This reference file was created as part of the Massage Medical Applications Project (MMAP). Not all references may be pertinent to the professional provision of massage. Some references are included to facilitate sociological research. In general, only references with abstracts have been included. Links to the journal title will do a Google search on the title. Most doi, uri, and url links will successfully link to the article online. This file contains references for 2003-2004, last modified 21 January 2006. Paul Finch author 2004-Dec text continuing periodical academic journal 0142-159X 2004-Dec 26 8 729 731 In Ontario massage therapy is a regulated health profession, and it has been speculated that massage therapy students are motivated primarily by altruistic values, as has been documented in medicine. Students at Sutherland-Chan School and Teaching Clinic in Ontario were surveyed regarding their motivation to enter massage therapy education, with the intention of assessing the influence of certain value complexes on their decision. The results indicate that their decision was influenced more strongly by intrinsic values related to helping and working with people than by the prospect of extrinsic rewards (p < 0.0005). This supports a belief commonly held within the professional community, and bodies well for the future of massage therapy as a caring profession. Finch2004 10.1080/01421590400013545 A A Strelis author A K Strelis author V K Roskoshnykh author 2004 text continuing periodical academic journal 1728-2993 2004 11 29 29 A new procedure has been developed for prevention of early postresectional complications and for clinical rehabilitation of patients with tuberculosis after surgical interventions. The procedure is based on a 13-14-day course of regional and systemic physiotherapy applied to a patient's respiratory organs and chest after surgery in a certain order with the use of tuberculostatic agents. Regional physiotherapy includes local massage of the root of the contralateral operated lung with a light vibromassage apparatus; systemic physiotherapy involves electric vibroacupressure of the whole circumference of the chest with a special device. Early postresection complications were significantly less frequently observed in the study group (n = 60) than in the control group (n = 50) (p < 0.01). The procedure reduces the likelihood of development of a number of pleuropulmonary events (atelectasis, non-specific pneumonia, residual postresection pleural cavity, bronchial fistulas) and promotes functional rehabilitation in patients. Strelis2004 T Field author M A Diego author M Hernandez-Reif author S Schanberg author C Kuhn author 2004-Jun text continuing periodical academic journal 0167-482X 2004-Jun 25 2 115 122 Eighty-four depressed pregnant women were recruited during the second trimester of pregnancy and randomly assigned to a massage therapy group, a progressive muscle relaxation group or a control group that received standard prenatal care alone. These groups were compared to each other and to a non-depressed group at the end of pregnancy. The massage therapy group participants received two 20 min therapy sessions by their significant others each week for 16 weeks of pregnancy, starting during the second trimester. The relaxation group provided themselves with progressive muscle relaxation sessions on the same time schedule. Immediately after the massage therapy sessions on the first and last days of the 16-week period the women reported lower levels of anxiety and depressed mood and less leg and back pain. By the end of the study the massage group had higher dopamine and serotonin levels and lower levels of cortisol and norepinephrine. These changes may have contributed to the reduced fetal activity and the better neonatal outcome for the massage group (i.e. lesser incidence of prematurity and low birthweight), as well as their better performance on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment. The data suggest that depressed pregnant women and their offspring can benefit from massage therapy. Field2004b Tooru Nemoto author Mariko Iwamoto author Serena Wong author Mai Nhung Le author Don Operario author 2004-Dec text continuing periodical academic journal 1090-7165 2004-Dec 8 4 475 483 Asian women who work at massage parlors in San Francisco have high levels of risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, and being victims of violence, which jeopardizes their health and wellbeing. On the basis of mapping, the targeted districts in San Francisco where massage parlors were located, 23 massage parlors were identified where commercial sex activity took place. Using snowball-sampling methods, 43 Asian female massage parlor workers were recruited for focus groups; 21 participants were Vietnamese and 22 were Thai. Qualitative analyses revealed frequent exposure to violence including verbal or physical abuse from customers and gang members, as well as persistent HIV risk behaviors associated with multiple daily sex partners, inconsistent condom use with customers, and forced sex. Social factors related to gender, immigration status, and socioeconomic status appeared to be closely tied to the health and wellbeing of Asian masseuses. Study findings suggest that individualized as well as community-level interventions are necessary to improve these women's health and decrease their prolonged exposure to risks for STIs and violence. Nemoto2004 10.1007/s10461-004-7331-4 Toshiyuki Yokoyama author Yasuo Shimizu author 2004-Dec text continuing periodical academic journal 1343-3490 2004-Dec 42 12 1034 1036 We report a case of bilateral chylothorax following neck massage. The patient presented with the left supraclavicular mass and bilateral pleural effusions. Both fluids obtained from thoracentesis revealed chylous and a high triglycerides content. The effusions decreased after conservative treatment. Bilateral chylothorax caused by neck massage has, to our knowledge, not previously been reported in literature. We concluded that physicians and massagists should remember this serious complication. Yokoyama2004 Gail Shor-Posner author Maria-Jose Miguez author Maria Hernandez-Reif author Eddy Perez-Then author Maryann Fletcher author 2004-Dec text continuing periodical academic journal 1075-5535 2004-Dec 10 6 1093 1095 OBJECTIVES: More than 1.4 million children are living with HIV and global access to antiretrovirals is not yet readily available. Massage therapy, which has been shown to improve immune function in HIV+ adults and adolescents, may provide an important complementary treatment to boost immune status in young children living with HIV disease, especially those without access to antiretroviral medications. No studies have been conducted, however, that specifically target massage therapy to enhance immune function in HIV+ children. DESIGN: Clinical trial with eligible, consented HIV+ children randomized to receive either massage therapy or a friendly visit (controls). SETTINGS/LOCATION: CENISMI/Robert Reid Cabral Hospital, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. SUBJECTS: HIV+ children ages 2-8 years. INTERVENTION: Massage therapy sessions (20 minutes, twice weekly, for 12 weeks), conducted by trained nurses, following a structured protocol of moderate pressure stroking and kneading of muscles, using a non-scented oil. The friendly visit control group, (reading, talking, playing quiet games), met with the nurse twice weekly for 12 weeks. OUTCOME MEASURES: At the initial evaluation, and following the 12-week intervention, blood was drawn to determine absolute helper (CD4/T4) and suppressor (CD8/T8) counts. RESULTS: Children in the control arm had a greater relative risk of CD4 count decline (>20%) than massage-treated children (RR = 5.7, p = 0.03). Lymphocyte loss was also more extensive in the controls (p < 0.02), and more of the control group than the massage group lost >50 CD8 lymphocytes (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of massage therapy in maintaining immunocompetence may offer a viable alternative to the thousands of children worldwide without antiretroviral access. Shor-Posner2004 10.1089/acm.2004.10 .1093 Weidong Huang author Pei Liu author Wenjie Huang author 2004-Dec text continuing periodical academic journal 1009-3591 2004-Dec 10 12 935 935 OBJECTIVE: To recommend an improved method of prostate massage, which is safe, effective, simple and tolerable, and may increase the expressed prostatic secretin (EPS) success rate and promote the efficiency of the prostate massage. METHODS: Two methods are described in this paper, one being the aside-bending and up-standing vs parallel and semi-squatting method to massage the prostate via the rectum, and the other being the traditional massage method. A total of 261 chronic prostatitis (CP) patients were randomly divided into two groups, and treated separately with the new method and the traditional method. Then, the two methods were compared by EPS quantity and the patients' tolerability. RESULTS: The new method made it possible to collect larger quantity of EPS. The results of comparison showed that the new method was better received by the patients. CONCLUSION: The aside-bending and up-standing vs parallel and semi-squatting method to massage the prostate via the rectum may increase the EPS success rate of prostatic massage and hence help the clinical diagnosis and treatment of chronic prostatitis. This method is well worth recommending. Huang2004 László Féjerdy author Zsuzsanna Tóth author Borbála Kaán author Károly Fábián Tibor author Péter Csermely author Pál Fejérdy author 2004-Oct text continuing periodical academic journal 0015-5314 2004-Oct 97 5 204 210 The presence of Hsp70 in human whole saliva was demonstrated in the authors' previous study. In the recent study the authors investigated, whether repeated, short-term heat and mechanical stimulation of the salivary glands can specifically modify the salivary Hsp70 concentration in the human whole saliva. Some other basic secretory parameters, like salivary secretion rate, total protein concentration and amylase activity of the whole saliva were also measured. Both kind of stimulation increased the secretory rate significantly (p < or = 0.05), during stimulation, but it decreased to control level in resting phases. Hsp70 concentration increased after the first stimulation in the case of mechanical stress and after the second stimulation in the case of heat stimulation. In contrast, a significant (p < or = 0.05) confluent increase of total protein concentration and amylase activity occurred after the first stimulation in the case of heat stimulation and after the second stimulation in the case of mechanical stress. Further investigations are needed to evaluate the durability and clinical importance of salivary changes following local heat and massage stimulation. Féjerdy2004 Hans-Dieter Hentschel author Johannes Schneider author 2004 text continuing periodical academic journal 0177-5227 2004 23 179 179 The use of massage in India can be accounted for back to the time of the first indo-aryan settlements; its is however, likely that massage was already in use during the preceding era of the Indus valley culture.The important cultural function of the ancient practice of home massage can be seen in that massage was often linked to social, religious or ritual customs. Massage was considered to be beneficial to health. The classic Ayurveda texts mention massage in this sense and recommend it as an almost indispensible healing factor. To this day, massage is regularly used in India for the promotion of general health and fitness as well as in treating minor health problems. Ayurvedic doctors also employ massage as a complete therapy to be applied systematically in the treatment of serious illness.Massage is most commonly applied to the entire body or individual body parts with the aid of ample amounts of warmed oils and, at times, other substances which are specific to the patient's constitution. The usual massage method is similar in some ways to the western method. The Ayurveda system, moreover, has a wide range of special massage methods which are used to treat particular illnesses.While today the efficacy and effect of western massage is, in large part, accounted for scientifically, in India, common, traditional massage is usually employed based on ancient experience. The general social conditions in southern Asia will likely ensure that these types of massage will continue to be a respected and frequently practised aspect of Indian culture in the future. Hentschel2004 Hyun-Jung Oh author Jeong-Sook Park author 2004-Oct text continuing periodical academic journal 1598-2874 2004-Oct 34 6 924 933 PURPOSE: This study was to examine the effects of hand massage and hand holding as nursing interventions on the anxiety in patients with local infiltration anesthesia. METHOD: The design of this study was a nonequivalent, control group, non- synchronized design. The subjects of this study consisted of 15 patients for the hand group, 15 patients for the hand holding group and 17 patients for the control group awaiting surgery in the operation room of a general hospital in Daegu. As an experimental treatment, hand massage was carried out by the Hand Massage Protocol developed by Snyder (1995) and interpreted by Cho (1998) and hand holding developed by Cho (1998). The data were analyzed by SPSS/WIN, T-test, ANOVA, Cronbach's alpha, and the Scheffe test. RESULTS: The hand massage group and hand holding group were more effective than the control group in reducing anxiety, VAS score, systolic blood pressure and pulse rate. CONCLUSION: Hand massage and hand holding are effective nursing interventions that alleviates the psychological and physiological anxiety of patients with local infiltration anesthesia. In particular, the simple contact of hand holding is regarded as an effective and easily accessible nursing intervention in the operating room. Oh2004 Luz S Porter author Brian O Porter author text continuing periodical academic journal 0097-9805 2004 30 5 363 363 Interventions that build upon the natural components of early mother-infant interactions are critical to reversing the sequelae of maternal substance abuse and breaking the cycle of addiction. This paper proposes a theoretical model that blends infant massage (IM) into a planned parenting enhancement program (PEP) to promote improved health outcomes in recovering substance- abusing mothers (SAMs) and their babies. With 4.6 million women of child-bearing age regularly using cocaine in the United States and 750,000 drug-exposed births annually, maternal substance abuse highlights the multigenerational impact of drug use in high-risk populations and its risks to our children. The proposed IMPEP model provides a means to assist recovering SAMs in making cognitive-behavioral changes through new knowledge about parenting and parenting skills, with a special focus on infant stimulation via massage. The goal is to enable recovering SAMs to become confident and responsive mothers, empowering them to become effective parents. Pilot data suggest the Infant Massage Parenting Enhancement Program (IMPEP) is effective for both mother and infant, and merits a controlled systematic study. Porter2004 Trish Dryden author Amanda Baskwill author Michele Preyde author text continuing periodical academic journal 0744-6020 2004 23 5 327 327 The effectiveness of massage therapy for the orthopaedic patient has not been documented; thus, a review of the published literature was warranted. A considerable proportion of the population experience orthopaedic problems, and many use massage therapy. A review and analysis of the literature between January 1973 and June 2003 yielded tentative results. It appears that massage therapy may be effective for orthopaedic patients with low back problems and potentially beneficial for patients with other orthopaedic problems. Massage therapy appears to be safe, to have high patient satisfaction, and to reduce pain and dysfunction. Dryden2004 Ian A Oyama author Amy Rejba author James C Lukban author Erica Fletcher author Susan Kellogg-Spadt author Adam S Holzberg author Kristene E Whitmore author 2004-Nov text continuing periodical academic journal 1527-9995 2004-Nov 64 5 862 865 OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of transvaginal manual therapy of the pelvic floor musculature (Thiele massage) in symptomatic female patients with interstitial cystitis and high-tone dysfunction of the pelvic floor. METHODS: A total of 21 women with documented interstitial cystitis and high-tone pelvic floor dysfunction underwent transvaginal massage using the Thiele technique twice a week for 5 weeks. Symptoms were evaluated before massage, at protocol conclusion, and at a mean of 4.5 months after therapy completion (long-term follow-up). The response to treatment was evaluated through the O'Leary-Sant Interstitial Cystitis Symptom and Problem Indexes, Likert Visual Analogue Scales for urgency and pain, and Short-Form 12-item (SF-12) Quality-of-Life Scale, and through changes in the physical examination findings using a 5-point modified Oxford Scale to document pelvic floor tenderness. RESULTS: A statistically significant improvement was seen in the Symptom and Problem Indexes of the O'Leary-Sant Questionnaire (P = 0.015 and P = 0.039, respectively), Likert Visual Analogue Scales for urgency and pain (P = 0.001 and P = 0.005, respectively), the Physical and Mental Component Summary from the SF-12 Quality-of-Life Scale (P = 0.049 and P = 0.044, respectively), and the modified Oxford Scale (P <0.05) after protocol completion. At long-term follow-up, the O'Leary-Sant Interstitial Cystitis Symptom and Problem Indexes (P = 0.049 and P = 0.02, respectively), Likert Visual Analogue Scales for urgency and pain (P = 0.004 and P = 0.005, respectively), and modified Oxford Scale for three of four muscles in the pelvic floor (P <0.05) remained significantly improved. CONCLUSIONS: Thiele massage appears to be very helpful in improving irritative bladder symptoms in patients with interstitial cystitis and high-tone pelvic floor dysfunction in addition to decreasing pelvic floor muscle tone. Oyama2004 10.1016/j.urology.2004.06.065 Esther Mok author Chin Pang Woo author 2004-Nov text continuing periodical academic journal 1353-6117 2004-Nov 10 4 209 216 This study explores the effect of slow-stroke back massages on anxiety and shoulder pain in hospitalized elderly patients with stroke. An experimental quantitative design was conducted, comparing the scores for self-reported pain, anxiety, blood pressure, heart rate and pain of two groups of patients before and immediately after, and three days after the intervention. The intervention consisted of ten minutes of slow-stroke back massage (SSBM) for seven consecutive evenings. One hundred and two patients participated in the entire study and were randomly assigned to a massage group or a control group. The results revealed that the massage intervention significantly reduced the patients' levels of pain perception and anxiety. In addition to the subjective measures, all physiological measures (systolic and diastolic blood pressures and heart rate) changed positively, indicating relaxation. The prolonged effect of SSBM was also evident, as reflected by the maintenance of the psycho-physiological parameters three days after the massage. The patients' perceptions of SSBM, determined from a questionnaire, revealed positive support for SSBM for elderly stroke patients. The authors suggest that SSBM is an effective nursing intervention for reducing shoulder pain and anxiety in elderly patients with stroke. From a nursing perspective, this nursing practice provides a challenge and an opportunity for nurses and family caregivers to blend alternative therapies with technology to provide more individualized and holistic patient care. Mok2004 10.1016/j.ctnm.2004.05.006 Nozomi Donoyama author Tetsuji Wakuda author Tadashi Tanitsu author Eiko Ishii author Yoshitoshi Ichiman author 2004-Aug text continuing periodical academic journal 1075-5535 2004-Aug 10 4 684 686 OBJECTIVE: Massage therapy involves direct contact between the therapist and the client in a clinical setting, which can result in the transfer of bacteria. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of bacteria transfer between a therapist and a client during a massage session and differences between types of lubricants used. DESIGN: Medium cultures were taken from the therapist's palms and the client's skin before, during, and after the massage session. Experiments proceeded with the following settings: use of three different types of lubricants, without the use of a lubricant, and without massage as control. After each massage session, the therapist washed his or her hands and a bacterial sample was again taken. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in bacteria count. RESULTS: (1) Bacteria count on the therapist's palms increased during and after massage with and without the use of lubricant. There was no change in the case of no massage. (2) Bacteria count on the client's skin decreased during and after massage with the use of three different kinds of lubricants compared to the no-massage control. However, an increase was evident when no lubricant was used. (3) After hand washing with water for 20 seconds after each massage session, there were still bacteria on the therapist's palms. However, bacteria count differed with the type of lubricant used. CONCLUSION: Bacteria from the client's skin transferred to the therapist's hands during massage therapy. Bacteria count when no lubricant was used was greater than massage sessions using lubricants. Donoyama2004 10.1089/acm.2004.10.684 Glen H Crawford author Kenneth A Katz author Elliot Ellis author William D James author 2004-Aug text continuing periodical academic journal 0003-987X 2004-Aug 140 8 991 996 OBJECTIVES: To determine the 12-month prevalence of hand dermatitis among massage therapists, to investigate a potential association between hand dermatitis and the use of aromatherapy products, and to study potential associations with other known risk factors for hand dermatitis. DESIGN: Mailed survey. SETTING: Philadelphia, Pa. PARTICIPANTS: Members of a national massage therapy organization who live in the greater Philadelphia region. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported and symptom-based prevalences of hand dermatitis. RESULTS: The number of respondents was 350 (57%). The 12-month prevalence of hand dermatitis in subjects was 15% by self-reported criteria and 23% by a symptom-based method. In multivariate analysis, statistically significant independent risk factors for self-reported hand dermatitis included use of aromatherapy products in massage oils, lotions, or creams (odds ratio, 3.27; 95% confidence interval, 1.53-7.02; P =.002) and history of atopic dermatitis (odds ratio, 8.06; 95% confidence interval, 3.39-19.17; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hand dermatitis in massage therapists is high. Significant independent risk factors include use of aromatherapy products in massage oils, creams, or lotions and history of atopic dermatitis. Crawford2004 10.1001/archderm.140.8.991 S Jonhagen author P Ackermann author T Eriksson author T Saartok author P A F H Renstrom author 2004-Sep-20 text continuing periodical academic journal 0363-5465 2004-Sep-20 32 6 1499 1503 Background: The use of sports massage is very common in the athletic community. However, only a few studies have shown any therapeutic effect of massage. HYPOTHESIS: Sports massage can improve the recovery after eccentric exercise. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective randomized clinical trial. METHODS: Sixteen subjects performed 300 maximal eccentric contractions of the quadriceps muscle bilaterally. Massage was given to 1 leg, whereas the other leg served as a control. Subjects were treated once daily for 3 days. Maximal strength was tested on a Kin-Com dynamometer, and functional tests were based on 1-leg long jumps. Pain was evaluated using a visual analog scale. RESULTS: There was a marked loss of strength and function of the quadriceps directly after exercise and on the third day after exercise. The massage treatment did not affect the level or duration of pain or the loss of strength or function following exercise. CONCLUSION: Sports massage could not improve the recovery after eccentric exercise. Jonhagen2004 10.1177/0363546503262196 Hsiao-Lan Wang author Juanita F Keck author 2004-Jun text continuing periodical academic journal 1524-9042 2004-Jun 5 2 59 59 Physiological responses to pain create harmful effects that prolong the body's recovery after surgery. Patients routinely report mild to moderate pain even though pain medications have been administered. Complementary strategies based on sound research findings are needed to supplement postoperative pain relief using pharmacologic management. Foot and hand massage has the potential to assist in pain relief. Massaging the feet and hands stimulates the mechanoreceptors that activate the "nonpainful" nerve fibers, preventing pain transmission from reaching consciousness. The purpose of this pretest-posttest design study was to investigate whether a 20-minute foot and hand massage (5 minutes to each extremity), which was provided 1 to 4 hours after a dose of pain medication, would reduce pain perception and sympathetic responses among postoperative patients. A convenience sample of 18 patients rated pain intensity and pain distress using a 0 to 10 numeric rating scale. They reported decreases in pain intensity from 4.65 to 2.35 (t = 8.154, p <.001) and in pain distress from 4.00 to 1.88 (t = 5.683, p <.001). Statistically significant decreases in sympathetic responses to pain (i.e., heart rate and respiratory rate) were observed although blood pressure remained unchanged. The changes in heart rate and respiratory rate were not clinically significant. The patients experienced moderate pain after they received pain medications. This pain was reduced by the intervention, thus supporting the effectiveness of massage in postoperative pain management. Foot and hand massage appears to be an effective, inexpensive, low-risk, flexible, and easily applied strategy for postoperative pain management. Wang2004 Tessa Hinds author Islay McEwan author Jill Perkes author Ellen Dawson author Derek Ball author Keith George author 2004-Aug text continuing periodical academic journal 0195-9131 2004-Aug 36 8 1308 1313 PURPOSE: At present, there is little scientific evidence that postexercise manual massage has any effect on the factors associated with the recovery process. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of massage against a resting control condition upon femoral artery blood flow (FABF), skin blood flow (SKBF), skin (SKT), and muscle (MT) temperature after dynamic quadriceps exercise. METHODS: Thirteen male volunteers participated in 3 x 2-min bouts of concentric quadriceps exercise followed by 2 x 6-min bouts of deep effleurage and pétrissage massage or a control (rest) period of similar duration in a counterbalanced fashion. Measures of FABF, SKBF, SKT, MT, blood lactate concentration (BLa), heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP) were taken at baseline, immediately after exercise, as well as at the midpoint and end of the massage/rest periods. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA. RESULTS: Significant main effects were found for all variables over time due to effects of exercise. Massage to the quadriceps did not significantly elevate FABF (end-massage 760 +/- 256 vs end-control 733 +/- 161 mL x min(-1)), MT, BL, HR, and BP over control values (P < 0.05). SKBF (end-massage 150 +/- 49 vs end control 6 +/- 4 au) SKT (end-massage 32.2 +/- 0.9 vs end-control 31.1 +/- 1.3degreesC) were elevated after the application of massage compared with the control trial (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: From these data it is proposed that without an increase in arterial blood flow, any increase in SKBF is potentially diverting flow away from recovering muscle. Such a response would question the efficacy of massage as an aid to recovery in postexercise settings. Hinds2004 V Hunt author J Randle author D Freshwater author 2004-Aug text continuing periodical academic journal 1353-6117 2004-Aug 10 3 194 194 Complementary therapies have continued to increase in popularity in healthcare and it is widely accepted that they can be incorporated into the nursing role. However, this acceptance does not necessarily mean that the introduction of therapies into the nursing arena has been without confusion and without professional and legal implications. Consequently, this small-scale, qualitative study aimed to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of paediatric nurses of two therapies, namely massage and aromatherapy massage. There is a dearth of literature exploring nurses' perceptions to the incorporation of these therapies, especially in the arena of paediatric nursing where massage and aromatherapy massage are common practice. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with qualified nurses and revealed the themes of 'benefit', 'family centred care', 'nursing care' and 'being held back'. It was found that at some stage during their professional career each nurse had performed massage and/or aromatherapy massage. All nurses were able to recall certain benefits of the therapies for the children that they had observed and many discussed the importance of involving the family as a way of including them in to the care of their child. However, for the nurses in this study, it was evident that the incorporation of complementary therapies into the nursing role was determined by the context in which they practised. Due to the dominance of the medical model, nurses faced pressures and conflicts in the realities of their nursing work, which meant they were often unable to carry out these therapies. Hunt2004 10.1016/j.ctnm.2004.03.001 Maria Hernandez-Reif author Gail Ironson author Tiffany Field author Judith Hurley author Galia Katz author Miguel Diego author Sharlene Weiss author Mary Ann Fletcher author Saul Schanberg author Cynthia Kuhn author Iris Burman author 2004-Jul text continuing periodical academic journal 0022-3999 2004-Jul 57 1 45 45 OBJECTIVES: Women with breast cancer are at risk for elevated depression, anxiety, and decreased natural killer (NK) cell number. Stress has been linked to increased tumor development by decreasing NK cell activity. The objectives of this study included examining massage therapy for women with breast cancer for (1) improving mood and biological measures associated with mood enhancement (serotonin, dopamine), (2) reducing stress and stress hormone levels, and (3) boosting immune measures. METHODS: Thirty-four women (M age=53) diagnosed with Stage 1 or 2 breast cancer were randomly assigned postsurgery to a massage therapy group (to receive 30-min massages three times per week for 5 weeks) or a control group. The massage consisted of stroking, squeezing, and stretching techniques to the head, arms, legs/feet, and back. On the first and last day of the study, the women were assessed on (1) immediate effects measures of anxiety, depressed mood, and vigor and (2) longer term effects on depression, anxiety and hostility, functioning, body image, and avoidant versus intrusive coping style, in addition to urinary catecholamines (norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine) and serotonin levels. A subset of 27 women (n=15 massage) had blood drawn to assay immune measures. RESULTS: The immediate massage therapy effects included reduced anxiety, depressed mood, and anger. The longer term massage effects included reduced depression and hostility and increased urinary dopamine, serotonin values, NK cell number, and lymphocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Women with Stage 1 and 2 breast cancer may benefit from thrice-weekly massage therapy for reducing depressed mood, anxiety, and anger and for enhancing dopamine, serotonin, and NK cell number and lymphocytes. Hernandez-Reif2004 10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00500-2 Andrew Wilcock author CathAnn Manderson author Rebecca Weller author George Walker author Diane Carr author Anne-Marie Carey author Debbie Broadhurst author June Mew author Edzard Ernst author 2004-May text continuing periodical academic journal 0269-2163 2004-May 18 4 287 290 A randomised controlled pilot study was carried out to examine the effects of adjunctive aromatherapy massage on mood, quality of life and physical symptoms in patients with cancer attending a specialist unit. Participants were randomised to conventional day care alone or day care plus weekly aromatherapy massage using a standardised blend of oils for four weeks. At baseline and at weekly intervals, patients rated their mood, quality of life and the intensity and bother of two symptoms most important to them. Forty-six patients were recruited to the study. Due to a large number of withdrawals, only 11 of 23 (48%) patients in the aromatherapy group and 18 of 23 (78%) in the control group completed all four weeks. Mood, physical symptoms and quality of life improved in both groups. There was no statistically significant difference between groups in any of the outcome measures. Despite a lack of measurable benefit, all patients were satisfied with the aromatherapy and wished to continue. Whilst this pilot study has shown that a randomised controlled trial of complementary therapy is feasible, it has also identified several areas that would require further consideration when designing future studies, e.g., the recruitment and retention of appropriate numbers of patients and the outcome measures used. Wilcock2004 B MÃŒller-Oerlinghausen author C Berg author P Scherer author A Mackert author H-P Moestl author J Wolf author 2004-Jun-11 text continuing periodical academic journal 0012-0472 2004-Jun-11 129 24 1363 1368 BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Among methods of complementary treatment of depression, massage plays an important role, at least in the U.S.A. Although there are some pointers to the antidepressive and anxiolytic action of slow-stroke massage in various randoms studies of patient cohorts, there have been no controlled trials of depressed hospitalized patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 32 depressed patients (24 women, 8 men; average 48 years - coveringthe entire spectrum of affective disorders listed in the ICD but without comorbidity in axis 2) with a minimum BRMS score of 16,7 - were included in the study. The randomized cross-over trial involved three massage sessions at set times (M) and sessions in two control groups (C) (relaxation and perception) lasting for 60 min 2-3 days apart. Under the control conditions there was no touching. The effects of depression-specific variables (e.g. mood, drive, abnormal cognition, as well as typical progress variables of the slow-stroke massage (bodily awareness, general state of health, etc.) were measured by both the patients' own assessment and that of an independent observer. RESULTS: Under condition of both M and C, comparison of before and after effects, there was not only the primarily postulated mood-enhancing effect, but also some very marked changes in almost all dimension, the mean improvement ratio under M often being stronger than under C. After Bonferroni correction for multiple tests, the statistical significance there remained the stronger effect of M in four dimensions (global tenseness, restlessness, depressed mood, neck/shoulder tension). The intensive effect of M compared with C was confirmed by both female and male patients regarding the answers to various open questions. CONCLUSIONS: Slow-stroke massage is suitable for adjuvant acute treatment of patients with depression. It is very readily accepted also by very ill patients. In relation to the skin as an organ that aids identity, non-hedonic depressed patients are able to recognize the sensory quality of therapeutic touching as a positive stimulus. In view of the latent period of many weeks and the only moderate efficacy of antidepressants, the described complementary method, which does not require physiotherapeutic training, should be more often applied in both a hospital and general practice setting. MÃŒller-Oerlinghausen2004 10.1055/s-2004-826874 A Barlow author R Clarke author N Johnson author B Seabourne author D Thomas author J Gal author 2004-Jun text continuing periodical academic journal 1473-0480 2004-Jun 38 3 349 351 OBJECTIVE: To investigate if a single massage of the hamstring muscle group would alter the performance of the sit and reach test. METHODS: Before treatment, each of 11 male subjects performed the sit and reach test. The treatment consisted of either massage of the hamstring muscle group (both legs, total time about 15 minutes) or supine rest with no massage. Performance of the sit and reach test was repeated after treatment. Each subject returned the subsequent week to perform the tests again, receiving the alternative treatment relative to their initial visit. Mean percentage changes in sit and reach scores after treatment were calculated for the massage and no massage treatments, and analysed using Student's t tests. RESULTS: Mean (SD) percentage changes in sit and reach scores after massage and no massage were small (6.0 (4.3)% and 4.6 (4.8)% respectively) and not significantly different for subjects with relatively high (15 cm and above) values before treatment. Mean percentage changes in sit and reach scores for subjects with relatively low values before treatment (below 15 cm) were large (18.2 (8.2)% and 15.5 (16.2)% respectively), but no significant differences were found between the massage and no massage groups. CONCLUSIONS: A single massage of the hamstring muscle group was not associated with any significant increase in sit and reach performance immediately after treatment in physically active young men. Barlow2004 A R Sabir'ianov author A V Shevtsov author E S Sabir'ianova author A V Nenasheva author S G Ustiuzhanin author A M Mkrtumian author N V Sergeeva author text continuing periodical academic journal 0042-8787 2004 2 5 5 Bioimpedance tetrapolar rheopolygraphy was made in 18-22-year-old athletes in lying position and active orthostasis using computer technology Kentavr PRS (Microlux). The study group of 40 men received a 10-day course of massage including classic massage of the spine and neck, reflex-segmental massage of the left scapula, region between the left scapula and the vertebral column, left great chest muscle and sites of left attachment of the ribs to the chest. The examinations were made before the massage and after it. The results demonstrate an optimizing effect of reflex-segmental massage technologies on central hemodynamics. Sabir2004 Yi-Ching Cho author Shiow-Luan Tsay author 2004-Mar text continuing periodical academic journal 1682-3141 2004-Mar 12 1 51 59 Fatigue and depressive mood are the most significant symptoms experienced by patients with end-stage renal disease. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of acupressure with massage in fatigue and depression in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving hemodialysis treatment. The study applied an experimental pretest and posttest design. Sixty-two hemodialysis patients participated in the study. Data were collected from two hemodialysis clinics in major hospitals in southern Taiwan. Following consent to the study, subjects were randomly assigned to an acupressure group or a control group. Patients in the acupressure group received acupoint massage for 12 minutes per day, three days per week, for four weeks. Subjects in the control group only received routine unit care. The measures included the Revised Piper Fatigue Scale, and Beck ' s Depression Inventory. Descriptive statistics, chi 2 tests, t-test and analyses of covariance were used for data analysis. The results indicate that subjects experienced a moderate level of fatigue. Nearly 65 % of hemodialysis patients had a depressed mood. ANCOVA results indicated that fatigue (F((1.54)) = 9.05, p =.004) and depression (F((1.54)) = 4.20, p =.045) among patients in the acupressure group showed significantly greater improvement than patients in the control group. The findings of this study provide an interventional model for nurses taking care of ESRD patients. Cho2004 Hidetoshi Mori author Hideo Ohsawa author Tim Hideaki Tanaka author Eiichi Taniwaki author Gerry Leisman author Kazushi Nishijo author 2004-May-28 text continuing periodical academic journal 1234-1010 2004-May-28 10 5 CR173 CR178 BACKGROUND: This study attempted to investigate the influence of massage on the skin and the intramuscular circulatory changes associated with localized muscle fatigue. MATERIAL/METHODS: Twenty-nine healthy male subjects participated in two experimental sessions (massage and rest conditions). Subjects lay prone on the table and were instructed to extend their trunks until the inferior portion of their rib cage no longer rested on the table. Subjects held this position for 90 seconds (Load I). Subjects then either received massage on the lumbar region or rested for 5 minutes, then repeated the same load (Load II). Skin blood flow (SBF), muscle blood volume (MBV), skin temperature (ST), and subjects' subjective feelings of fatigue were evaluated using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). RESULTS: An increase of MBV between pre- and post-load II periods was higher after massage than after rest (p<0.05). An increase of SBF at pre- and post-load II was observed only under massage condition. An increase of SBF between post-load I and pre-load II periods was higher after massage than after rest (p<0.05). An increase of ST between post-load I and post-load II periods was greater after massage than after rest (p<0.05). The VAS score was lower with massage than with rest in the post-treatment period (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A significant difference was observed between massage and rest condition on VAS for muscle fatigue. Lumbar massage administration also appeared to have some effect on increasing skin temperature and enhancement of blood flow in local regions. Mori2004 Cheryl Forchuk author Pat Baruth author Monique Prendergast author Ronald Holliday author Ruth Bareham author Susan Brimner author Valerie Schulz author Yee Ching Lilian Chan author Nadine Yammine author text continuing periodical academic journal 0162-220X 2004 27 1 25 25 PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of arm massage from a significant other following lymph node dissection surgery. DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial with a pretest-posttest design. Data were collected prior to surgery, within 24 hours post surgery, within 10 to 14 days post surgery, and 4 months post surgery. SAMPLE: 59 women, aged 21 to 78 undergoing lymph node dissection surgery and who had a significant other with them during the postoperative period. METHODS: Subjects were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Subjects' significant others in the intervention group were first taught, then performed arm massage as a postoperative support measure. RESEARCH MAIN VARIABLES: Variables included postoperative pain, family strengths and stressors, range of motion, and health related costs. FINDINGS: Participants reported a reduction in pain in the immediate postoperative period and better shoulder function. CONCLUSION: Arm massage decreased pain and discomfort related to surgery, and promoted a sense of closeness and support amongst subjects and their significant other. IMPLICATION FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Postoperative massage therapy for women with lymph node dissection provided therapeutic benefits for patients and their significant other. Nurses can offer effective alternative interventions along with standard procedures in promoting optimal health. Forchuk2004 D Fellowes author K Barnes author S Wilkinson author 2004 text continuing periodical academic journal 1469-493X 2004 2 CD002287 BACKGROUND: Aromatherapy massage is a commonly used complementary therapy, and is employed in cancer and palliative care largely to improve quality of life and reduce psychological distress. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether aromatherapy and/or massage decreases psychological morbidity, lessens symptom distress and/or improves the quality of life in patients with a diagnosis of cancer. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched CENTRAL (Cochrane Library Issue 1 2002), MEDLINE (1966 to May week 3 2002), CINAHL (1982 to April 2002), British Nursing Index (1994 to April 2002), EMBASE (1980 to Week 25 2002), AMED (1985 to April 2002), PsycINFO (1887 to April week 4 2002), SIGLE (1980 to March 2002), CancerLit (1975 to April 2002) and Dissertation Abstracts International (1861 to March 2002). Reference lists of relevant articles were searched for additional studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: We sought randomised controlled trials; controlled before and after studies; and interrupted time series studies of aromatherapy and/or massage for patients with cancer, that measured changes in patient-reported levels of physical or psychological distress or quality of life using reliable and valid tools. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers independently assessed trials for inclusion in the review, assessed study quality and extracted data. Study authors were contacted where information was unclear. MAIN RESULTS: The search strategy retrieved 1322 references. Ten reports met the inclusion criteria and these represented eight RCTs (357 patients). The most consistently found effect of massage or aromatherapy massage was on anxiety. Four trials (207 patients) measuring anxiety detected a reduction post intervention, with benefits of 19-32% reported. Contradictory evidence exists as to any additional benefit on anxiety conferred by the addition of aromatherapy. The evidence for the impact of massage/aromatherapy on depression was variable. Of the three trials (120 patients) that assessed depression in cancer patients, only one found any significant differences in this symptom. Three studies (117 patients) found a reduction in pain following intervention, and two (71 patients) found a reduction in nausea. Although several of the trials measured changes in other symptoms such as fatigue, anger, hostility, communication and digestive problems, none of these assessments was replicated. REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS: Massage and aromatherapy massage confer short term benefits on psychological wellbeing, with the effect on anxiety supported by limited evidence. Effects on physical symptoms may also occur. Evidence is mixed as to whether aromatherapy enhances the effects of massage. Replication, longer follow up, and larger trials are need to accrue the necessary evidence. Fellowes2004 10.1002/14651858.CD002287.pub2 A Vickers author A Ohlsson author J B Lacy author A Horsley author 2004 text continuing periodical academic journal 1469-493X 2004 2 CD000390 BACKGROUND: It has been argued that infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units are subject both to a highly stressful environment - continuous, high-intensity noise and bright light - and to a lack of the tactile stimulation that they would otherwise experience in the womb or in general mothering care. As massage seems to both decrease stress and provide tactile stimulation, it has been recommended as an intervention to promote growth and development of preterm and low-birth weight infants. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether preterm and/or low birth-weight infants exposed to massage experience improved weight gain and earlier discharge compared to infants receiving standard care; to determine whether massage has any other beneficial or harmful effects on this population. SEARCH STRATEGY: The following databases were searched: the specialized register of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group and that of the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field. Searches were also undertaken of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library, Issue 3, 2003), MEDLINE, EMBASE, Psychlit, CINAHL and Dissertation Abstracts International (up to July 1, 2003). Further references were obtained by citation tracking, checking personal files and by correspondence with appropriate experts. Data provided in published reports was supplemented by information obtained by correspondence with authors. There were no language restrictions. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised trials in which infants with gestational age at birth <37 weeks or weight at birth <2500g received systematic tactile stimulation by human hands. At least one outcome assessing weight gain, length of stay, behaviour or development must be reported. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data extracted from each trial were baseline characteristics of sample, weight gain, length of stay and behavioural and developmental outcomes. Physiological and biochemical outcomes were not recorded. Data were extracted by three reviewers independently. Statistical analysis was conducted using the standard Cochrane Collaboration methods. MAIN RESULTS: Massage interventions improved daily weight gain by 5.1g (95% CI 3.5, 6.7g). There is no evidence that gentle, still touch is of benefit (increase in daily weight gain 0.2g; 95% CI -1.2, 1.6g). Massage interventions also appeared to reduce length of stay by 4.5 days (95% CI 2.4, 6.5) though there are methodological concerns about the blinding of this outcome. There was also some evidence that massage interventions have a slight, positive effect on postnatal complications and weight at 4 - 6 months. However, serious concerns about the methodological quality of the included studies, particularly with respect to selective reporting of outcomes, weaken credibility in these findings. REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS: Evidence that massage for preterm infants is of benefit for developmental outcomes is weak and does not warrant wider use of preterm infant massage. Where massage is currently provided by nurses, consideration should be given as to whether this is a cost-effective use of time. Future research should assess the effects of massage interventions on clinical outcome measures, such as medical complications or length of stay, and on process-of-care outcomes, such as care-giver or parental satisfaction. Vickers2004 10.1002/14651858.CD000390.pub2 Hany Aly author Mohamed F Moustafa author Sahar M Hassanein author An N Massaro author Hanna A Amer author Kantilal Patel author 2004-May text continuing periodical academic journal 0743-8346 2004-May 24 5 305 309 BACKGROUND: Osteopenia of prematurity is a known source for morbidity in preterm infants. Premature infants have shown favorable outcomes in response to massage and physical activity. Whether such intervention can stimulate bone formation or decrease bone resorption is yet to be determined. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that massage combined with physical activity can stimulate bone formation and ameliorate bone resorption in premature infants. DESIGN/METHODS: A prospective double-blinded randomized trial was conducted at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. Thirty preterm infants (28 to 35 weeks' gestation) were randomly assigned to either control group (Group I, n=15) or intervention group (Group II, n=15). Infants in the intervention group received a daily protocol of combined massage and physical activity. Serum type I collagen C-terminal propeptide (PICP) and urinary pyridinoline crosslinks of collagen (Pyd) were used as indices for bone formation and resorption, respectively. PICP and Pyd were measured at enrollment and at discharge for all subjects. t-Test, ANOVA and linear regression analysis were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: There was no difference between groups I and II in gestational age (32.1+/-1.8 vs 31.5+/-1.4 weeks) or birth weight (1.429+/-0.148 vs 1.467+/-0.132 g). In the control group, serum PICP decreased over time from 82.3+/-8.5 to 68.78+/-14.6 (p<0.01), while urinary Pyd increased from 447.7+/-282.8 to 744.9+/-373.6 (p<0.01) indicating decreased bone formation and increased bone resorption, respectively. In the intervention group, serum PICP increased over time from 62.5+/-13.8 to 73.84+/-12.9 (p<0.01). Urinary Pyd also increased over time from 445.7+/-266.5 to 716.8+/-301.8 (p<0.01). In a linear regression model including gestational age and intervention, serum PICP increased significantly in the intervention group (regression coefficient 18.8+/-4.6, p=0.0001) while urinary Pyd did not differ between groups (regression coefficient=5.6+/-114.3, p=0.961). CONCLUSIONS: A combined massage and physical activity protocol improved bone formation (PICP) but did not affect bone resorption (Pyd). Pyd increased over time in both groups, possibly due to continuous bone resorption and Ca mobilization. Aly2004 10.1038/sj.jp.7211083 Katie Soden author Karen Vincent author Stephen Craske author Caroline Lucas author Sue Ashley author 2004-Mar text continuing periodical academic journal 0269-2163 2004-Mar 18 2 87 87 Research suggests that patients with cancer, particularly in the palliative care setting, are increasingly using aromatherapy and massage. There is good evidence that these therapies may be helpful for anxiety reduction for short periods, but few studies have looked at the longer term effects. This study was designed to compare the effects of four-week courses of aromatherapy massage and massage alone on physical and psychological symptoms in patients with advanced cancer. Forty-two patients were randomly allocated to receive weekly massages with lavender essential oil and an inert carrier oil (aromatherapy group), an inert carrier oil only (massage group) or no intervention. Outcome measures included a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of pain intensity, the Verran and Snyder-Halpern (VSH) sleep scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale and the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL). We were unable to demonstrate any significant long-term benefits of aromatherapy or massage in terms of improving pain control, anxiety or quality of life. However, sleep scores improved significantly in both the massage and the combined massage (aromatherapy and massage) groups. There were also statistically significant reductions in depression scores in the massage group. In this study of patients with advanced cancer, the addition of lavender essential oil did not appear to increase the beneficial effects of massage. Our results do suggest, however, that patients with high levels of psychological distress respond best to these therapies. Soden2004 S D R Galloway author J M Watt author 2004-Apr text continuing periodical academic journal 0306-3674 2004-Apr 38 2 235 235 BACKGROUND: The equivocal findings in the literature on efficacy of massage makes it difficult to assess the requirement for, or justify the use of, specialist massage personnel at major athletics events. However, the use of massage by athletes during training and competition remains popular. OBJECTIVES: To quantify the amount of their time that physiotherapists devote to massage treatment at major athletics events in an attempt to determine the importance of this treatment modality, and to examine whether the use of massage at athletics events is changing over time. METHODS: Data recorded by the head team physiotherapist from 12 major athletics events (national and international events) between 1987 and 1998 were examined. For each event, the data included: total number of treatments administered by the physiotherapist, the treatment modalities used, and the number of attendances for treatment. The amount of massage provided was expressed as a percentage of the total number of treatments for each athletic event, and the pattern of change in use of massage treatment over time was evaluated. RESULTS: The percentage of time spent providing massage treatment ranged from 24.0% to 52.2% of the total number of treatments made. The overall median percentage of total treatments in the form of massage was 45.2%. No significant increase or decrease in the use of massage as a treatment modality was observed between 1987 and 1998 in the athletics events examined (p = 0.95). CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of physiotherapists' time is devoted to the delivery of massage treatment at athletics events. The demand for massage treatment has been steady over the time period, in the events for which data are available, indicating a consistent use of this treatment modality. Given the popularity of massage among athletes, consideration should be given to the use of specialist sports massage staff at major athletics events. Furthermore, it would seem prudent to further investigate the efficacy of the treatment. Galloway2004 A Robertson author J M Watt author S D R Galloway author 2004-Apr text continuing periodical academic journal 0306-3674 2004-Apr 38 2 173 176 BACKGROUND: The effect of massage on recovery from high intensity exercise is debatable. Many studies on massage suffer from methodological flaws such as poor standardisation of previous exercise, lack of dietary control, and inappropriate massage duration. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of leg massage compared with passive recovery on lactate clearance, muscular power output, and fatigue characteristics after repeated high intensity cycling exercise, with the conditions before the intervention controlled and standardised. METHODS: Nine male games players participated. They attended the laboratory on two occasions one week apart and at the same time of day. Dietary intake and activity were replicated for the two preceding days on each occasion. After baseline measurement of heart rate and blood lactate concentration, subjects performed a standardised warm up on the cycle ergometer. This was followed by six standardised 30 second high intensity exercise bouts, interspersed with 30 seconds of active recovery. After five minutes of active recovery and either 20 minutes of leg massage or supine passive rest, subjects performed a second standardised warm up and a 30 second Wingate test. Capillary blood samples were drawn at intervals, and heart rate, peak power, mean power, and fatigue index were recorded. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in mean power during the initial high intensity exercise bouts (p = 0.92). No main effect of massage was observed on blood lactate concentration between trials (p = 0.82) or heart rate (p = 0.81). There was no difference in the maximum power (p = 0.75) or mean power (p = 0.66) in the subsequent Wingate test, but a significantly lower fatigue index was observed in the massage trial (p = 0.04; mean (SD) fatigue index 30.2 (4.1)% v 34.2 (3.3)%). CONCLUSIONS: No measurable physiological effects of leg massage compared with passive recovery were observed on recovery from high intensity exercise, but the subsequent effect on fatigue index warrants further investigation. Robertson2004 Zhanzhan Meng author Zhejin Wang author 2004-Feb text continuing periodical academic journal 1001-5515 2004-Feb 21 1 74 74 Studies on the effective methods and mechanism for the treatment of patients with functional ejaculatory incompetence were pursued on the basis of clinical practice. 90 patients with functional ejaculatory incompetence were treated by giving the electromagnetic stimulation to their pudendal nerve and the vibrational massage to their penis. Then the excitation conductive time and velocity of their pudendal nerve were simultaneously determined by the electro-neurophysiology technique. Of the 90 patients with functional ejaculatory incompetence, 69(76.7%) obtained cured effects, 19(21.1%) notable effects and 2(2.2%) improved effects. The total effective rate was 100%. The excitation conductive time and velocity of their pudendal nerve were both significantly different from those before treatment (P < 0.05). These suggest that it is practical to reach the ejaculatory threshold, trigger the ejaculatory reflex and complete the process of ejaculation because the nerve with improved excitational conductibility may release more acetylcholine from is endings after the electromagnetic stimulation to nerve and the vibrational massage to penis. Meng2004 Feng Liu author Jing Lei author Regis Vollmer author Leaf Huang author 2004-Mar text continuing periodical academic journal 1525-0016 2004-Mar 9 3 452 457 Many metabolic diseases are caused by defects in the metabolic pathways in the liver. Others result from the absence of specific proteins normally produced and secreted by the liver. Because these metabolic disorders are usually caused by single gene defect, they are ideal candidates for gene therapy. We have previously shown that mouse liver can be transfected by mechanically massaging the liver (MML) after intravenous injection of naked plasmid DNA. We now show a significant linear relationship between the level of liver gene expression and the venous blood pressure, supporting the idea that gene transfer by MML is due, at least in part, to pressure-mediated effect. Liver transfection could not be blocked by co-injection of excess irrelevant DNA or poly I, suggesting that there is no involvement of receptors, including the scavenger receptor, in MML. Moreover, the level of gene expression could be further enhanced by a combination of MML and an increase in DNA retention-time in the liver. Persistence of gene expression could be significantly improved using an EBV-based plasmid vector. Our data suggest the mechanical massage produces transient membrane defects through which naked DNA can enter into the liver cells by simple diffusion. Liu2004 10.1016/j.ymthe.2003.12.003 S Ohgi author T Akiyama author K Arisawa author K Shigemori author 2004-Mar text continuing periodical academic journal 1468-2044 2004-Mar 89 3 212 216 BACKGROUND: Infants with neonatal cerebral insults are susceptible to excessive crying as a result of difficulties with self-regulation. AIMS: To compare the effectiveness of swaddling versus massage therapy in the management of excessive crying of infants with cerebral insults. METHODS: Randomised three-week parallel comparison of the efficacy of two intervention methods. Infants with symptoms of troublesome crying and their parents were randomly assigned to a swaddling intervention group (n = 13) or a massage intervention group (n = 12). RESULTS: The amount of total daily crying decreased significantly in the swaddling group, but did not decrease significantly in the massage group. Infant behavioural profiles and maternal anxiety levels improved significantly in the swaddling group post-intervention. Parents in the swaddling group were more satisfied with the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing crying than parents in the massage group. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that swaddling may be more effective than massage intervention in reducing crying in infants with cerebral injuries. Ohgi2004 E Ernst author text continuing periodical academic journal 0749-8047 2004 20 1 8 8 OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of chiropractic and massage therapy for the reduction of any type of pain. METHODS: Systematic reviews of chiropractic and massage as a means of pain control were located and evaluated. RESULTS: Six systematic reviews were found, 4 of chiropractic and 2 of massage therapy. Promising evidence emerged from some of these reviews but neither for chiropractic nor for massage was there fully convincing evidence for effectiveness in controlling musculoskeletal or other pain. DISCUSSION: The notion that chiropractic or massage are effective interventions for pain control has not been demonstrated convincingly through rigorous clinical trials. Ernst2004 Dan Hasson author Bengt Arnetz author Lena Jelveus author Bo Edelstam author text continuing periodical academic journal 0033-3190 2004 73 1 17 17 BACKGROUND: Long-term musculoskeletal pain is a common problem in primary health care settings that is difficult to treat. Two common treatments are mental relaxation and massage. Scientific studies show contradictory results. Furthermore, many studies lack long-term follow-up even though it is a chronic disorder. The purpose of this randomized clinical trial was to assess possible effects of massage as compared to listening to relaxation tapes in conditions of 'diffuse' and long-term musculoskeletal pain. METHODS: 129 patients from primary health care suffering from long-term musculoskeletal pain were randomized to either a massage or mental relaxation group, and assessed before, during and after treatment. RESULTS: During treatment there was a significant improvement in the three main outcome measures: self-rated health, mental energy, and muscle pain only in the massage group as compared to the relaxation group. However, at the 3-month post-treatment follow-up, there was a significant worsening in the outcome measures (time x group effect p < 0.05) back to initial rating levels in the massage group as compared to no changes in the relaxation group. CONCLUSION: Massage, but not mental relaxation, is beneficial in attenuating diffuse musculoskeletal symptoms. Beneficial effects were registered only during treatment. 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. Future studies of long-term pain should include longer treatment periods and post-treatment follow-up. It might also be worthwhile assessing the long-term benefits from booster treatment after the initial intense treatment period. Hasson2004 10.1159/000074436 Miguel A Diego author Tiffany Field author Chris Sanders author Maria Hernandez-Reif author 2004-Jan text continuing periodical academic journal 0020-7454 2004-Jan 114 1 31 31 Three types of commonly used massage therapy techniques were assessed in a sample of 36 healthy adults, randomly assigned to: (1) moderate massage, (2) light massage, or (3) vibratory stimulation group (n = 12 per group). Changes in anxiety and stress were assessed, and EEG and EKG were recorded. Anxiety scores decreased for all groups, but the moderate pressure massage group reported the greatest decrease in stress. The moderate massage group also experienced a decrease in heart rate and EEG changes including an increase in delta and a decrease in alpha and beta activity, suggesting a relaxation response. Finally, this group showed increased positive affect, as indicated by a shift toward left frontal EEG activation. The light massage group showed increased arousal, as indicated by decreased delta and increased deta activity and increased heart rate. The vibratory stimulation group also showed increased arousal, as indicated by increased heart rate and increased theta, alpha, and beta activity. Diego2004 10.1080/00207450490249446 Christopher A Moyer author James Rounds author James W Hannum author 2004-Jan text continuing periodical academic journal 0033-2909 2004-Jan 130 1 3 3 Massage therapy (MT) is an ancient form of treatment that is now gaining popularity as part of the complementary and alternative medical therapy movement. A meta-analysis was conducted of studies that used random assignment to test the effectiveness of MT. Mean effect sizes were calculated from 37 studies for 9 dependent variables. Single applications of MT reduced state anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate but not negative mood, immediate assessment of pain, and cortisol level. Multiple applications reduced delayed assessment of pain. Reductions of trait anxiety and depression were MT's largest effects, with a course of treatment providing benefits similar in magnitude to those of psychotherapy. No moderators were statistically significant, though continued testing is needed. The limitations of a medical model of MT are discussed, and it is proposed that new MT theories and research use a psychotherapy perspective. Moyer2004 10.1037/0033-2909.130.1.3 J A Borgmeyer author B A Scott author J L Mayhew author 2004-FEB text continuing periodical academic journal Context: The effect of ice massage on muscle-strength performance is equivocal. Objective: To determine the effects of ice massage on maximum isokinetic torque produced during a 20-minute interval. Design: Participants performed a maximal isokinetic contraction of the right arm at 30degrees/s every 2 minutes for 20 minutes, once after a 10-minute ice massage over the right biceps brachii muscle belly and once without ice treatment. Sessions were randomized. Participants: 11 college men. Measurements: Torque was measured with a Cybex(R) II dynamometer. Biceps skinfold was measured with a Harpenden caliper. Results: A repeated-measures ANCOVA revealed no significant interaction between time and treatment condition when the effect of skinfold thickness was held constant. A main effect for time indicated that torque production was significantly higher at 4 and 8 minutes and declined thereafter. Conclusions: A 10-minute ice massage neither enhanced nor retarded muscle-force output and thus may be used for its pain-reducing effect to allow resistance exercise during the rehabilitation process. Borgmeyer2004 2004-FEB 13 1 1 8 L G Dawson author K A Dawson author P M Tiidus author 2004-NOV text continuing periodical academic journal Massage therapy is commonly used following endurance running races with the expectation that it will enhance post-run recovery of muscle function and reduce soreness. A limited number of studies have reported little or no influence of massage therapy on post-exercise muscle recovery. However, no studies have been conducted in a field setting to assess the potential for massage to influence muscle recovery following an actual endurance running race. To evaluate the potential for repeated massage therapy interventions to influence recovery of quadriceps and hamstring muscle soreness, recovery of quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength and reduction of upper leg muscle swelling over a two week recovery period following an actual road running race. Twelve adult recreational runners ( 8 male, 4 female) completed a half marathon (21.1 km) road race. On days 1,4, 8, and 11 post-race, subjects received 30 minutes of standardized massage therapy performed by a registered massage therapist on a randomly assigned massage treatment leg, while the other ( control) leg received no massage treatment. Two days prior to the race ( baseline) and preceding the treatments on post-race days 1, 4, 8, and 11 the following measures were conducted on each of the massage and control legs: strength of quadriceps and hamstring muscles, leg swelling, and soreness perception. At day 1, post-race quadriceps peak torque was significantly reduced ( p < 0.05), and soreness and leg circumference significantly elevated ( p < 0.05) relative to pre-race values with no difference between legs. This suggested that exercise-induced muscle disruption did occur. Comparing the rate of return to baseline measures between the massaged and control legs, revealed no significant differences ( p > 0.05). All measures had returned to baseline at day 11. Massage did not affect the recovery of muscles in terms of physiological measures of strength, swelling, or soreness. However, questionnaires revealed that 7 of the 12 participants perceived that the massaged leg felt better upon recovery. Dawson2004 2004-NOV 3 37 43 result of a controlledstudy (SeSeTra) B Muller-Oerlinghausen author C Berg author P Scherer author A Mackert author H P Moestl author J Wolf author 2004-JUN 11 text continuing periodical academic journal Background and objective: Among methods of complementary treatment of depression, massage plays an important role, at least in the U.S.A. Although there are some pointers to the antidepressive and anxiolytic action of slow-stroke massage in various randoms studies of patient cohorts, there have been no controlled trials of depressed hospitalized patients. Patients and methods: 32 depressed patients (24 women, 8 men; average 48 years - covering the entire spectrum of affective disorders listed in the ICD but without comorbidity in axis 2) with a minimum BRMS score of 16,7 - were included in the study. The randomized cross-over trial involved three massage sessions at set times (M) and sessions in two control groups (C) (relaxation and perception) lasting for 60 min 2-3 days apart. Under the control conditions there was no touching. The effects of depression-specific variables (e.g. mood, drive, abnormal cognition, as well as typical progress variables of the slow-stroke massage (bodily awareness, general state of health, etc.) were measured by both the patients' own assessment and that of an independent observer. Results: Under condition of both M and C, comparison of before and after effects, there was not only the primarily postulated mood-enhancing effect, but also some very marked changes in almost all dimension, the mean improvement ratio under M often being stronger than under C. After Bonferroni correction for multiple tests, the statistical significance there remained the stronger effect of M in four dimensions (global tenseness, restlessness, depressed mood, neck/shoulder tension). The intensive effect of M compared with C was confirmed by both female and male patients regarding the answers to various open questions. Conclusions: Slow-stroke massage is suitable for adjuvant acute treatment of patients with depression. It is very readily accepted also by very ill patients. In relation to the skin as an organ that aids identity, non-hedonic depressed patients are able to recognize the sensory quality of therapeutic touching as a positive stimulus. In view of the latent period of many weeks and the only moderate efficacy of antidepressants, the described complementary method, which does not require physiotherapeutic training, should be more often applied in both a hospital and general practice setting. Muller-Oerlinghausen2004 2004-JUN 11 129 24 1363 1368 Tiffany Field author Miguel Diego author Christy Cullen author Kristin Hartshorn author Alan Gruskin author Maria Hernandez-Reif author William Sunshine author 2004-01 text continuing periodical academic journal Objective. To determine the effectiveness of massage therapy for relieving the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).Methods. Sixteen adults with CTS symptoms were randomized to a 4-week massage therapy or control group. Participants in the massage therapy group were taught a self-massage routine that was done daily at home. They were also massaged once a week by a therapist. The participants’ diagnosis was based on a nerve conduction velocity test, the Phalen test, and the Tinel sign test performed by a physician. The participants were also given the state trait anxiety inventory (STAI), the profile of mood states (POMS), a visual analog scale for pain and a test of grip strength.Results. Participants in the massage therapy group improved on median peak latency and grip strength. They also experienced lower levels of perceived pain, anxiety, and depressed mood.Conclusion. The results suggest that symptoms of CTS can be relieved by a daily regimen of massage therapy. Field2004a 10.1016/S1360-8592(03)00064-0 2004-1 8 1 9 14 The validity of meta-analysis conclusions Leon Chaitow author Zachery Comeaux author Jan Dommerholt author Edzard Ernst author Peter Gibbons author John Hannon author Douglas Lewis author Craig Liebenson author 2004-01 text continuing periodical academic journal A recent review has concluded that: "Initial studies have found massage to be effective for persistent back pain. Spinal manipulation has small clinical benefits that are equivalent to those of other commonly used therapies. The effectiveness of acupuncture remains unclear. All of these treatments seem to be relatively safe. Preliminary evidence suggests that massage, but not acupuncture or spinal manipulation, may reduce the costs of care after an initial course of therapy" (Cherkin et al., Ann. Int. Med. 138(11) (2003) 898). This review was based on a meta-analysis comparing the value of manipulation with massage therapy and acupuncture that concluded that: "There is no evidence that spinal manipulative therapy is superior to other standard treatments for patients with acute or chronic low back pain" (Assendelft et al., Ann. Int. Med. 138(11) (2003) 871). A number of opinions were sought as to the validity of these conclusions, and a commentary was offered by Professor Edzard Ernst on these opinions. Chaitow2004 10.1016/S1360-8592(03)00078-0 2004-1 8 1 25 31 do sources agree? Mitchell Batavia author 2004-01 text continuing periodical academic journal Objectives: To explore the extent to which professional sources agree on contraindications (CIs) and precautions for therapeutic massage. Methods: Textbook and peer-reviewed journal sources containing CIs on therapeutic massage in English within the past 10 years were searched (January 1992-July 2002). Descriptive statistics and stacked bar graphs were employed to illustrate agreement of categorical data. Results: Twenty-one sources listed anywhere from 3 to 86 CIs and precautions for therapeutic massage. Over half of the sources failed to indicate a CI or precaution for the majority of patient conditions. Seventy-six percent of the sources failed to cite references to support CI claims. Conclusion: Sources markedly varied regarding what conditions were considered contraindicated for massage. Advisory panels and greater reliance on evidence-based data may help to enhance consistency when documenting future CIs. Batavia2004 10.1016/S1360-8592(03)00084-6 2004-1 8 1 48 57 analysis of different types of caregivers Patricia Rosen author 2004-01 periodical Continuous labor support offers multiple benefits for mothers and infants. The type of caregiver that is the best support person in labor has not been identified. A critical review of the English language literature was conducted to describe the current state of knowledge on different types of labor support persons. Randomized trials and other published reports were identified from relevant databases and hand searches. Studies were reviewed and assessed by using a structured format. Eight randomized trials met the selection criteria for inclusion in this analysis. These trials investigated untrained and trained lay women, female relatives, nurses, lay midwives, and student lay midwives as labor support persons. Support by untrained lay women starting in early labor and continuing into the postpartum period demonstrates the most consistent beneficial effect on childbirth outcomes. However, more randomized controlled trials are warranted before firm conclusions may be drawn. labor obstetrics natural childbirth nurse-midwives social support 15269523 Rosen2004 10.1016/j.jmwh.2003.10.013 2004-Jan/Feb 49 1 24 31 PB - Kira M Weier author Margaret W Beal author 2004-03 periodical Postpartum depression affects an estimated 13% of women who have recently given birth. This article discusses several alternative or complementary therapies that may serve as adjuncts in the treatment of postpartum depression. The intent is to help practitioners better understand the treatments that are available that their clients may be using. Complementary modalities discussed include herbal medicine, dietary supplements, massage, aromatherapy, and acupuncture. Evidence supporting the use of these modalities is reviewed where available, and a list of resources is given in the appendix. depression postpartum complementary therapies alternative medicine aromatherapy massage herbal medicine Chinese herbal drugs dietary supplements acupuncture 15269523 Weier2004 10.1016/j.jmwh.2003.12.013 2004-Mar/Apr 49 2 96 104 PB - multisensory strategies for newborn care Rosemary White-Traut author 2004-07 periodical Giving birth in dangerous settings, such as natural disasters and war, can have long-lasting consequences on infant growth and development. It is during birth and the neonatal period that mother and baby are particularly vulnerable to environmental stressors. This article explores the neurohormonal aspects of stress and social bonding and offers strategies aimed at reducing maternal and infant stress and improving the mother-infant relationship. Low-tech interventions, such as massage, Kangaroo Mother Care, and multisensory intervention (maternal voice, massage, eye-to-eye contact, and rocking) are described for their use in adverse environments. neonate infant development bonding Kangaroo Mother Care massage acoustic stimulation maternal behavior disasters 15269523 White-Traut2004 10.1016/j.jmwh.2004.05.004 2004-Jul/Aug 49 4 36 41 PB - issues, challenges, and interventions Riccardo Davanzo author 2004-07 periodical Neonatal mortality is intolerably high in developing countries and in situations of crisis or disaster as a result of inequity, poverty, and lack of health care services. A series of effective, low-cost interventions, based on appropriate technologies can be used to address the main causes of neonatal deaths. Among these interventions, promotion of exclusive breastfeeding and thermal control of the newborn infant are very effective ones. Although the effectiveness of interventions such as kangaroo mother care, newborn resuscitation, and infant massage is not widely recognized, they may have important complementary roles in providing heath care to newborn infants in adverse conditions. neonate kangaroo mother care breastfeeding HIV international health problems disasters 15269523 Davanzo2004 10.1016/j.jmwh.2004.05.002 2004 49 4 29 35 PB - a crucial resource in times of stress or calm Debra Pascali-Bonaro author Mary Kroeger author 2004-07 periodical Continuous support by a lay woman during labor and delivery facilitates birth, enhances the mother's memory of the experience, strengthens mother-infant bonding, increases breastfeeding success, and significantly reduces many forms of medical intervention, including cesarean delivery and the use of analgesia, anesthesia, vacuum extraction, and forceps. The contribution of doula care has become increasingly available in industrial countries and is beginning to be adopted in hospitals in underdeveloped countries. Research continues to demonstrate the far-reaching value of supportive companionship as a corollary to professional health care during birth. Mothers who are at risk because of medical or social factors and those delivering in situations of stress, including disasters, can benefit greatly from labor support. childbirth obstetric labor massage developing countries stress disasters doula continuous support labor support 15269523 Pascali-Bonaro2004 10.1016/j.jmwh.2004.04.017 2004-Jul/Aug 49 4 19 27 PB - Penny Simkin author April Bolding author 2004-11 periodical 15269523 AB - Simkin2004 10.1016/j.jmwh.2004.07.007 2004-Nov/Dec 49 6 489 504 PB - The control of labor pain and prevention of suffering are major concerns of clinicians and their clients. Nonpharmacologic approaches toward these goals are consistent with midwifery management and the choices of many women. We undertook a literature search of scientific articles cataloged in CINAHL, PUBMED, the Cochrane Library, and AMED databases relating to the effectiveness of 13 non-pharmacologic methods used to relieve pain and reduce suffering in labor. Suffering, which is different from pain, is not an outcome that is usually measured after childbirth. We assumed that suffering is unlikely if indicators of satisfaction were positive after childbirth. Adequate evidence of benefit in reducing pain exists for continuous labor support, baths, intradermal water blocks, and maternal movement and positioning. Acupuncture, massage, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and hypnosis are promising, but they require further study. The effectiveness of childbirth education, relaxation and breathing, heat and cold, acupressure, hypnosis, aromatherapy, music, and audioanalgesia are either inadequately studied or findings are too variable to draw conclusions on effectiveness. All the methods studied had evidence of widespread satisfaction among a majority of users. Young-Hee Lee author 2003-Aug text continuing periodical academic journal 1598-2874 2003-Aug 33 5 633 642 PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of foot care education program using foot-reflexo-massage in diabetic patients. METHOD: A convenience sample of non-equivalent control group time series design was used. It provided foot care education to diabetic patients through small book for both group. For the experimental group, foot-reflexo-massage was taught by a researcher and research assistants. Analysis was done by Repeated Measured ANOVA. RESULT: There was significant increase in foot care knowledge, self care behavior, between the experimental group and the control group over three different times. There was significant in skin temperature and pulse of foot over three different times and interaction by groups or over time, but there was no significant difference between groups. There was no significant difference in blood flow volume and capillary filling time over three different times, between groups, but there was interaction by groups or over time. But there was significant difference in discrimination in change of dosalis pedis artery blood flow. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that this study may contribute to develop nursing intervention for foot care of diabetic patients. Lee2003 Seon-Hee Han author Bok-Soon Yang author Hee-Ja Kim author 2003-Oct text continuing periodical academic journal 1598-2874 2003-Oct 33 6 839 846 PURPOSE: Objectives of the study is to examine the effectiveness of aromatherapy massage among middle aged women with abdominal obesity. METHOD: AB/BA crossover design of random blind assignment was applied. Aromatherapy and placebo massage were given to Group(A), Group(B), each groups applied each massages for 2 weeks alternatively. Weight, abdominal circumference and appetite were compared for results check among the subjects. RESULT: The apparent effectiveness of Aromatherapy Massage in reducing weight, abdominal circumference and appetite was noted. CONCLUSION: On the basis of results, they strongly support the facts of reduction of abdominal obesity by applying aromatherapy massage for middle aged women. Han2003 G Howatson author K A Van Someren author 2003-Dec text continuing periodical academic journal 0022-4707 2003-Dec 43 4 500 505 AIM: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of ice massage on the signs and symptoms associated with exercise-induced muscle damage. METHODS: Nine recreationally resistance trained males performed an exercise protocol designed to induce muscle damage on 2 separate occasions; this was performed on the dominant or non-dominant arm in a random cross over design. The protocol consisted of 3 sets of 10 repetitions of single arm biceps curls, at 70% of a pre-determined one repetition maximum (1RM), with the eccentric phase of the contraction extended to 7 seconds. Subjects were also randomly assigned to an ice massage group or control group in the cross over design and received treatments immediately post-exercise, 24 hours and 48 hours post-exercise. 1RM, plasma creatine kinase (CK), muscle soreness (DOMS), limb girth and range of motion (ROM) were measured pre, immediately post, 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours post-exercise. RESULTS: Significant time effects were observed for all dependent variables (p<0.05), though no significant group effects were observed. A group by time interaction was found for CK (p<0.05), which at 72 hours post-exercise was significantly lower in the ice massage group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that although ice massage reduces the appearance of CK it has no other effect on signs and symptoms associated with exercise-induced muscle damage. Howatson2003 Harald Walach author Corina GÃŒthlin author Miriam König author 2003-Dec text continuing periodical academic journal 1075-5535 2003-Dec 9 6 837 846 BACKGROUND: Although classic massage is used widely in Germany and elsewhere for treating chronic pain conditions, there are no randomized controlled trials (RCT). DESIGN: Pragmatic RCT of classic massage compared to standard medical care (SMC) in chronic pain conditions of back, neck, shoulders, head and limbs. OUTCOME MEASURE: Pain rating (nine-point Likert-scale; predefined main outcome criterion) at pretreatment, post-treatment, and 3 month follow-up, as well as pain adjective list, depression, anxiety, mood, and body concept. RESULTS: Because of political and organizational problems, only 29 patients were randomized, 19 to receive massage, 10 to SMC. Pain improved significantly in both groups, but only in the massage group was it still significantly improved at follow-up. Depression and anxiety were improved significantly by both treatments, yet only in the massage group maintained at follow-up. CONCLUSION: Despite its limitation resulting from problems with numbers and randomization this study shows that massage can be at least as effective as SMC in chronic pain syndromes. Relative changes are equal, but tend to last longer and to generalize more into psychologic domains. Because this is a pilot study, the results need replication, but our experiences might be useful for other researchers. Walach2003 10.1089/107555303771952181 Janice Post-White author Mary Ellen Kinney author Kay Savik author Joanna Berntsen Gau author Carol Wilcox author Irving Lerner author 2003-Dec text continuing periodical academic journal 1534-7354 2003-Dec 2 4 332 344 Complementary therapies are increasingly used to reduce side effects of cancer treatment, without evidence for their effectiveness. In a randomized, prospective, 2-period, crossover intervention study, the authors tested the effects of therapeutic massage (MT) and healing touch (HT), in comparison to presence alone or standard care, in inducing relaxation and reducing symptoms in 230 subjects. MT and HT lowered blood pressure, respiratory rate (RR), and heart rate (HR). MT lowered anxiety and HT lowered fatigue, and both lowered total mood disturbance. Pain ratings were lower after MT and HT, with 4-week nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug use less during MT. There were no effects on nausea. Presence reduced RR and HR but did not differ from standard care on any measure of pain, nausea, mood states, anxiety, or fatigue. MT and HT are more effective than presence alone or standard care in reducing pain, mood disturbance, and fatigue in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. Post-White2003 10.1177/1534735403259064 Marcia M Piotrowski author Cynthia Paterson author Allison Mitchinson author Hyungjin Myra Kim author Marvin Kirsh author Daniel B Hinshaw author 2003-Dec text continuing periodical academic journal 1072-7515 2003-Dec 197 6 1037 1046 BACKGROUND: Opioid analgesia alone may not fully relieve all aspects of acute postoperative pain. Complementary medicine techniques used as adjuvant therapies have the potential to improve pain management and palliate postoperative distress. STUDY DESIGN: This prospective randomized clinical trial compared pain relief after major operations in 202 patients who received one of three nursing interventions: massage, focused attention, or routine care. Interventions were performed twice daily starting 24 hours after the operation through postoperative day 7. Perceived pain was measured each morning. RESULTS: The rate of decline in the unpleasantness of postoperative pain was accelerated by massage (p = 0.05). Massage also accelerated the rate of decline in the intensity of postoperative pain but this effect was not statistically significant. Use of opioid analgesics was not altered significantly by the interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Massage may be a useful adjuvant therapy for the management of acute postoperative pain. Its greatest effect appears to be on the affective component (ie, unpleasantness) of the pain. Piotrowski2003 L A Komarova author T I Zhiganova author text continuing periodical academic journal 0042-8787 2003 5 30 32 56 patients with neurocirculatory asthenia (NCA) of a hypertensive and cardial type aged 30 to 55 years took general oxygen baths and collar zone massage, no drugs were used. The baths and the massage improved the disease course in 92.6% patients: improved hemodynamics, relieved high vascular resistance, lowered high diastolic blood pressure, decreased heart rate in tachycardia. More effective was the treatment in hypertensive NCA. Komarova2003 Bette L Waters author Jeanne Raisler author text continuing periodical academic journal 1526-9523 2003 48 5 317 321 The current study investigated the use of ice massage of the acupressure energy meridian point large intestine 4 (LI4) to reduce labor pain during contractions. LI4 is located on the medial midpoint of the first metacarpal, within 3 to 4 mm of the web of skin between the thumb and forefinger. A one-group, pretest, posttest design was chosen, which used 100-mm Visual Analog Scales (VAS) and the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) ranked numerically and verbally to measure pain levels; the pretest served as the control. Study participants were Hispanic and white Medicaid recipients who received prenatal care at a women's clinic staffed by certified nurse-midwives and obstetricians. Participants noted a pain reduction mean on the VAS of 28.22 mm on the left hand and 11.93 mm on the right hand. The postdelivery ranked MPQ dropped from number 3 (distressing) to number 2 (discomforting). The study results suggest that ice massage is a safe, noninvasive, nonpharmacological method of reducing labor pain. Waters2003 Tetsuji Wakuda author 2003-Jul text continuing periodical academic journal 0549-3323 2003-Jul 49 2 263 276 In early modern times, massage treatment developed in Europe. During the 1880s and 1890s, it is said that massage treatment was first introduced into Japan. But at the present time it may be said that it is not clearly understood how it was introduced from Europe into Japan and how it was developed there. I will explain the circumstances of how it developed in Japan. In 1884, when Kojo Hashimoto, the chief army doctor, was on a tour of medical missions in Europe, he obtained the illustrated book of massage: "Die Technik der Massage" (first ed. 1884), which was written by Dr. Albert Reibmayr of Austria, and he brought it back to Japan. Following this, Jiko Nagase, an army doctor, actually tried its treatment, using the first illustrated book of massage. He confirmed that massage treatment was a great medical treatment and translated this book into Japanese and published it for its popularisation. I was shown an image of the first massage of Dr. Reibmayr in looking at his first illustrated book in modern Japan. Thus, Kojo Hashimoto brought massage into Japan, and it was spread gradually among government officials and the people. Wakuda2003 Motonobu Miyazaki author Akira Babazono author Masumi Kato author Shigeru Takagi author Hiroshi Chimura author Hiroshi Une author 2003-Sep text continuing periodical academic journal 1341-321X 2003-Sep 9 3 248 253 A cross-sectional study of Japanese female commercial sex workers (FCSWs) working in massage parlors with cell baths (MPCBs) was conducted between July 1999 and December 2001. The study subjects were 171 FCSWs aged from 19 to 36 years. A questionnaire included sexual characteristics in addition to working name and date of birth. We serologically or bacteriologically confirmed the prevalence of HIV-1, HIV-2, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, syphilis, and trichomoniasis. There were no differences in the clinical characteristics of FCSWs working in standard-class MPCBs (group A) and those working in expensive-class MPCBs (group B). With respect to sexual characteristics, HIV-1 and HIV-2 were not confirmed in any subjects, but N. gonorrhoeae was detected in 1.2%. Use of condoms was 98.4% in group A and 83.3% in group B ( P < 0.01). No HIV infection and an extremely low prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) were recognized in Japanese FCSWs working in standard- and expensive-class MPCBs. Miyazaki2003 10.1007/s10156-003-0257-3 Laura D McRee author Stacie Noble author Alice Pasvogel author 2003-Sep text continuing periodical academic journal 0001-2092 2003-Sep 78 3 433 433 An experimental pilot study was conducted to investigate the effects of preoperative massage and music therapy on patients' preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative experiences. Participants were assigned randomly to one of four groups--a group that received massage with music therapy, a group that received massage only, a group that received music therapy only, or a control group. Hemodynamics, serum cortisol and prolactin levels, and anxiety were measured preoperatively and postoperatively. Postoperative anxiety levels were significantly lower and postoperative prolactin levels were significantly higher for all groups. McRee2003 Linda M Goodfellow author text continuing periodical academic journal 0029-6562 2003 52 5 318 328 BACKGROUND: Spouses of patients with cancer are at risk for stress-related disorders and may experience a reduction in immune function. Therapeutic back massage (TBM) has been shown to enhance relaxation and thus, may reduce stress associated with caring for an ill partner. OBJECTIVES: To determine if TBM's influences on psychosocial, physiologic, and immune function variables in spouses of patients with cancer, and explore the relationships between psychosocial variables and immune function in spouses of patients with cancer. METHODS: This group experimental design measured the effects of a 20-minute TBM at three time points (preintervention, immediately postintervention, 20 minutes postintervention) on spouses of patients with cancer (N= 42) randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. The major dependent variables including natural killer cell activity (NKCA), heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mood, and perceived stress were measured at the three time points to examine the effects of TBM. Data collected on measures of mood and perceived stress were correlated with NKCA to examine their relationships. Prior to hypotheses testing, data collected on measures of depressive mood, loneliness, marital disruption, and health practices were also correlated with NKCA to ascertain any possible confounding variables. RESULTS: Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance tests determined the effects of TBM over the two postintervention time points and resulted in significant group x time interactions on mood (F [2, 40]= 14.61, p=.0005) and perceived stress (F [2, 40]= 28.66, p=.001). Significant inverse relationships were found between mood and NKCA (r= -.41, p=.009, N= 42) and perceived stress and NKCA (r= -.37, p=.017, N= 42). DISCUSSION: Findings suggest that TBM may enhance mood and reduce perceived stress in this population. Insight was gained into the psycho-immunologic relationships studied. Goodfellow2003 Jordi Sagrera Ferrándiz author 2003-May text continuing periodical academic journal 0210-5020 2003-May 26 5 8 8 In this first article, the author, Dr. Sagrera Ferrandiz, introduces us to the most generic aspects of massage and its relationship with health. In order to do so, he carries out a historical review in the use of massage beginning with the Vedas, Hinduism's sacred texts, and ending in our days. In future articles, the author will deal with different types and uses of massage and their relationships with health. Sagrera Ferrándiz2003 J Sagrera Ferrándiz author text continuing periodical academic journal 0210-5020 2003 26 7-8 7 7 Even though many massage techniques are called chiromassage, this term must be used to describe a technique created by its inventor, Dr. Ferrándiz, who based on knowledge from German, Swiss and Oriental techniques, developed his own technique and in order to differentiate it from other techniques, gave it the name chiro-meaning hand-massage; which is to say massage using hands, without the use of any apparatus. Once this clarification has been made, the author analyzes the parts which compose a good chiromassage: 1) preparatory exercises: exploration, initial contact, magnetic sedative passes, etc. 2) kneading: in order to distort and elongate muscle fibers, 3) specific exercises: distinct one for each individual case, and 4) finalizing exercises: vibrations, drumming with one's fingers, venal drainage and magnetic sedative passes. Sagrera Ferrándiz2003 Paul A van den Dolder author David L Roberts author 2003 text continuing periodical academic journal 0004-9514 2003 49 3 183 188 The purpose of this single blinded randomised controlled trial was to investigate the effects of soft tissue massage on range of motion, reported pain and reported function in patients with shoulder pain. Twenty-nine patients referred to physiotherapy for shoulder pain were randomly assigned to a treatment group that received six treatments of soft tissue massage around the shoulder (n = 15) or to a control group that received no treatment while on the waiting list for two weeks (n = 14). Measurements were taken both before and after the experimental period by a blinded assessor. Active range of motion was measured for flexion, abduction and hand-behind-back movements. Pain was assessed with the Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SFMPQ) and functional ability was assessed with the Patient Specific Functional Disability Measure (PSFDM). The treatment group showed significant improvements in range of motion compared with the control group for abduction (mean 42.2 degrees, 95% CI 24.1 to 60.4 degrees), flexion (mean 22.6 degrees, 95% CI 12.4 to 32.8 degrees) and hand-behind-back (mean 11.0 cm improvement, 95% CI 6.3 to 15.6 cm). Massage reduced pain as reported on the descriptive section of the SFMPQ by a mean of 4.9 points (95% CI 2.5 to 7.2 points) and on the visual analogue scale by an average of 26.5 mm (95% CI 5.3 to 47.6 mm), and it improved reported function on the PSFDM by a mean of 8.6 points (95% CI 4.9 to 12.3 points).We conclude that soft tissue massage around the shoulder is effective in improving range of motion, pain and function in patients with shoulder pain. The mechanisms behind these effects remain unclear. van den Dolder2003 B Drust author G Atkinson author W Gregson author D French author D Binningsley author 2003-Aug text continuing periodical academic journal 0172-4622 2003-Aug 24 6 395 399 The aim of the current investigation was to evaluate the effect of different durations of massage, and ultrasound treatment, on the temperature of the vastus lateralis muscle in males. Deep effleurage massage of the vastus lateralis was performed on seven healthy males (mean +/- SD; age; 28 +/- 4 years, height 1.84 +/- 0.05 m, body mass 85.7 +/- 12 kg) for 5, 10 and 15 min periods. A 5-min period of ultrasound at 45 KHz was also completed by all subjects. Intra muscular temperature (at 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 cm) and thigh skin temperature were assessed pre and post treatment. Heart rate was monitored continuously throughout all conditions. Pre treatment intra muscular temperature increased as depth of measurement increased (p = 0.00002). Changes in muscle temperature at 1.5 and 2.5 cm were significantly greater following massage than ultrasound (p < 0.002). No significant differences between massage treatments and ultrasound were noted when intra muscular temperature was measured at 3.5 cm (p > 0.05). Massage also significantly increased both heart rate and thigh skin temperature compared to ultrasound (p < 0.005). Increases in intra muscular temperature, heart rate and thigh skin temperature were the same irrespective of massage duration. These data suggest that massage and ultrasound have only limited effects on deep muscle temperature. As a result such approaches may not be suitable as a preparation strategy for exercise. Drust2003 10.1055/s-2003-41182 John N I Dieter author Tiffany Field author Maria Hernandez-Reif author Eugene K Emory author Mercedes Redzepi author 2003-Sep text continuing periodical academic journal 0146-8693 2003-Sep 28 6 403 411 OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of 5 days of massage therapy on the weight gain and sleep/wake behavior of hospitalized stable preterm infants. METHODS: Massage therapy (body stroking/passive limb movement for three 15-minute periods per day) was provided to 16 preterm neonates (mean gestational age, 30.1 weeks; mean birth weight, 1359 g), and their weight gain, formula intake, kilocalories, stooling, and sleep/wake behavior were compared with a group of 16 control infants (mean gestational age, 31.1 weeks; mean birth weight, 1421 g). RESULTS: The massage group averaged 53% greater daily weight gain than the control group. The massage group spent less time sleeping at the end of 5 treatment days than the control group and more time in the drowsy state. CONCLUSIONS: Healthy, low-risk preterm infants gained more weight and slept less with just 5 days of massage, in contrast to 10 days in previous studies. Results support the continued use of massage as a cost-effective therapy for medically stable preterm infants. Dieter2003 Wesley W Brooks author Chester H Conrad author Arthur P Nedder author Oscar H L Bing author Mara T Slawsky author 2003-Jun text continuing periodical academic journal 1532-0820 2003-Jun 53 3 288 292 PURPOSE: The objective of the study reported here was to investigate whether massage-like stroking of the thorax and cranial portion of the abdomen might relax unanesthetized rats sufficiently to permit in vivo echocardiography. METHODS: Nine-month-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were first conditioned to being held by hand for 10 to 15 min twice a day for seven to 10 days. During each session, the animal was placed in supine position, and the thorax and cranial abdominal area were gently stroked (approx. 5 cm/s, 12 to 14 times/min). After the conditioning period, echocardiography was initiated. We obtained serial transthoracic two-dimensional (2-D) and M-mode echocardiograms from nine-month-old SHR that were treated with isoproterenol (60 mg/kg of body weight, s.c., x 1, followed by 30 mg/kg/d x3), and from old (20 to 24 months old) SHR, studied when labored breathing, suggestive of heart failure, was evident (SHR-F). Measurements included end-diastolic volume (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV). RESULTS: In the isoproterenol-treated SHR, mean +/- SD echocardiographically derived EDV (2-D, 0.29 +/- 0.05; M-mode, 0.28 +/- 0.01 ml) was not significantly different from volume at necropsy (0.33 +/- 0.04 ml). Measurements of EDV and ESV by use of M-mode and 2-D echocardiography were significantly correlated (EDV R2 = 0.48, P = 0.05; ESV R2 = 0.39, P = 0.02). Echocardiography revealed pleuropericardial effusions (4/6), atrial thrombi (5/6), and left and right ventricular enlargement (6/6). The EDV and ESV were increased fivefold (P < 0.01) and threefold (P < 0.05), respectively, versus values for SHR not in heart failure (SHR-NF). Left ventricular ejection fraction of hearts from SHR-F was markedly decreased, compared with that in SHR-NF (44 +/- 7 versus 74 +/- 2%, respectively; P < 0.05). The presence or absence of left atrial thrombi and fluid in the thoracic cavity was confirmed at necropsy in SHR-F and SHR-NF. CONCLUSION: Thoracic massage permits use of echocardiography in unanesthetized rats, thereby providing a simple, non-invasive technique for assessment of cardiac structure and function in rats without the potentially adverse effects of anesthesia. Brooks2003 Tooru Nemoto author Don Operario author Mie Takenaka author Mariko Iwamoto author Mai Nhung Le author 2003-Jun text continuing periodical academic journal 0899-9546 2003-Jun 15 3 245 256 The purpose of this paper is to describe working conditions, health outcomes, social, and psychological factors related to HIV risk among Asian women who work at massage parlors in San Francisco. We conducted environmental mapping to identify communities and massage parlors where Asian women work as masseuses, and conducted survey interviews with 100 masseuses using venue-based snowball sampling. Difficult work conditions contributed to participants' HIV risk, including multiple sex customers each workday, long working hours, physical and verbal abuse from customers, economic pressures, and poor access to health care. Inconsistent condom use for vaginal sex with customers was positively associated with their fatalistic ideas and weak norms toward practicing safe sex with customers. Interventions should address cultural and occupational contexts in which Asian masseuses engage in sex work, and should focus on altering massage parlor policies and work environments. Nemoto2003 Peter A Mackereth author 2003-Aug text continuing periodical academic journal 1353-6117 2003-Aug 9 3 147 154 Infant or baby massage has emerged in the recent decade as an activity promoted by health care professionals, popular with parents and the subject of a growing body of research evidence (Complement. Ther. Nurs. Midwifery 2 (1996) 151; 3 & 8 Tough Ther. 2000). This paper reports on the experience of establishing and facilitating baby massage training. There is a focus in the discussion on teaching fathers, as only one male parent attended the classes over a 6-month period. Recommendations are made in the conclusion, identifying possible ways of promoting fathers involvement in babies massage. The paper, with its images of a father engaged in baby massage, is intended to add to the current limited amount of literature available on this subject. Mackereth2003 Georgia Haynes author Diane Garske author Doug Case author Perry Shen author Edward A Levine author Nancy D Perrier author 2003-Jun text continuing periodical academic journal 0003-1348 2003-Jun 69 6 520 522 Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping has substantially changed the nature of surgery for cancer of the breast. Variables such as tracer type, volume, injection site, timing, and surgical experience have all been extensively evaluated. However, little attention has been paid to the technique of massage for SLN procedures. We sought to evaluate the effects of three different massage techniques on mapping success or accuracy of SLN mapping for breast cancer. All lymphatic mapping procedures for breast cancer at our tertiary-care center were performed by three experienced surgeons using both colloid and dye followed by a 5-minute massage. All data pertaining to SLN identification, histopathology, tumor characteristics, and patient demographics were entered into the Breast Care Center database. Consistent and uniquely differing massage techniques classified as resuscitative, buffer, or knead-like were each used by a specific surgeon. The last 25 consecutive cases performed by two surgeons and the last 24 by one surgeon were evaluated. The overall rate of SLN identification was 97 per cent, and the overall accuracy was 98.7 per cent. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of SLN identification or accuracy between techniques. The proportions of blue-stained SLNs were similar, but the resuscitative technique yielded fewer hot SLNs (Fisher's exact test, P = 0.02). This method also yielded one false negative case. The three different massage techniques yielded a similar number of blue-stained SLNs. The resuscitative technique yielded fewer hot SLNs than the kneading and buffer methods. Our results failed to demonstrate a superior breast massage technique for identifying sentinel nodes. A larger randomized trial is needed to confirm these findings. Haynes2003 A M Westcombe author M A Gambles author S M Wilkinson author K Barnes author D Fellowes author E J Maher author T Young author S B Love author R A Lucey author S Cubbin author A J Ramirez author 2003-Jun text continuing periodical academic journal 0269-2163 2003-Jun 17 4 300 307 Aromatherapy massage is used in cancer palliative care to improve quality of life but there is little evidence for its effectiveness. A large pragmatic multicentre randomized controlled trial was set up to examine the effectiveness of aromatherapy in improving psychological distress and quality of life in patients with cancer. This paper examines the challenges encountered in the design and execution of the study. The original design, i) focused on palliative care patients with advanced disease; ii) had both a no-intervention and a treatment control group (relaxation therapy); and iii) adopted 90% power for sample size calculations. A varied measurement strategy was employed. Recruitment proved difficult, referrers were 'gate-keeping', patients were often too ill to approach and others declined. The trial was modified to ensure viability. Eligibility was extended to all patients with cancer irrespective of stage, the relaxation group was removed and the power reduced to 80%. Although it is not generally good practice to change a study design once recruitment has started, the changes were consistent with the original basic study aims and design principles. The data collection phase was successfully completed in July 2002. Westcombe2003 Jodi M Beachy author text continuing periodical academic journal 0730-0832 2003 22 3 39 39 Infant massage therapy is an inexpensive tool that should be utilized as part of the developmental care of the preterm infant. Nurses have been hesitant to begin massage therapy for fear of overstimulating the infant and because there has been insufficient research to prove its safety. Recent research, however, has shown that the significant benefits of infant massage therapy far outweigh the minimal risks. When infant massage therapy is properly applied to preterm infants, they respond with increased weight gains, improved developmental scores, and earlier discharge from the hospital. Parents of the preterm infant also benefit because infant massage enhances bonding with their child and increases confidence in their parenting skills. This article discusses the benefits and risks of massage for preterm infants and their families and explains how to implement massage therapy in the neonatal intensive care setting. Beachy2003 Daniel C Cherkin author Karen J Sherman author Richard A Deyo author Paul G Shekelle author 2003-Jun-03 text continuing periodical academic journal 1539-3704 2003-Jun-3 138 11 898 898 BACKGROUND: Few treatments for back pain are supported by strong scientific evidence. Conventional treatments, although widely used, have had limited success. Dissatisfied patients have, therefore, turned to complementary and alternative medical therapies and providers for care for back pain. PURPOSE: To provide a rigorous and balanced summary of the best available evidence about the effectiveness, safety, and costs of the most popular complementary and alternative medical therapies used to treat back pain. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register. STUDY SELECTION: Systematic reviews of randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) that were published since 1995 and that evaluated acupuncture, massage therapy, or spinal manipulation for nonspecific back pain and RCTs published since the reviews were conducted. DATA EXTRACTION: Two authors independently extracted data from the reviews (including number of RCTs, type of back pain, quality assessment, and conclusions) and original articles (including type of pain, comparison treatments, sample size, outcomes, follow-up intervals, loss to follow-up, and authors' conclusions). DATA SYNTHESIS: Because the quality of the 20 RCTs that evaluated acupuncture was generally poor, the effectiveness of acupuncture for treating acute or chronic back pain is unclear. The three RCTs that evaluated massage reported that this therapy is effective for subacute and chronic back pain. A meta-regression analysis of the results of 26 RCTs evaluating spinal manipulation for acute and chronic back pain reported that spinal manipulation was superior to sham therapies and therapies judged to have no evidence of a benefit but was not superior to effective conventional treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Initial studies have found massage to be effective for persistent back pain. Spinal manipulation has small clinical benefits that are equivalent to those of other commonly used therapies. The effectiveness of acupuncture remains unclear. All of these treatments seem to be relatively safe. Preliminary evidence suggests that massage, but not acupuncture or spinal manipulation, may reduce the costs of care after an initial course of therapy. Cherkin2003 E Ernst author 2003-Sep-30 text continuing periodical academic journal 1462-0324 2003-Sep-30 42 9 1101 1106 OBJECTIVES: After many years out of the limelight, massage therapy is now experiencing a revival. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate its potential for harm. METHODS: Computerized literature searches were carried out in four databases. All articles reporting adverse effects of any type of massage therapy were retrieved. Adverse effects relating to massage oil or ice were excluded. No language restrictions were applied. Data were extracted and evaluated according to predefined criteria. RESULTS: Sixteen case reports of adverse effects and four case series were found. The majority of adverse effects were associated with exotic types of manual massage or massage delivered by laymen, while massage therapists were rarely implicated. The reported adverse events include cerebrovascular accidents, displacement of a ureteral stent, embolization of a kidney, haematoma, leg ulcers, nerve damage, posterior interosseous syndrome, pseudoaneurism, pulmonary embolism, ruptured uterus, strangulation of neck, thyrotoxicosis and various pain syndromes. In the majority of these instances, there can be little doubt about a cause-effect relationship. Serious adverse effects were associated mostly with massage techniques other than 'Swedish' massage. CONCLUSION: Massage is not entirely risk free. However, serious adverse events are probably true rarities. Ernst2003 10.1093/rheumatology/keg306 Jennifer Edge author 2003-May text continuing periodical academic journal 1353-6117 2003-May 9 2 90 97 This study was carried out with eight subjects specifically referred for aromatherapy; each received a standardised aromatherapy massage weekly for 6 weeks. The subjects' levels of anxiety and depression were measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) Scale prior to the first massage and after the final massage. The subjects' levels of mood, anxiety and relaxation were recorded using a visual analogue before and after each massage and then again 6 weeks after the last massage. Comparison was made between the HAD Scale results for each client and also the visual analogue scale results for before and after massage and also first massage and 6 weeks postmassage for the sample group. Improvements were shown in six out of eight subjects' HAD Scale results. Improvements were also shown in all areas when comparing the visual analogue scale results. The study was carried out over an 8-month period. To date there have been few studies addressing the effect of aromatherapy massage on mood, anxiety and relaxation (Therapist 9 (1996) 38). It is acknowledged that there may be a number of reasons for this such as factors related to obtaining a sample group, informed consent, the interaction of current medication regimes and so forth. It is acknowledged that whilst this is a small pilot study a number of methodological issues are raised concerning research into the use of aromatherapy in this clinical field. By reporting on this work, it is hoped that this paper will generate reflection, discussion and debate so forwarding the knowledge base in this discipline. Edge2003 Ann Gill Taylor author Daniel I Galper author Peyton Taylor author Laurel W Rice author Willie Andersen author William Irvin author Xin-Qun Wang author Frank E Harrell author 2003-Feb text continuing periodical academic journal 1075-5535 2003-Feb 9 1 77 77 OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of adjunctive postoperative massage and vibration therapy on short-term postsurgical pain, negative affect, and physiologic stress reactivity. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized controlled trial. The treatment groups were: (1) usual postoperative care (UC); (2) UC plus massage therapy; or (3) UC plus vibration therapy. SETTING: The University of Virginia Hospital Surgical Units, Gynecology-Oncology Clinic, and General Clinical Research Center. SUBJECTS: One hundred and five (N = 105) women who underwent an abdominal laparotomy for removal of suspected cancerous lesions. INTERVENTIONS: All patients received UC with analgesic medication. Additionally, the massage group received standardized 45-minute sessions of gentle Swedish massage on the 3 consecutive evenings after surgery and the vibration group received 20-minute sessions of inaudible vibration therapy (physiotones) on the 3 consecutive evenings after surgery, as well as additional sessions as desired. OUTCOME MEASURES: Sensory pain, affective pain, anxiety, distress, analgesic use, systolic blood pressure, 24-hour urine free cortisol, number of postoperative complications, and days of hospitalization. RESULTS: On the day of surgery, massage was more effective than UC for affective (p = 0.0244) and sensory pain (p = 0.0428), and better than vibration for affective pain (p = 0.0015). On postoperative day 2, massage was more effective than UC for distress (p = 0.0085), and better than vibration for sensory pain (p = 0.0085). Vibration was also more effective than UC for sensory pain (p = 0.0090) and distress (p = .0090). However, after controlling for multiple comparisons and multiple outcomes, no significant differences were found. CONCLUSIONS: Gentle Swedish massage applied postoperatively may have minor effects on short-term sensory pain, affective pain, and distress among women undergoing an abdominal laparotomy for removal of suspected malignant tissues. Taylor2003 10.1089/107555303321222964 Shiow-Luan Tsay author Jiin-Ru Rong author Pay-Fan Lin author 2003-Apr text continuing periodical academic journal 0309-2402 2003-Apr 42 2 134 142 BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese acupressure is a noninvasive technique that employs pressure and massage to acupoints in order to stimulate the balance of life energy that promotes health and comfort. Sleep disturbance is common in patients with end-stage renal disease but no intervention studies have addressed this problem. Aim. The purpose of the present study was to test the effectiveness of acupoints massage for patients with end-stage renal disease and experiencing sleep disturbances and diminished quality of life. METHODS: The study was a randomized control trial. A total of 98 end-stage renal disease patients with sleep disturbances were randomly assigned into an acupressure group, a sham acupressure group, and a control group. Acupressure and sham acupressure group patients received acupoints or no acupoints massage three times a week during haemodialysis treatment for a total of 4 weeks. The measures included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Sleep Log, and the Medical Outcome Study - Short Form 36. FINDINGS: The results indicated significant differences between the acupressure group and the control group in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index subscale scores of subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep sufficiency, and global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores. Sleep log data revealed that the acupressure group significantly decreased wake time and experienced an improved quality of sleep at night over the control group. Medical Outcome Study - Short Form 36 data also documented that acupressure group patients experienced significantly improved quality of life. CONCLUSION: This study supports the effectiveness of acupoints massage in improving the quality of sleep and life quality of end-stage renal disease patients, and offers a noninvasive therapy for sleep-disturbed patients. Tsay2003 Janet Hanley author Pamela Stirling author Christina Brown author 2003-Jan text continuing periodical academic journal 0960-1643 2003-Jan 53 486 20 25 BACKGROUND: Many patients presenting in general practice are suffering from stress. Approaches using complementary therapeies are gaining popularity but have not been systematically evaluated. AIM: To compare the effect of six sessions of therapeutic massage with the use of a relaxation tape on stress, as measured by The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30). DESIGN OF STUDY: Randomised controlled trial. SETTING: A stress reduction clinic in general practice. METHOD: There were three treatment groups. Patients in the first group received six sessions of therapeutic massage, which was carried out by a nurse trained in this technique. Patients in the second group were given six sessions using a relaxation tape in the surgery and those in the third group were given a relaxation tape to use at home. The main outcome measures were: the GHQ-30, the Adapted Well Being Index (AWBI); a sleep scale; general practitioner (GP) consultations for any reason in the six weeks before treatment, during treatment, and the six weeks following treatment; and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients completed the treatment. There were significant improvements across all four outcome measures and all three treatment groups. Following treatment the majority of patients felt far less emotional disturbance, were sleeping better, and consulting their GP less. CONCLUSION: Despite very strong patient preference for therapeutic massage, it did not show any benefits over either a relaxation tape used in the surgery or a relaxation tape used at home. Hanley2003 J E Hilbert author G A Sforzo author T Swensen author 2003-Feb text continuing periodical academic journal 0306-3674 2003-Feb 37 1 72 75 OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the physiological and psychological effects of massage on delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). METHODS: Eighteen volunteers were randomly assigned to either a massage or control group. DOMS was induced with six sets of eight maximal eccentric contractions of the right hamstring, which were followed 2 h later by 20 min of massage or sham massage (control). Peak torque and mood were assessed at 2, 6, 24, and 48 h postexercise. Range of motion (ROM) and intensity and unpleasantness of soreness were assessed at 6, 24, and 48 h postexercise. Neutrophil count was assessed at 6 and 24 h postexercise. RESULTS: A two factor ANOVA (treatment v time) with repeated measures on the second factor showed no significant treatment differences for peak torque, ROM, neutrophils, unpleasantness of soreness, and mood (p > 0.05). The intensity of soreness, however, was significantly lower in the massage group relative to the control group at 48 h postexercise (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Massage administered 2 h after exercise induced muscle injury did not improve hamstring function but did reduce the intensity of soreness 48 h after muscle insult. Hilbert2003 E Sykaras author A Mylonas author N Malliaropoulos author A Zakas author E Papacostas author 2003 text continuing periodical academic journal Manual massage is considered an important part of athletic rehabilitation or preparation for training and competition. Objective: To study the possible effects of manual massage on concentric and eccentric peak torque of knee extensors, when applied during intervals of exercise. Methods: Twelve elite female Tae Kwon Do athletes were tested twice during a week (different extremity each) in continuous concentric/eccentric isokinetic exercise (6 sets of 10 repetitions, with 2 minutes intervals). Manual massage was applied during breaks to the extremity (massage extremity) while for the other limb (control extremity) the interval was passive. For both groups peak torque was measured 3 minutes after the last set. The same test was performed 3 minutes prior to the first set. The best performance was recorded pre- and post-exercise and the results were compared. Results: For both groups peak torque (concentric and eccentric) was reduced after the exercise protocol. In the massage group the reduction was lower and significantly different for eccentric type of muscle work (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Application of manual massage during isokinetic exercise intervals has an enhancing effect on the peak eccentric torque of the knee extensors. Sykaras2003 2003 11 3 153 157 Sonya Khilnani author Tiffany Field author Maria Hernandez-Reif author Saul Schanberg author 2003 text continuing periodical academic journal 0001-8449 2003 38 152 623 638 In the present study, 30 students between the ages of 7 and 18 years (M = 13 years) diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were randomly assigned to a massage group or a wait-list control group. The massage group received massage therapy for 20 minutes twice per week over the course of one month. The results revealed that massage therapy benefited students with ADHD by improving short-term mood state and longer-term classroom behavior. Khilnani2003 injuries reported in Medline relating to the practice of therapeutic massage--1965-2003 Keith Eric Grant author 2003-10 text continuing periodical academic journal Medline citations from 1965 to 2003 were searched for cases relating significant injury to the practice of therapeutic massage. Eleven such cases were found from over 12 million medical citations. While this number is far too small for statistical analysis of injury patterns, six recommendations for training and practice were obtainable from these reports on mechanistic grounds. A conclusion of the general safety of massage follows from the paucity of report injury cases in conjunction with corroborative insurance statistics. Grant2003 10.1016/S1360-8592(03)00043-3 2003-10 7 4 207 212 Gail Dudley author Kerry N McGrath author Alfred M Pheley author 2003-10 text continuing periodical academic journal Forty-one women (mean age 44 years, S.D. 10) undergoing hysterectomy surgery received a 30-min massage plus standard care (n=19) or standard care without massage (n=22) the day after their surgery. Twenty-six procedures used a vaginal approach, the remaining 16 were abdominal. Women were assigned based on their month of delivery/surgery during the spring and summer of 1998. No interaction was observed between procedure type and massage condition (P=0.92), nor was there a main effect for massage (P=0.49) when examining length of stay and pain medication use. Women undergoing abdominal hysterectomies had longer hospital stays (average 61 vs 44 h, P=0.001) and required almost twice as much pain medication as those having vaginal hysterectomies (P=0.003). Other preliminary observations related to massage are discussed. Dudley2003 10.1016/S1360-8592(03)00037-8 2003-10 7 4 222 227 Part IV: Experimental research designs Claire M Cassidy author Jacqueline A Hart author 2003-10 text continuing periodical academic journal In the last part of this four part series, the application of design principles for experimental research is considered and put in the context of how they apply to research in massage and bodywork therapy (MBT). At the end, key elements from all four parts of the series are summarized so that the reader has a snapshot picture of several of the unique aspects of research in MBT. Finally, a step-by-step blue print is included at the end for the inspired MBT researcher who is ready to begin (See Table 3.) Cassidy2003 10.1016/S1360-8592(03)00067-6 2003-10 7 4 240 250 trigger point therapy for triceps and extensor muscles Clair Davies author 2003-07 text continuing periodical academic journal Supported by the work of Janet Travell and David Simons, the author asserts that myofascial trigger points in triceps and extensor muscles can be the major cause of lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow). When conventional treatment protocols for tennis elbow prove less than satisfactory, it may be to their not being suited for deactivating myofascial trigger points.The author presents techniques for self-applied deep stroking massage of trigger points in triceps and extensor muscles that patients can employ to complement or even replace other therapies in the treatment of tennis elbow. Practitioners are encouraged to explore these techniques on themselves as a test of their efficacy and as a way to gain enough familiarity with the method to feel confident when teaching it to patients. Davies2003 10.1016/S1360-8592(02)00071-2 2003-7 7 3 165 172 a case for using an integration model Joffrey Scott Suprina author 2003-07 text continuing periodical academic journal Chronic pain is a prominent and costly challenge for the healthcare industry. Research has identified the biopsychosocial model to be the most effective treatment for chronic pain. This article discusses the efficacy of a biopsychosocial model and explores utilizing an integration model - a single practitioner applying a multidisciplinary biopsychosocial construct. A case study of a young woman living with chronic low back pain is used to exemplify an effective integrated approach. The treatment resulted in a successful reduction of symptoms. Although no single practitioner can effectively treat all chronic pain, there are a number of potential advantages to the one-person integration treatment model: it may save time and money; can be more efficient and effective and may be more easily researched, than a multidisciplinary team approach. Suprina2003 10.1016/S1360-8592(03)00022-6 2003-7 7 3 184 193 dimensions for thought and action Glenn M Hymel author 2003-07 text continuing periodical academic journal Two major developments in the therapeutic massage and bodywork profession have recently brought to the forefront, in a most comprehensive fashion, the issue of research competencies. Specifically, the efforts of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) Foundation's Massage Research Agenda Workgroup and the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation's (COMTA) expansion of competency-based standards to include a research component have both called the profession to a potentially heightened level of credibility. Accompanying such an opportunity for the massage/bodywork profession's development, though, are challenges still to be successfully deliberated and acted upon. One such challenge is that of coordinating the various curricular, instructional, organizational, and resource areas essential to advancing massage therapy research competencies. Accordingly, this paper suggests a multi-dimensional framework intended to initiate critical discussions of how the profession might now proceed. Hymel2003 10.1016/S1360-8592(03)00021-4 2003-7 7 3 194 199 Tiffany Field author Jesse Delage author Maria Hernandez-Reif author 2003-01 text continuing periodical academic journal Forty patients with fibromyalgia were randomly assigned to a movement/massage therapy group or a relaxation control group. The movement/massage therapy group attended a 50-min session twice per week for 3 weeks and the relaxation group simply relaxed in a lying down position on the same schedule. The movement/massage therapy group in contrast to the relaxation control group showed decreases in depressed mood, state anxiety and regional pain immediately after the first and last sessions of the study and a decrease in depressed mood, state anxiety and regional pain at baseline from the first to the last session. Both the movement and the massage portions of the session involved self-administered stimulation of pressure receptors. The positive effects on pain relief in particular suggest that self-administered pressure stimulation may reduce pain. Field2003 10.1016/S1360-8592(02)00078-5 2003-1 7 1 49 52 Leah L Albers author 2003-03 periodical Genital tract trauma is a common outcome of vaginal birth, and can cause short-term and long-term problems for new mothers. Preventive measures have not been fully explicated. Midwives use a variety of hand maneuvers late in the second stage of labor, in the belief that genital trauma can be reduced. However, none of these care measures have been rigorously tested to determine if they are effective. A midwifery practice offers an ideal setting to study the relationship of hand techniques by the birth attendant to reduction of genital tract trauma. perineal management genital trauma second stage labor perineal lacerations 15269523 Albers2003 10.1016/S1526-9523(02)00415-4 2003 48 2 105 110 PB - Bette L Waters author Jeanne Raisler author 2003-09 periodical The current study investigated the use of ice massage of the acupressure energy meridian point large intestine 4 (LI4) to reduce labor pain during contractions. LI4 is located on the medial midpoint of the first metacarpal, within 3 to 4 mm of the web of skin between the thumb and forefinger. A one-group, pretest, posttest design was chosen, which used 100-mm Visual Analog Scales (VAS) and the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) ranked numerically and verbally to measure pain levels; the pretest served as the control. Study participants were Hispanic and white Medicaid recipients who received prenatal care at a women's clinic staffed by certified nurse-midwives and obstetricians. Participants noted a pain reduction mean on the VAS of 28.22 mm on the left hand and 11.93 mm on the right hand. The postdelivery ranked MPQ dropped from number 3 (distressing) to number 2 (discomforting). The study results suggest that ice massage is a safe, noninvasive, nonpharmacological method of reducing labor pain. labor first stage pain relief acupressure ice massage 15269523 Waters2003 10.1016/S1526-9523(03)00277-0 2003-Sep/Oct 48 5 317 321 PB -