International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (IJTMB)
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Integrating Massage, Chiropractic, and Acupuncture in University Clinics: A Guided Student Observation
Get PDFBackground: Several studies have reported on the health benefits of applying an integrated complementary health care model.
Purpose: This paper presents the results of pilot research focusing on the observations massage therapy students made about complementary health care education and integration during massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture treatments at two university clinics. Setting: Observations took place at Northwestern Health Sciences University’s associated clinics that offered massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture. Research Design: Students directly observed how clinicians and interns educated their patients and integrated other forms of complementary health care into their practice. Participants: chiropractors, massage therapists, and acupuncturists, and their patients. All participants were English-speaking and 18–65 years old. Main Outcome Measures: Observations recorded by students in journals about education and integration during massage therapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture treatments were coded and counted.
Results: Qualitative observations showed that clinicians and interns educated patients to some degree, but the clinicians were less apt to integrate other modalities than the interns.
Conclusions: Observations support that professional integrity may limit clinicians in their ability to integrate multiple modalities of health care while treating patients. Since it is well established that integration of multiple health care modalities is beneficial to patient health, it is recommended that clinics assist their clinical staff in applying an integrative approach to their practice
The Development and Validation of the Client Expectations of Massage Scale
Get PDFBackground: Although there is evidence that client expectations influence client outcomes, a valid and reliable scale for measuring the range of client expectations for both massage therapy and the behaviors of their massage therapists does not exist. Understanding how client expectations influence client outcomes would provide insight into how massage achieves its reported effects.
Purpose: To develop and validate the Client Expectations of Massage Scale (CEMS), a measure of clients’ clinical, educational, interpersonal, and outcome expectations.
Setting: Offices of licensed massage therapists in Iowa.
Research Design: A practice-based research methodology was used to collect data from two samples of massage therapy clients. For Sample
1, 21 volunteer massage therapists collected data from their clients before the massage. Factor analysis was conducted to test construct validity
and coefficient alpha was used to assess reliability. Correlational analyses with the CEMS, previous measures of client expectations, and the
Life Orientation Test–Revised were examined to test the convergent and discriminant validity of the CEMS. For Sample 2, 24 massage therapists
distributed study materials for clients to complete before and after a massage therapy session. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the construct, discriminant, and predictive validity of the CEMS.
Participants: Sample 1 involved 320 and Sample 2 involved 321 adult massage clients. Intervention: Standard care provided by licensed massage therapists.
Main Outcomes: Numeric Rating Scale for pain and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule– Revised (including the Serenity subscale).
Results: The CEMS demonstrated good construct, convergent, discriminant and predictive validity, and adequate reliability. Client expectations were generally positive toward massage and their massage therapists. Positive outcome expectations had a positive effect on clients’ changes in pain and serenity. High interpersonal expectations had a negative effect on clients’ changes in serenity.
Conclusions: Client expectations contribute to the nonspecific effects of massage therapy
Six Weeks of Massage Therapy Produces Changes in Balance, Neurological and Cardiovascular Measures in Older Persons
Get PDFObjectives: Falls in older adults represent a primary cause of decreased mobility and independence, increased morbidity, and accidental death. Research and clinical reports indicate that therapeutic massage (TM) may positively influence suggested causative factors. The second in a two-part study, this project assessed the effects of six weeks of TM treatment on balance, nervous system, and cardiovascular measures in older adults.
Design: A randomized controlled trial assessed the effects of six weekly 60-minute sessions of TM on balance, cardiovascular, and nervous system measures. Thirty-five volunteers (19 male and 16 female; ages 62.9 ± 4.6) were randomly assigned to relaxation control or TM groups. A 2 × 4 [treatment condition X time (week 1 and 6)] mixed factorial experimental design was utilized for cardiovascular/balance variables assessed at pretreatment baseline, immediate post-treatment, and 20- and 60-minutes post-treatment; nervous system measures were assessed only at pretreatment and at 60-minute follow-up (2 × 2 mixed design). Longterm benefits were assessed by comparing the TM and control groups on pretreatment baseline measures at week six and a follow-up assessment at week seven (2 × 3 mixed design).
Setting: Laboratory
Intervention: Six weekly 60-minute, full-body TM.
Outcome Measures: Postural control/cardiovascular measures were assessed weeks one, six, and seven; pretreatment and immediate, 20- and 60-minutes post-treatment. Motoneuron pool excitability was assessed pretreatment and 60 minutes post-treatment.
Results: The TM group showed significant differences relative to controls in cardiovascular and displacement area/velocity after the week six session, with decreasing blood pressure and increasing stability over time from immediate post-TM to 60 minutes post-TM. The TM group revealed lower H-max/M-max ratios 60-minutes post-treatment. Long-term differences between the groups were detected at week seven in displacement area/velocity and systolic blood pressure.
Conclusions: Results suggest six weeks of TM resulted in immediate and long-term improvements in postural stability and blood pressure, compared to a controlled condition
Massage Therapy for Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease: Alleviating a Pain in the Neck?
Get PDFBackground: A 66-year-old female client with cervical degenerative disc disease at lateral left facet joint C6/C7 was experiencing symptoms of chronic neck pain accompanied by limited cervical range of motion, as well as radicular left shoulder and arm pain. The objective of this case report was to describe the effect of therapeutic massage on the client’s symptoms and impairments of cervical DDD.
Methods: Therapeutic massage interventions included soft-tissue manipulation using petrissage and neuromuscular techniques, fascial work, facilitated stretching, joint play, hydrotherapy, education on self-stretching, and positive guidance about condition management. Assessment included pain-free cervical ROM and a subjective verbal pain scale.
Results: After several treatment sessions, client’s symptoms had decreased and cervical ROM had improved moderately. There was also a decrease in reported pain and an increase in functional daily activities. Client showed a greater understanding of the physiologic barriers which degenerative changes may present.
Conclusions: This client responded favorably to massage therapy as a treatment intervention for cervical DDD symptoms
The Effects of Massage on Pain, Stiffness, and Fatigue Levels Associated with Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Case Study
Get PDFObjectives: To study the effects of massage on pain, stiffness, and fatigue in a patient recently diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
Methods: A 47-year-old woman with AS diagnosed 11 months earlier received 7 massages across a 28-day period. Her pain, stiffness, and fatigue were recorded using visual analogue scales daily during the study period. Spinal mobility was measured at each massage session with finger-to-floor measurements for both forward and lateral flexion. The client also used a daily journal to supply pertinent information on quality of life.
Results: Improvement was recorded in all dependent variables, with stiffness intensity showing the greatest improvement, to a final value of 0.75 from an initial value of 5. Duration of stiffness also showed improvement, to a final value of 1.2 from an initial value of 3.5. Improvement was also found in general pain (final value: 1; initial value: 4), fatigue (final value: 1.5; initial value 5), and forward and lateral flexion (forward flexion distance—final: 4 inches; initial: 6 inches; lateral flexion, left distance: final, 16.5 inches; initial, 21 inches; right distance: final, 16.5 inches; initial, 20.5 inches).
Conclusions: Massage shows promise as a treatment for symptoms associated with AS. Further study is needed to validate these effects and to determine the feasibility of massage as an adjunct to standard care for AS patients with mild-tomoderate symptoms of AS
Gait Characteristics, Range of Motion, and Spasticity Changes in Response to Massage in a Person with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: Case Report
Get PDFPurpose: Our study set out to measure the effect of a specific routine of massage on gait characteristics, range of motion, and spasticity in a person with incomplete spinal cord injury.
Methods: This descriptive, pre–post case study, conducted at the outpatient program of a rehabilitation facility, used neuromuscular techniques in massage for a 42-year-old man with incomplete chronic C5 spinal cord injury. The massage was applied to the iliopsoas, triceps surae, and hamstring muscle groups for 3 consecutive days.
Main Outcome Measures: Pre- and post-intervention testing included standard goniometric measurement of joint range of motion in the lower extremities, spasticity evaluation using the modified Ashworth scale, and evaluation of gait characteristics using GAITRite Walkway (CIR Systems, Havertown, PA, USA) pressure mapping for ambulation time, cadence, velocity, stride length, base of support, and single- and double-limb support.
Results: After the therapeutic intervention, the following gait changes were demonstrated: increase in velocity and cadence of gait, decrease in ambulation time, increase in stride length, and improvements in the percentages of the swing and stance phases of the gait cycle.
Conclusions: Specific application of massage therapy influenced gait speed, stride length, and swing and stance phase percentages in one person with incomplete spinal cord injury. Further study is warranted to determine the extent to which massage may affect musculoskeletal and neural impairments that limit gait in people with incomplete spinal cord injury, and the method or routine whose application will yield the most benefit