Massage significantly improved self-rated health, mental energy and muscle pain in people with chronic musculoskeletal pain, according to a recent study.

“A Randomized Clinical Trial of the Treatment Effects of Massage Compared to Relaxation Tape Recordings on Diffuse Long-Term Pain” was conducted by staff at the Uppsala University Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, in Uppsala, Sweden.

One-hundred-seventeen subjects with long-term, diffuse (spread out) musculoskeletal pain participated in the study. Each subject had pain that had lasted for at least three months and was not caused by a specific disease or condition.

Participants were randomized to either a massage or relaxation group. Subjects in the massage group received anywhere from six to 10 massages, each lasting 30 minutes. Subjects received the massages one to three times per week. Participants received an average of seven massages. One person administered all massages, and each session was adjusted to meet subjects’ individual pain thresholds.

Subjects in the relaxation group listened to a relaxation tape twice a week for five weeks. The tape instructed them to tense and relax the muscle groups and breathe slowly and regularly.
Questionnaires regarding the subjects’ age, gender, smoking habits, country of birth, marital status and profession were filled out before, immediately after and three months following the study. A self-rated health questionnaire and rating scales for mental energy and muscle pain were also administered at these times.

Results of the study showed that, during treatment, there was a significant improvement in self-rated health, mental energy and muscle pain for subjects in the massage group as compared to those in the relaxation group.

“For all three outcome measures, massage was significantly more effective during treatment, even after controlling for other possible factors,” state the study’s authors.

However, at the three-month follow-up evaluation these improved scores had reverted back to their initial levels.

“This lack of long-term benefits could be due to the short treatment period or treatments such as these do not address the underlying causes of pain,” state the study’s authors. “Future studies of long-term pain should include longer treatment periods and post-treatment follow-up.”

- Source: Uppsala University Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, in Uppsala, Sweden. Authors: Dan Hasson, Bengt Arentz, Lena Jelveus and Bo Edelstam. Originally published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 2004, Vol. 73, pp. 17-24.

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This is the video that was taken at the Australian Poker League

It’s common knowledge that one should get eight hours of sleep each night. A 2006 study has shown that people often underestimate the amount of sleep they are actually getting. The data shows that although the subjects stayed in bed for roughly eight hours, the amount of quality sleep they reported averaged six hours or less. At first glance, this might not seem like a serious issue, but over time, the cumulative effects of poor sleep can take a toll on health and productivity. Sleep deprivation can negatively affect concentration and problem solving skills, increase the likelihood of developing conditions such as obesity and diabetes, and it even increases the chances of having a motor vehicle accident.
There are several types of sleep disorders, the most common being sleep apnea and insomnia. Insomnia is a condition that affects millions of Americans and is categorized by the inability to fall asleep or remain sleeping throughout the night. It can be a short term problem, but there are many examples of prolonged insomnia, some cases lasting for months and years. Sleep apnea is a potentially life threatening disorder in which breathing stops for 10 – 30 seconds per episode. On average, someone who suffers from sleep apnea experiences 300 or more episodes each night. Sleep patterns can also be interrupted by pain, increased stress, change in diet or schedule, excess caffeine consumption, aging, depression and conditions such as osteoarthritis and restless leg syndrome.
There are several over the counter and prescription sleep aids on the market, but many carry a risk of dependency and all have the potential of causing morning grogginess. There is increasing evidence that massage can effectively treat the root causes of many types of sleep disorders. Massage stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the system that deals with the body’s conservation and replenishment of energy. Heart rate and blood pressure are reduced while aiding digestion and nutrient absorption. These are all key factors affecting the quality of sleep. The most prevalent root cause of sleep disorders is stress and massage therapy has been proven to be very effective in reducing stress and anxiety.

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Massage therapy eases the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome and increases grip strength, according to a recent study.

Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms are lessened following massage therapy” was conducted by staff at the Touch Research Institutes at the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, Florida.

Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include pain, tingling, burning and numbness of the hand. Sixteen people diagnosed with this syndrome participated in the study. All of them held jobs involving heavy word processing or computer work.

Subjects were randomly assigned to either the standard-treatment control group or the massage-therapy group. Those in the massage group received one massage per week on the affected arm for four weeks. They were also instructed in self-massage, which they were to perform each night before bed.

The massage routine consisted of stroking of moderate pressure from the fingertips to the elbow. A massage and pain log was kept by subjects in the massage group. In the log, participants recorded the times at which they began and ended self-massage, as well as their levels of pain on a scale from zero to 10.

Subjects in the control group received no intervention, but were taught the massage routine after the study ended.

Physicians evaluated participants’ carpal tunnel symptoms, such as tingling, numbness, pain and strength, at the beginning and end of the four-week study. The Tinel sign, which tests to see if light tapping of the affected area elicits pain or tingling, was also used at the start and finish of the study. Physicians used the Phalen Test at the beginning and end of the study as well. The Phalen Test involves flexing of the wrists to see if numbness or tingling occurs.

A nerve conduction test was also performed at the start and finish of the study. This involved stimulation of the median sensory nerves through electrodes placed on each subject’s index finger and wrist. Peak sensory latencies were recorded to test for nerve compression at the carpal tunnel. Median peak latency was the primary outcome measure.

Assessments were also made before and after the massage sessions on the first and last days of the study, including the Perceived Grip Strength Scale; VITAS, a pain assessment using a visual analogue scale; the state anxiety inventory; and the Profile of Mood States.

Results of the study showed that the subjects in the massage group had significantly less pain and reduced carpal tunnel symptoms, as well as shorter median peak latencies and increased grip strength.

Functional activity also improved as noted in reduced pain and increased grip strength in the massage therapy group, both immediately after the first and last massage therapy sessions and by the end of the study,” state the study’s authors. “Finally, the massage therapy group reported lower anxiety and depressed mood levels both immediately after the first and last sessions and by the end of the study.

Source: Touch Research Institutes at the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, Florida. Authors: Tiffany Field, Ph.D.; Miguel Diego; Christy Cullen; Kristin Hartshorn; Alan Gruskin; Maria Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D.; and William Sunshine. Originally published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 2004, Vol. 8, pp. 9-14.

Seven days of bedtime back massage, for 10 minutes each evening, significantly reduced the anxiety, pain, blood pressure and heart rate of elderly stroke patients, according to a recent study.

The effects of slow-stroke back massage on anxiety and shoulder pain in elderly stroke patients” was conducted by staff at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Department of Nursing and Wong Chuk Hang Hospital, in Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Participants were stroke patients 65 years or older, experiencing shoulder pain and not already receiving pain-relief measures. One-hundred-and-two subjects, with an average age of 73, completed the study. They were randomly assigned to either the massage group or the control group.

Those in the massage group received 10 minutes of slow-stroke back massage before bedtime for seven evenings in a row. The massage involved slow, rhythmic stroking while the subject was either seated, leaning on a pillow, or lying prone in bed.

Subjects in the control group received standard care.

Outcome measures were self-reported anxiety and pain; systolic and diastolic blood pressure; and heart rate. These were evaluated before the massage on the first day of the study and after the massage on the last day of the study, as well as three days after the massage sessions had ended. For subjects in the control group, the outcomes were measured on day one and seven of the study, and three days later.

The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to gauge participants’ anxiety levels, and the Vertical Visual Analogue Scale was used to measure pain. The research nurse measured subjects’ blood pressure and heart rates.

Results of the study showed that subjects in the massage group had significantly lower pain, anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate, compared to subjects in the control group. Three days after the massage had ended, these improvements were maintained among the massage recipients.

The results of this study support the view that [slow-stroke back massage], as an alternative adjunct to pharmacological treatment, is a clinically effective nursing intervention for reducing anxiety and shoulder pain in elderly stroke patients,” state the study’s authors.

- Source: Hong Kong Polytechnic University Department of Nursing and Wong Chuk Hang Hospital, in Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Authors: Esther Mok and Chin Pang Woo. Originally published in Complementary Therapies in Nursing & Midwifery, 2004, Vol. 10, pp. 209-216.

Massage therapy significantly improved cancer patients’ symptoms, such as pain, anxiety, nausea, fatigue and depression, according to a recent study.

Massage Therapy for Symptom Control: Outcome Study at a Major Cancer Center” was conducted by staff of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York City.

Three types of massage are available to patients at MSKCC: Swedish, light-touch and foot massage. Each massage lasts 20 minutes for inpatients and one hour for outpatients. Patients may request the massage themselves, or be referred by a health professional or family member.

As a “routine part of clinical management,” patients rate pain, fatigue, anxiety, nausea and depression before and 5-15 minutes after each massage. For this study, the symptom with the highest score was deemed the presenting symptom.

The study’s authors analyzed before-and-after data from the initial massage session of 1,290 cancer patients at MSKCC during a three-year period.

Swedish and foot massage were the most common interventions, with some patients receiving a combination of both. Anxiety was the most common presenting symptom of the cancer patients, followed by pain and fatigue.

Data analysis revealed a 54-percent mean reduction of the presenting symptom following massage therapy. Specifically, anxiety was the symptom eased the most by massage therapy (60-percent reduction), and fatigue was the symptom eased the least (43 percent). Outpatients showed a 10-percent greater improvement in symptoms when compared to inpatients, perhaps due to the longer massage sessions the outpatients received.

It is clear that massage therapy achieves major reductions in cancer patients’ pain, fatigue, nausea, anxiety and depression,” state the study’s authors.

Additional follow-up, beyond immediate post-session scores, involved 74 outpatients and 237 inpatients. Both inpatients and outpatients were assessed two-to-five hours after the massage. Outpatients were again assessed 24 hours and 48 hours after the massage.

Results of this extended follow-up showed that inpatients’ symptoms scores were about a half-point higher within hours of the massage. “This suggests that inpatient severity scores returned to baseline within a day or so,” state the study’s authors.

For outpatients, there was no regression toward baseline symptom scores throughout the follow-up period.

Massage therapy appears to be an uncommonly non-invasive and inexpensive means of symptom control for patients with serious chronic illness,” state the study’s authors. “It is non-invasive, inexpensive, comforting, free of side effects and greatly appreciated by recipients.

Source: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Integrative Medicine Service and Biostatistics Service, New York City. Authors: Barrie R. Cassileth, Ph.D.; and Andrew J. Vickers, Ph.D. Originally published in Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, September 2004, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 244-249

Massage eases anxiety and depression, as well as leg and back pain, in depressed pregnant women, and their newborns seem to benefit as well, according to a recent study.

“Massage therapy effects on depressed pregnant women” was conducted by staff of the Touch Research Institutes at the University of Miami School of Medicine, in Florida.

Eighty-four depressed pregnant women in their second trimester participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to either a massage group, a muscle-relaxation group or a standard-care control group. A group of 28 non-depressed pregnant women were used as a comparison group.

Women in the massage group received two 20-minute massages per week for 16 weeks, provided by their significant others. Professional massage therapists taught the significant others the massage routine, which focused 10 minutes on each side of the mother as she laid on either side with pillows behind her back and between her legs.

Subjects in the muscle-relaxation group were taught a 20-minute, progressive muscle-relaxation routine to be performed at home twice a week for 16 weeks.

Immediate effects of the intervention were measured before and after sessions on the first and last days of the study. These included anxiety, measured on the State Anxiety Inventory; depressed mood, measured on the Profile of Mood States Scale; and leg and back pain, assessed on the VITAS pain scale, a visual analog scale.

More sustained effects were evaluated by comparing outcomes from the first and last days of the study. The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale was used to rate depressive symptoms of the previous week. Urine samples were used to measure levels of cortisol; catecholamines, including norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine; and serotonin.

Fetal activity was monitored at 18-24 weeks and again at 36 weeks, using interval recording on a real-time ultrasound scanner. Every three seconds for three minutes, the researcher recorded whether the fetus was making single-limb movements, multiple-limb movements, gross body movements, or no movements.

After birth, the Obstetrics Complications Scale was used to assess complications that arose during the pregnancy, delivery and neonatal period. The Postnatal Factor Scale was used to evaluate any complications in the newborn, and the Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment was used to assess the newborn’s reflexes, social responses and motor behaviors.

Results of the study showed that women in the massage group had significantly increased levels of serotonin and dopamine, and significantly decreased levels of cortisol and norepinephrine at the end of the study. Women in the other groups showed no significant changes in any of these levels from the first to last days of the study.

The massage group also showed a greater decrease in depression on the last day of the study as compared to the first, while the other groups showed no significant changes. There was also a greater improvement in mood and decreased anxiety among women in the massage group immediately after the massage on both the first and last days of the study, as well as decreased leg and back pain.

Results also showed a greater decrease in fetal activity in the massage group as compared to the other groups, as well as fewer premature births, as revealed on the Obstetrics Complications Scale. Newborns of the women who received massage performed better on the Brazelton assessment as well.

“Overall the findings suggest that massage therapy is effective for reducing pregnant women’s stress hormones, stressful mood states, leg and back pain and for lessening obstetric and post-natal complications, hence improving neonatal outcomes,” state the study’s authors. “They also suggest the efficacy of using a significant other as massage therapist.”

—Source: Touch Research Institutes at the University of Miami School of Medicine, in Florida. Authors: T. Field, Ph.D.; M.A. Diego; M. Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D.; S. Schanberg; and C. Kuhn. Originally published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, June 2004, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 115-122.

Massage therapy helps preserve the immune systems of HIV-positive children who do not have access to antiretroviral medication, according to recent research.
Massage Treatment in HIV-1 Infected Dominican Children: A Preliminary Report on the Efficacy of Massage Therapy to Preserve the Immune System in Children without Antiretroviral Medication” was conducted by staff of the University of Miami School of Medicine, Division of Disease Prevention, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Medicine, and Touch Research Institutes; and staff at Robert Reid Cabral Children’s Hospital in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Fifty-four HIV-positive children, without antiretroviral medication, from Robert Reid Cabral Children’s Hospital, participated in the study. The children were randomly assigned to either a massage group or a friendly visit control group.

Those in the massage group received two 20-minute massage sessions per week for 12 weeks. Those in the friendly visit control group received two 20-minute friendly visits, which involved activities such as reading, talking or playing quiet games, per week for 12 weeks.

The massage sessions consisted of moderate-pressure stroking and kneading, administered by trained nurses, with unscented oil.

Outcome measures included absolute helper (CD4/T4) and suppressor (CD8/T8) cell counts, two markers of disease progression. Blood was drawn at baseline and at the end of the 12-week study to assess lymphocyte levels. Lymphocytes are the main means of providing the body with immune capability.

By the end of the study, data were available for 24 of the 54 subjects. The results showed that the mean CD4 cell count increased in the massage group and decreased in the control group. Also, CD4 cell counts increased significantly from the start to the finish of the study for subjects in the massage group, as opposed to those in the control group.

The risk of having a 20-percent or greater decrease in CD4 cell count throughout the 12-week study was significantly higher for children in the control group as compared with those who received massage. Lymphocyte loss, in general, was greater in the control group as compared with that of the massage group. Fifty-seven percent of the children in the control group lost 50 or more CD8 lymphocytes, whereas 10 percent of the massage group lost 50 or more CD8 lymphocytes.

Massage therapy appears to have a positive impact on immune function in HIV+ children not receiving antiretroviral medications,” state the study’s authors. This, they conclude, “may offer hope to thousands of children worldwide without access to antiretrovirals, or who may not benefit from antiretroviral treatment.

—Source: University of Miami School of Medicine Division of Disease Prevention, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Medicine, and Touch Research Institutes; and Robert Reid Cabral Children’s Hospital, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Authors: Gail Shor-Posner, Ph.D.; Maria-Jose Miguez, M.D., Ph.D.; Maria Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D.; Eddy Perez-Then, M.D.; and Maryann Fletcher, Ph.D. Originally published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, December 2004, Vol. 10, No. 6, pp. 1093-1095