, posterior hips, and posterior legs. Outcomes were assessed using the following measures: VAS pain scale, Hamstring Length Test, Oswestry Disability Index, and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire.
Results: Hamstring length improved (in degrees of extension) from pretreatment measurements in the right leg of 40° and left leg 65° to post-treatment measurement at the final visit, when the results were right 50° and left 70°. The Oswestry Disability Index improved 14%, from 50% to 36% disability. Roland-Morris Disability decreased 1 point, from 3/24 to 2/24. The VAS pain score decreased by 2 points after most treatments, and for three of the seven treatments, client had a post-treatment score of 0/10.
Conclusions: Massage for pain had short-term effects. Massage therapy seemed to lengthen the hamstrings bilaterally. Massage therapy does appear to have positive effects in the reduction of disability. This study is beneficial for understanding the relationship between massage therapy and clients who have undergone spinal decompression and fusion. Further research is warranted
Attitudes and Practices of Massage Therapists as Related to Conventional Medicine
Get PDFIntroduction: Research into opinions about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has focused on conventional medical practitioners with little exploration of CAM practitioners’ views.
Purpose: To survey attitudes and practices of massage therapists toward conventional medicine.
Research Design: An anonymous online survey consisting of Likert-type scales, fill-in answers, and multiple-choice questions was used.
Participants: Members of the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP), the largest massage therapy association in the US with over 77,000 members.
Main Outcome Measures: Participants were asked about their years of practice and training, choice of health care practitioners, sources for information about CAM and Western/allopathic medicine, client referral patterns, optimal treatment approaches for various medical conditions, and overall impressions of CAM and Western/allopathic medicine.
Results: Analysis of n = 3,148 responses indicated that while 66.9% of respondents had a neutral or worse impression of Western/allopathic medicine, 64.3% use a conventional
medicine practitioner as their primary health care provider, 61.9% have referred clients to a conventional medicine practitioner in the past six months, and 90.5% seek out information on Western/allopathic medicine. The mode response of the best treatment approach to various medical problems was a mix of Western/allopathic medicine and CAM.
Conclusions: This study suggests that despite the ambivalence of many massage therapists towards conventional medicine, many use it, encourage clients to do so, and see involvement of both as crucial to health
Massage Therapy Produces Short-term Improvements in Balance, Neurological, and Cardiovascular Measures in Older Persons
Get PDFBackground: Falls are the primary cause of accidental death in older persons, producing increased morbidity, decreased independence, and billions in medical costs annually. Massage therapy (MT) may produce adaptations that decrease risk of falling. If MT can improve stability in older persons, it may provide a new intervention for this issue.
Purpose: Determine the acute effects of a 60-minute MT treatment on static and functional balance, neurological measures, heart rate, and
blood pressure in healthy, older individuals.
Setting: Laboratory
Research Design: A 2 by 4 (treatment by time) mixed factorial experimental design for the cardiovascular and postural control variables;
independent variables were treatment with two levels (control, MT) and time with four levels (pretreatment baseline, immediate post-treatment, 20-minute post-treatment, 60-minute post-treatment). Neurological measures utilized a 2 by 2 mixed design, with testing conducted pre- and 60-minutes post-treatment.
Participants: Thirty-five healthy, older volunteers (19 male and 16 female; ages 62.9 ± 4.6). Intervention: A 60-minute full-body therapeutic massage. The control group rested quietly in the treatment room.
Main Outcome Measures: Static (double-legged) and functional (single-legged) postural control with eyes-open and eyes-closed; Hoffmann-reflex
measures; heart rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Results: MT significantly decreased rectangular displacement area in both the eyes-open and eyesclosed, double-legged stance conditions (p < 0.05); displacement velocity in both eyes-open conditions (p < .05); and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p < .05), while increasing heart rate (p < .05). MT also significantly lowered Hmax/Mmax ratios compared to controls (p = .002). Decreased Hmax/Mmax measures were correlated to improved stability.
Conclusions: A single, 60-minute, full-body massage therapy treatment was shown to have a stabilizing effect on measures of static and dynamic
balance and physiological factors related to stability in older adults. MT should be investigated as a potential intervention to decrease falls in older individuals