The second North American Research Conference on Complementary & Integrative Medicine was held May 12-15, 2009, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Several cutting-edge presentations focused on topics in clinical massage therapy research, including pediatric massage, ethical considerations of massage with terminally ill patients, and effects of massage on chronic pelvic pain, pain, anxiety and tension in cardiac surgical patients, and chronic low back pain.
The conference was organized by the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine (CACHIM), whose mission is to help transform medicine and health care through rigorous research, new models of clinical care, and innovative educational programs that integrate biomedicine, the complexity of human beings, the intrinsic nature of healing and the rich diversity of therapeutic systems. AMTA representatives attended the conference
A RANDOMIZED TRIAL COMPARING RELAXATION MASSAGE, FOCUSED STRUCTURAL MASSAGE, AND USUAL CARE FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN.
The goal of this study was to evaluate effectiveness of two common forms of massage for chronic back pain. Four hundred one adults aged 20 to 65 years who had received care for nonspecific chronic low back pain at an integrated health care delivery system in the Seattle area were recruited and randomly assigned to receive focused structural massage (n=132), full body relaxation massage (n=136) or continued usual care (n=133). Twenty-six experienced licensed massage therapists provided up to 10 treatments of both types over a 10-week period. The primary outcomes, dysfunction and ersomeness of low back pain were assessed at baseline and 10 weeks after randomization by interviewers masked to treatment. Secondary outcomes included percentage improving by a clinically meaningful amount (3+ points for dysfunction and 2+ points for bothersomeness). Outcomes were also measured after 6 and 12 months.
Ninety percent of participants assigned to massage made at least eight visits, and 95 percent completed the 10-week interview. There were significant differences among the three groups for both primary outcomes. The two forms of massage had very similar effects, and were both statistically and clinically superior to usual care. The benefits of massage for improved function but not for symptom reduction persisted for at least six months. Data from a 12-month follow-up is pending. The authors concluded that massage is effective for chronic low back pain, with benefits lasting at least six months. Interestingly, patients who received a conventional full-body relaxation massage benefited as much as those who received a massage focused on the structures of the lower back. These results suggest that factors other than focused manipulation of the soft tissues in the back are responsible for the effectiveness of massage.
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