Massage can be defined as “manual soft tissue manipulation, and includes holding, causing movement, and/or applying pressure to the body.”1 Massage therapy is the practice of massage by accredited professionals to achieve positive health and well-being (physical, functional, and psychological outcomes) in clients.1,2 As a distinct allied health and/or complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practice, massage therapy encompasses different types of massage originating from Western and Eastern practice, alongside the use of various supplementary therapeutic modalities e.g. cupping and dry needling.2 A growing body of research supports massage therapy as being an evidence-based therapeutic modality There is strong evidence supporting acupressure management of nausea and vomiting Massage therapy is effective in managing subacute/chronic low back pain, delayed- onset muscle soreness (DOMS), anxiety, stress and relaxation, and helps support the wellbeing of patients with chronic and/or terminal diseases such as cancer. There are opportunities for further research into the benefits of massage therapy for infants, depression and post-natal depression, labour pain, fibromyalgia, premenstrual syndrome, urinary symptoms in multiple sclerosis, myofascial pain and knee osteoarthritis. There is consistent and conclusive evidence that massage therapy is safe. However, the importance of qualified massage therapists adhering to appropriate scopes of practice, safety guidelines and ethical procedures is stressed. Clinicians are encouraged to collaborate with professional massage practitioners for best practice management of patients who may benefit from massage therapy. Thirty-three different types of massage therapies and techniques used in the included studies are listed below (Table 10). The most commonly researched massage therapies included acupressure, Swedish massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, sports massage and infant massage. While 144 studies did not specify the type of massage, sixty-seven of these did describe a massage treatment protocol. source: The Effectiveness of Massage Therapy A Summary of Evidence-Based Research By Dr Kenny CW Ng, MBBS BMedSci DipRM CertIVFitness, Member Australian Association of Massage Therapy. In collaboration with Professor Marc Cohen, School of Health Sciences, RMIT University.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Aug 2013 00:09:14 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015