BACKGROUND The effectiveness of massage therapy for low-back pain has not been documented. This randomized controlled trial compared comprehensive massage therapy (soft-tissue manipulation, remedial exercise and posture education), 2 components of massage therapy and placebo in the treatment of subacute (between 1 week and 8 months) low-back pain. METHODS Subjects with subacute low-back pain ...

BACKGROUND Clinical approaches like mobilization, stretching, and/or massage may decrease shoulder tightness and improve symptoms in subjects with stiff shoulders. We investigated the effect and predictors of effectiveness of massage in the treatment of patients with posterior shoulder tightness. METHODS A randomized controlled trial was conducted in a hospital-based outpatient practice (orth...

BACKGROUND Massage is increasingly used to manage chronic pain but its benefit has not been clearly established. The aim of the study is to determine the effectiveness of a single session of nurse-administered massage for the short term relief of chronic non-malignant pain and anxiety. METHODS A randomised controlled trial design was used, in which the patients were assigned to a massage or c...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Cryolipolysis procedures have been shown to safely and effectively reduce the thickness of fat in a treated region. This study was conducted to determine whether the addition of post-treatment manual massage would improve efficacy while maintaining the safety profile of the original cryolipolysis treatment protocol. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study population consiste...

BACKGROUND The massage therapy profession in the United States has grown exponentially, with 35% of the profession's practitioners in practice for three years or less. Investigating personal and social factors with regard to the massage therapy profession could help to identify constructs needed to be successful in the field. PURPOSE This data-gathering exercise explores massage therapists' p...

OBJECTIVES massage can help relieve pain, although empirical evidence is scarce and contradictory. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a massage protocol in relieving pain in children hospitalized with cancer. METHODS a randomized, controlled, and single-blind trial was performed in a sample of 52 children aged between 10 and 18 years who were hospitalized in a pediatric cancer war...

The Massage Therapy Foundation presented the second Highlighting Massage Therapy in CIM Research conference on May 13-15, 2010. This threeday conference (supported in part by RI3AT005420 from NCCAM) brought together massage and manual therapy practitioners, educators, CIM researchers, allied health professionals, and others interested in massage research. Current research related to massage and...

Twenty-six adults were given a chair massage and 24 control group adults were asked to relax in the massage chair for 15 minutes, two times per week for five weeks. On the first and last days of the study they were monitored for EEG, before, during and after the sessions. In addition, before and after the sessions they performed math computations, they completed POMS Depression and State Anxiet...

oVerView Research 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 he...