At the second North American Research Conference on Complementary & Integrative Medicine held last May in Minneapolis, Minnesota, several cutting-edge presentations focused on topics in clinical massage therapy research, including the effects of chronic low back pain.
For those interested in utilizing massage therapy for helping with lower back pain, the results of a randomized trial comparing relaxation massage, focused structural massage, and usual care for chronic low back pain is of particular note.
The authors of the study concluded that massage is effective for chronic low back pain, with benefits lasting at least six months. Patients in the study 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.
“For many professional massage therapists, we’re often asked if we can help our clients with lower back pain,” said Grant Lessard, Cortiva Institute – Scottsdale Director of Education and faculty member. “This study reinforces what many of us see everyday on the front lines of our practices.”
Check out the fall 2009 issue of Massage Therapy Journal for more.
