The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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  • Recent Comments

    Massage for low back pain

     Massage might be beneficial for patients with subacute and chronic nonspecific low back pain, especially when combined with exercises and education, according to reviewers from Ontario and Brazil.

    First, the details.

    • 13 studies were included in the review.
    • 8 had a high risk of bias, while the rest had low risk.
    • 1 study was published in German and the rest in English.

    And, the results.

    • Massage was better than inert therapy (sham treatment) for pain and function based on short- and long-term follow-up (2 studies).
    • Massage was similar to exercises and better than joint mobilization, relaxation therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture, and self-care education (8 studies).
    • Reflexology on the feet had no effect on pain and functioning (1 study).
    • Acupuncture massage produced better results than classic (Swedish) massage (1 study).
    • Thai massage was similar to classic (Swedish) massage (1 study).
    • The beneficial effects of massage in patients with chronic low back pain reportedly lasted at least 1 year after the end of the treatment.

    The bottom line?
    The authors concluded, “More studies are needed to… assess the impact of massage on return-to-work, and to determine cost-effectiveness of massage as an intervention for low back pain.”

    A earlier Cochrane review concluded, “Massage might be beneficial for patients with subacute and chronic non-specific low-back pain, especially when combined with exercises and education.”

    For clarity, classic Thai massage uses no oil. Stretching movements are predominant, and the client remains dressed. Other forms of massage are defined here.

    7/3/09 09:52 JR

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