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MASSAGE THERAPY
Study Finds Benefits of Therapeutic Massage for Chronic Neck Pain
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Neck pain is a common health problem in the United States. People suffering from neck pain often turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Although therapeutic massage is one of the most popular CAM therapies for neck pain, little is known about its effectiveness for this condition. In an NCCAM-funded study conducted at the Group Health Center in Seattle, 64 adults with neck pain persisting for at least 12 weeks were randomly assigned to receive either massage or a self-care book. The massage group had up to 10 treatments over a 10-week period, provided by licensed practitioners who used a variety of common Swedish and clinical massage techniques and also made typical self-care suggestions. After 4, 10, and 26 weeks, the researchers interviewed participants to assess function (Neck Disability Index), symptom bothersomeness, and other measures. | |
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After 10 weeks, the massage
group was more likely than the
self-care-book group to have
clinically significant
improvement in function and
symptoms. At 26 weeks, the
massage group tended to be more
likely to report improvement in
function but not in specific
symptoms. For both function and
symptoms, mean differences
between the two groups were
strongest at 4 weeks and not
evident by 26 weeks. At all
followup points, the massage
group was more likely than the
self-care-book group to report
global improvement ratings of
"better" or "much better." At 26
weeks, medication use had
increased 14 percent for the
self-care-book group but had not
changed for the massage group.
There were no serious adverse
experiences reported. The researchers concluded that therapeutic massage is safe and may have benefits for treating chronic neck pain, at least in the short term. They recommended studies to determine optimal massage treatment, as well as larger, more comprehensive studies to follow patients for at least 1 year. (N C C A M) | |
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