Does Massage Truly Help Back Pain?
YES! IT DOES!
A clinical study published in May by researchers from the University of Kentucky provides real-world evidence that clinical massage therapy reduces the symptoms of chronic lower back pain. University of Kentucky’s Department of Family and Community Medicine partnered with 67 primary care providers and 26 massage therapist to study the effects of clinical massage therapies for chronic lower back pain patients.(2)
54% of the patients who received the massage therapies reported a clinically meaningful reduction in overall pain and disability. The study investigators most recently presented these results at the International Research Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health 2014 in Miami, FL May 13-16th. (2)
Chronic lower back pain is a common diagnosis and many people who have jobs requiring physical labor. Their condition is also aggravated or caused by emotional stress and anxiety. This study supports the finding of previous studies demonstrating that massage therapies are a viable and proven alternative approach to dealing with lower back pain. (2)
Another study, published in the February 2014 edition of Scientific World Journal, researchers compared massage therapy against a treatment consisting of both massage therapy and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs. In both study groups, patients reported significant improvement in their pain compared to their baselines. The conclusion was that massage had a positive effect and provides fast theraputic results that in practice have the ability to reduce the need for the user of anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatments of chronic lower back pain. (1)
Lisa Warner, LMT