BACKGROUND Massage therapy is the scientific manipulation of the soft tissues of the body for normalizing those tissues and consists of manual techniques that include applying fixed or movable pressure, holding, and/or causing movement of or to the body. There are more than 1500 massage training centers or schools in the United States. Several studies evaluated the effect of massage on elevatin...

PURPOSE To conduct a pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effects of reflexology on quality of life (QofL) in women with early breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS One hundred and eighty-three women were randomised 6 weeks post-breast surgery to self-initiated support (SIS) (comparator intervention), SIS plus reflexology, or SIS plus scalp massage (control for physical a...

It is well known that the massage therapy is useful for the rehabilitation of various diseases (i.e. oral health problems, etc.). Although various apparatus have been developed for the massage of the torso and limbs, there is still little knowledge about their real effectiveness. However; thanks to recent advances in robot technology (such as actuators, sensors, control system, etc.), more effe...

Objective: To determine if head and shoulder relaxation massage given immediately before collecting a semen sample will result in an increased total motile sperm count or improved semen parameters for intrauterine insemination (IUI). Design: Prospective randomized study Setting: Academic fertility center Patients: Forty men undergoing clomiphene IUI therapy with their partners Interventions: Ma...

This article deals with history of Chinese massage and the introduction of Indian massage into China.

KEYWORDS: Massage therapy education, distance learning Greetings, esteemed reader. I have been graciously invited by Executive Editor Dr. Glenn M. Hymel to offer a guest editorial, and he has invited me to speak to one of my favorite topics: education in the massage therapy profession. The Massage Therapy Foundation, as most readers probably know, is dedicated to advancing our profession throug...

Aims: Research has shown that most of the elderly suffer from knee osteoarthritis. Massage therapy is one of the non-pharmacological methods that according to studies can be used to relieve the symptoms caused by knee osteoarthritis in the elderly. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of reaching a comprehensive view on massage therapy in relieving the symptoms of knee osteoa...

abstract background: hypertension has become a major problem throughout the world, especially in developing countries like iran. as it is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, even small reductions in the prevalence can have potentially large public health benefits. among the complementary methods, massage provides an effective means to lower the blood pressure. if nurses perceive the...

BACKGROUND The treatment of low back pain is very challenging due to the recurrent nature of the problem. It is believed that traditional Malay massage helps to relieve such back pain but there is a lack of scientific evidence to support both the practice of traditional Malay massage and the mechanism by which it exerts its effect. The aim of this study is to investigate the immediate effect of...

The physiological and therapeutic effects of massage are frequently questioned. This article reviews previous research into the effects of massage on blood flow and composition, oedema, connective tissue, muscle and the nervous system. Although further investigations are clearly required in certain areas, the discussion demonstrates that the use of massage in sports medicine can be justified ac...