Annals of Internal Medicine trial compared massage types at Group Health
Massage therapy helps ease chronic low back pain and improve function, according to a randomized controlled trial that the Annals of Internal Medicine will publish in its July 5 issue. The first study to compare structural and relaxation (Swedish) massage, the trial found that both types of massage worked well, with few side effects.
“We found that massage helps people with back pain to function even after six months,” said trial leader Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD, a senior investigator at Group Health Research Institute. Better function means they are more able to work, take care of themselves, and be active.
“This is important because chronic back pain is among the most common reasons people see doctors and alternative practitioners, including massage therapists,” Dr. Cherkin added. “It’s also a common cause of disability, absenteeism, and ‘presenteeism,’ when people are at work but can’t perform well.”
Categories: Alternative Medicine, Health