International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (IJTMB)
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A Pilot Study In to the Effects of Cervical Manual Therapy Plus Conventional Physical Therapy on Clinical Outcomes and Electrodiagnostic Findings in People With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
No full textBackground: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy that has a significant impact on patients’ quality of life. Current physical therapy treatment options show limited effects or low-quality evidence, especially in the long term. To date, there has been little research to look at the effects of treating the cervical spine on decreasing symptoms distally to the carpal tunnel. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of cervical manual therapy plus conventional physical therapy on patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Methods: This pilot pretest/posttest and six-month follow-up clinical study included 15 adult patients with CTS. For two weeks, each patient received 10 sessions of supervised intervention treatment. The efficacy of the therapies was assessed at baseline (T0), immediately after treatment (T1), and six months after treatment (T2). The visual analog scale (VAS), a symptom severity scale, the functional capacity scale of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ), the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, median nerve motor distal latency (mMDL), and median sensory nerve conduction velocity (mSNCV) were outcome measures.
Results: There were significant improvements in all measures between the baseline values at T0 and those recorded immediately after the treatment at T1 or six months later at T2 (p<.05).
Conclusion: This pilot study indicates that cervical manual therapy plus conventional physical therapy applied for two weeks improves clinical outcomes and electrodiagnostic findings in people with CTS
Perpetuating Victimization with Efforts to Reduce Human Trafficking: A Call to Action for Massage Therapist Protection
No full textHuman trafficking guised as massage therapy businesses is a highly successful business model that creates independent but related victims beyond the women and girls forced into sex work. Massage clinicians and the massage therapy profession are also negatively impacted by the trafficking massage business model with over 9,000 established illicit massage businesses marketing services alongside professional therapeutic massage businesses. Credential regulation efforts advocated for by various massage-related professional organizations and regulat-ing agencies have fallen short in their purported intentions to protect massage therapists and trafficking victims. Massage industry advocates continue endorsing massage therapy as a branch of health care although healthcare workers are not generally considered or treated as sex workers. Sexual harassment research in direct patient care disciplines, such as physical therapy and nursing, points to a high patient initiated incident rate and transdisciplinary, detrimental mental health outcomes for clinicians. Reporting and debriefing instances of sexual harassment inside of healthcare organizations, covered by The Civil Rights Act of 1964, promotes a victim-centered perspective to support the well-being of past, current, and pending victims. The massage therapy workforce is comprised of mainly female sole proprietors, creating a double vulnerability in their potential to experience sexual harassment. This threat is compounded by little-to-no protective or supporting systems or networks for massage clinicians. The priorities of professional massage organizations to depend on credentialing and licensing as their primary efforts to fight human trafficking, seems more to perpetuate the current system/expectations, leaving individual massage therapists responsible for fighting or reeducation deviant sexualized behaviors. This critical commentary closes with a call to action aimed at professional massage organizations, regulators, and corporations to protect massage therapists through a unified position, supported in word, policy, and action, against sexual harassment, and unequivocally condemns professional massage devaluation and sexualization in all forms
The Experiences of Touch Therapies in Symptom Management of Rural and Regional Cancer Patients in Australia
No full textIntroduction: Cancer patients are increasingly combining touch therapies (e.g., remedial massage, lymphatic massage, and/or reflexology) with conventional treatments to deal with the impact of their cancer and treatments on their physical and mental well-being. To understand the impact of integrative oncology services on cancer patients, it is essential to explore the impact that various types of integrative oncology services have on cancer patients.
Aims: This paper presents cancer patients’ experiences with touch therapies in a community-based cancer support center and to identify opportunities for better access to these practices and service provision in Australia.
Methods: A random selection of cancer patients (n=36) receiving touch therapies at a rural/regional community cancer center completed mixed-methods mail surveys regarding the use of touch therapies, their satisfaction, and the impact on pain, fatigue, nausea and overall well-being.
Results: Findings indicated that these services helped manage both physical and emotional symptoms. Of the participants experiencing pain and fatigue, findings revealed that touch therapies assisted with pain in 90% of participants and with fatigue in 70%.
Conclusion: Given the increased and continued use of touch therapies by individuals with cancer, cancer centers should consider establishing touch therapy services or provide referrals to touch therapy services that can assist with symptom management and improve quality care. By more clearly understanding the benefits of the different types of integrative oncology interventions, patients with cancer receive more tailored and effective interventions throughout of their cancer journey
Comparison of the Effect of Reflexology and Swedish Massage on Restless Legs Syndrome and Sleep Quality in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis: a Randomized Clinical Trial
No full textBackground: Patients undergoing hemodialysis experience painful complications such as restless leg syndrome and poor sleep quality, which negatively affect their quality of life.Purpose: This study aimed to compare the effect of reflexology and Swedish massage on restless leg syndrome and sleep quality in patients undergoing hemodialysis.
Method: This is a randomized clinical trial conducted on 90 patients undergo-ing hemodialysis. The two intervention groups received either foot reflexology (n = 30) or Swedish massage (n = 30) for four weeks. In the sham group (n = 30), a simple touch of the knee down was performed with the same conditions as the intervention groups. Each sample completed the International Restless Leg Syndrome and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Questionnaires before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention.Result: The results showed that immediately after the intervention, rest-less leg syndrome and sleep quality were significantly better in the foot reflexology massage group than the Swedish massage and sham groups (PRLS < 0.001, PPSQI < 0.001); also, changes in restless leg syndrome and sleep quality, respectively, before and one-month follow-up after the intervention were not significant in all three groups (PRLS = 0.47, PPSQI = 0.95), (PRLS = 0.91, PPSQI = 0.87).Conclusion: Reflexology and Swedish massage, as complementary methods, can improve the restless leg syndrome and sleep quality of patients undergoing hemodialysis. However, foot reflexology massage had been more effective.
Acute Effects of a Single-Session of Full-Body Foam Rolling on Heart Rate Variability
No full textBackground: Self-myofascial release has been demonstrated to increase relaxation and improve blood flow, yet it is unknown if it can elicit an acute effect on heart rate variability (HRV).
Purpose: This study aimed to determine if a single-bout of foam rolling could increase parasympathetic activity as measured by HRV.
Methods: Twenty (20) participants volunteered and their baseline HRV was assessed using a finger sensor while lying supine, and then a second measure was recorded with them sitting upright with feet on the ground. This study utilized a practical HRV collection method designed for use in the field settings, and the data is recorded in arbitrary units (A.U.). Par-ticipants then oscillated on a closed-cell cylindrical foam roller using their body weight on the triceps surae, hamstrings, quadriceps, lumbar spine, and pectoral muscles each for 60 sec. Participants first massaged the right limb and then repeated on the matching muscle group on the left before continuing to the next region. Follow-up HRV measurements were recorded using the same procedures.
Results: Paired samples t tests assessing pre- and post-foam–rolling HRV measures in supine and seated positions revealed no difference between supine measures (p = .05, d = 0.21), nor the seated measures (p = .27, d = 0.17) among all participants. When sexes were analyzed separately, males showed a significant decrease in HRV in supine positions (p = .03, d = 0.33), but females did not (p = .55, d = 0.09).
Conclusions: The single bout of foam rolling on large muscle groups did not increase parasympathetic activity as hypothesized. Males and females respond-ed differently in supine positions, but no difference was present in seated positions across sexes. The task of self-massage may have prevented the anticipated response f rom the massage. Further research should investigate if passive massage is more effective on HRV response
Effect of Aromatherapy Massage on Depression and Anxiety of Elderly Adults: a Randomized Controlled Trial
No full textIntroduction: This study investigated the effect of aromatherapy massage with lavender, chamomile, and rosemary oils on the depression and anxiety of elderly adults living in nursing homes.
Methods: This randomized controlled trail was conducted on elderly adults living in nursing homes in Kerman, Iran. Through convenience sampling, 38 elderly adults were recruited and assessed using demographic questionnaire and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), respectively. Then, elderly adults were randomly allocated to either a control (19) or an intervention (19) group through block randomization. Elderly adults in the intervention group received aromatherapy massage using lavender, chamomile, and rosemary. Each massage session lasted 20 min and was performed three times per week for two three-week periods with an intervening one-week break, while their counterparts in the control group solely received routine nursing homes care services. HADS Scale completed with repeated measurements before the intervention, at the end of the third week, at the beginning of the fifth week and at the end of the seventh week.
Results: According to the results, mean anxiety in the intervention group went from 11.9 ± 4 to 6.26 ± 3.38 (p <.0001), and the mean depression went from 9.94 ± 3.2 to 4.15 ± 2.14, indicating that anxiety and depression were significantly reduced com-pared with before intervention (p <.0001).
Conclusion: Aromatherapy massage with lavender, chamomile, and rosemary oils is effective in significantly reducing anxiety and depression of elderly adults living in the nursing homes
A Year in Review for the IJTMB
No full textYearly review and evaluation of the journal metrics and processes help to understand the value, worth, and impact of the Journal. In this editorial, the yearly review includes discussions on the current statistics of journal submissions and publication, updates to the IJTMB website, current social media impact, as well as the current peer review process and metrics. Additionally, the peer reviewers for the past year are thanked and acknowledged for their efforts and service to the Journal
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Neck Pattern and Trunk Specific Exercise on Trunk Control and Balance—an Experimental Study
No full textBackground: Most stroke survivors continue to live with disabilities and may require physical rehabilitation to control the trunk and balance during the post-stroke period. The cause of lack of trunk control and balance among stroke patients is the weakened trunk muscle strength.
Purpose: To study the effect of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) neck pattern and trunk-specific exercise on trunk control and balance among stroke patients.
Setting: The study was conducted at the medical wards of Saveetha Medical Col-lege and Hospital, Chennai, India.
Participants: Sixty patients with stroke who met the inclusion criteria participated in the study.
Research Design: This is a quasi-experimental study.
Intervention: PNF trunk-specific exerise was administered to the experimental group for 45 min of 28 sessions, which contained 15 min of stretching exercise and 30 min trunk-specific exercise. The control group received routine hospital care services.
Main Outcome Measures: The study’s primary outcome was balance and trunk control, measured by the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) before the intervention and at the end of the intervention of 28 days.
Results: Within-group analysis, paired t test showed a significant improvement comparing the trunk control and balance score before (13.40±1.04 & 25.40±1.81) and after (15.03±0.96 & 27.07± 1.48) the intervention in the experimental group (p < .001). Between-group analysis, both the experimental and control group post-test mean score of TIS (15.03±0.96 &13.70±1.15) and BBS (27.07±1.48 & 25.30±1.73) showed significant difference (p < .001).
Conclusion: PNF neck pattern and trunk-specific exercise used in this study effectively improved balance and trunk control among patients with stroke.
The Comparison of the Effectiveness of Respiratory Physiotherapy Plus Myofascial Release Therapy Versus Respiratory Physiotherapy Alone on Cardiorespiratory Parameters in Patients With COVID-19
No full textBackground: Respiratory involvement is a common consequence of COVID-19; changes in cardiorespiratory parameters of these patients during respiratory rehabilitation program are very important. Previous studies showed that myofascial release therapy (MFRT) could affect the respiratory muscle and adjunct fascia.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of MFRT techniques and respiratory physiotherapy, in comparison with respiratory physiotherapy alone, on improving cardiorespiratory parameter in patients with COVID-19.
Setting: A hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran, from February to July 2021.
Participants: Fifty patients with COVID-19 participated in this study.
Research Design: A single-blind, ran-domized control design.
Intervention: The patients with COVID-19 randomly assigned to an intervention group who received respiratory physiotherapy combined with MFRT or a control group receiving respiratory physiotherapy alone.
Main Outcome Measure(s): Heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respiration rate, oxygen saturation, chest expansion, and ease of breathing were assessed at baseline and after the first and third session of treatment. Dyspnea and fatigue perception and 6-minute walking were assessed at baseline and at the end of treatment. Patient’s thoughts about the treatment were examined through the 4-point Likert scale.
Results: The ANOVAs found significant time effect for ease of breathing, dyspnea perception (F = 32.33, p < .01 and F = 11.72, p < .01, respectively). Also significant time by group interaction was found for chest expansion at xiphoid level (F = 4.02, p = .02).
Conclusions: The present study provided evidence that both programs could result in improving ease of breathing and dyspnea perception, although the inclusion of MFR techniques into a respiratory physiotherapy program did not result in better outcomes in cardiorespiratory function of patients with COVID-19
The Use of Massage to Support Emotional and Physical Health in a Pregnancy After Stillbirth: a Case Study
No full textObjective: To observe the effects of massage aiming to support a mum in her pregnancy after a previous stillbirth. The client’s goal varied over the course of her pregnancy, but her main motivation was to help manage the anxiety and stress of pregnancy after a previous stillbirth.
Methods: A 32-year-old pregnant wom-an received seven massages over a seven-month period. The Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCaW) outcome measure was used at each session to identify the client’s concerns at that time point. Written feedback was also sought from the client just prior to her giving birth.
Results: The client’s concerns included anxiety, sciatica, stress, shoulder tension/soreness, and a lack of sleep. The client experienced a decrease in each concern after each treatment over the seven sessions and experienced improved wellbeing after each session. The client self-reported that the massage helped her cope, saying: “I’m not sure how I would have coped if I didn’t have her sessions.”
Conclusions: Massage is a treatment option for women experiencing pregnancy after stillbirth, which can provide physical and emotional support