Massage therapy as a therapeutic intervention is being embraced by the medical community

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Massage therapy as a therapeutic intervention is being embraced by the medical community

Recent recommendations from Canadian Medical Association (Busse et al. 2017), The American College of Physicians (Chou et al. 2017, Qaseem et al. 2017), Center for Disease Control (Frieden et al. 2016), Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) (Wong et al. 2017) and The Mayo Clinic (Nahin et al. 2016) represent a monumental shift in pain management.

Physicians, now more than ever, are recommending conservative evidence based treatment including massage as part of a multi-modal approach for patients suffering from low back pain, headaches, anxiety and stress.

What is Massage Therapy?

Massage therapy is a clinically-oriented multi-modal approach (manual therapy, remedial exercise and patient education) based on the three pillars of evidence based practice (best available evidence, clinical expertise and patient values).

Treatments often include, but are not limited to education, reassurance, remedial exercises, classical Swedish massage, myofascial mobilization, instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, cupping, taping, non-thrust mobilization, strain-counterstrain, muscle energy techniques and neural mobilizations.

Is There Evidence for Massage Therapy

Massage therapy has been shown to be a safe non-pharmacological therapeutic intervention that is simple to carry out, economical, and has very few side effects. If you are not yet aware of the growing body of evidence to support the work that we do, here is a list of systematic reviews and clinical guidelines that lend credibility to massage therapy.

More to Explore

Anthonissen, M., Daly, D., Janssens, T., & Kerckhove, E. V. (2016). The effects of conservative treatments on burn scars: A systematic review. Burns.
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Brosseau, L., Wells, G.A., Tugwell, P., Casimiro, L., Novikov, M., ... Cohoon C. (2012). Ottawa Panel evidence-based clinical practice guidelineon therapeutic massage for neck pain. J Bodyw Mov Ther.
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Busse, J.W., Craigie, S., Juurlink, D.N, ... Guyatt GH. (2017). Guideline for opioid therapy and chronic noncancer pain. CMAJ.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28483845

Bussières, A. E., Stewart, G., Al-Zoubi, F., Decina, P., Descarreaux, M., Hayden, J., . . . Ornelas, J. (2016). The Treatment of Neck Pain–Associated Disorders and Whiplash-Associated Disorders: A Clinical Practice Guideline. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27836071

Chaibi, A., Tuchin, P. J., & Russell, M. B. (2011). Manual therapies for migraine: A systematic review. The Journal of Headache and Pain.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21298314

Chaibi, A., & Russell, M. (2014). Manual therapies for primary chronic headaches: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. The Journal of Headache and Pain.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25278005

Chou, R., Deyo, R., Friedly, J., Skelly, A., Hashimoto, R., ... Brodt, E.D. (2017). Nonpharmacologic Therapies for Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review for an American College of Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline. Ann Intern Med.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28192793

Cibulka, M.T., Bloom, N.J., Enseki, K.R., Macdonald, C.W., Woehrle, J., McDonough, C.M. (2017). Hip Pain and Mobility Deficits-Hip Osteoarthritis: Revision 2017. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28566053

Côté, P., Wong, J. J., Sutton, D., Shearer, H. M., Mior, S., Randhawa, K., . . . Salhany, R. (2016). Management of neck pain and associated disorders: A clinical practice guideline from the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration. European Spine Journal.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26984876

Doherty, C., Bleakley, C., Delahunt, E., Holden, S. (2017). Treatment and prevention of acute and recurrent ankle sprain: an overview of systematic reviews with meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28053200

Frieden, T. R., & Houry, D. (2016). Reducing the Risks of Relief — The CDC Opioid-Prescribing Guideline. New England Journal of Medicine.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26977701

Gross, A., Langevin, P., Burnie, S. J., Bédard-Brochu, M., Empey, B., Dugas, E., . . . Leblanc, F. (2015). Manipulation and mobilisation for neck pain contrasted against an inactive control or another active treatment. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26397370

Hawk, C., Minkalis, A.L., ... Bhalerao, S. (2017). Systematic Review of Nondrug, Nonsurgical Treatment of Shoulder Conditions. J Manipulative Physiol Ther.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28554433

Hilfiker, R., Meichtry, A., Eicher, M., Nilsson, B.L., Knols, R.H., Verra, M.L., Taeymans, J. (2017). Exercise and other non-pharmaceutical interventions for cancer-related fatigue in patients during or after cancer treatment: a systematic review incorporating an indirect-comparisons meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28501804

Huisstede, B.M., van den Brink, J., Randsdorp, M.S., Geelen, S.J., Koes, B.W. (2017). The Effectiveness of Surgical and Post-Surgical Interventions for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome-A Systematic Review. Arch Phys Med Rehabil.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28577858

Jones, L., Othman, M., Dowswell, T., Alfirevic, Z., Gates, S., ... Neilson, J.P. (2012). Pain management for women in labour: an overview of systematic reviews. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22419342

Martins, W. R., Blasczyk, J. C., Oliveira, M. A., Gonçalves, K. F., Bonini-Rocha, A. C., Dugailly, P., & Oliveira, R. J. (2016). Efficacy of musculoskeletal manual approach in the treatment of temporomandibular joint disorder: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Manual Therapy.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26144684

Nahin, R. L., Boineau, R., Khalsa, P. S., Stussman, B. J., & Weber, W. J. (2016). Evidence-Based Evaluation of Complementary Health Approaches for Pain Management in the United States. Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27594189

Nelson, N.L., Churilla, J.R. (2017). Massage Therapy for Pain and Function in Patients With Arthritis: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Am J Phys Med Rehabil.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28177937

Piper, S., Shearer, H., Côté, P., Wong, J., Yu, H., Varatharajan, S., . Taylor-Vaisey, A. (2016). The effectiveness of soft-tissue therapy for the management of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the upper and lower extremities: A systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury management (OPTIMa) collaboration. Manual Therapy.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26386912

Qaseem, A., Wilt, T.J., McLean, R.M., Forciea, M.A. (2017). Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians.. Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28192789

Randhawa, K., Bohay, R., Côté, P., Velde, G., Sutton, D., Wong, J., . . . Taylor-Vaisey, A. (2016). The Effectiveness of Non-invasive Interventions for Temporomandibular Disorders. The Clinical Journal of Pain.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25924094

Rajasekaran, S., Hall, M.M. (2016). Nonoperative Management of Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome: A Systematic Review. Curr Sports Med. Rep. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27172084

Salamh, P., Cook, C., Reiman, M.P., Sheets, C. (2017). Treatment effectiveness and fidelity of manual therapy to the knee: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Musculoskeletal Care.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27860218

Smith, C.A., Levett, K.M., Collins, C.T., Jones, L. (2012). Massage, reflexology and other manual methods for pain management in labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22336862

Steuri, R., Sattelmayer, M., Elsig, S., Kolly, C., Tal, A., Taeymans, J., Hilfiker, R. (2017). Effectiveness of conservative interventions including exercise, manual therapy and medical management in adults with shoulder impingement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs. Br J Sports Med.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28630217

Southerst, D., Yu, H., Randhawa, K., Côté, P., D'Angelo, K., Shearer, H.M., ... Taylor-Vaisey, A. (2015). The effectiveness of manual therapy for the management of musculoskeletal disorders of the upper and lower extremities: a systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration. Chiropr Man Therap.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26512315

Steuri, R., Sattelmayer, M., Elsig, S., et al. (2017). Effectiveness of conservative interventions including exercise, manual therapy and medical management in adults with shoulder impingement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs. Br J Sports Med.
http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2017/06/19/bjsports-2016-096515

Sutton, D. A., Nordin, M., Côté, P., Randhawa, K., Yu, H., Wong, J. J., . . . Taylor-Vaisey, A. (2016). The Effectiveness of Multimodal Care for Soft Tissue Injuries of the Lower Extremity: A Systematic Review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26976373

Sutton, D., Gross, D. P., Côté, P., Randhawa, K., Yu, H., Wong, J. J., . . . Taylor-Vaisey, A. (2016). Multimodal care for the management of musculoskeletal disorders of the elbow, forearm, wrist and hand: A systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26955466

Sutton, D. A., Côté, P., Wong, J. J., Varatharajan, S., Randhawa, K. A., Yu, H., . . . Stupar, M. (2016). Is multimodal care effective for the management of patients with whiplash-associated disorders or neck pain and associated disorders? A systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration. The Spine Journal.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25014556

Wong, J., Côté, P., Sutton, D., Randhawa, K., Yu, H., Varatharajan, S., . . . Taylor-Vaisey, A. (2017). Clinical practice guidelines for the noninvasive management of low back pain: A systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration. European Journal of Pain.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27712027

Wong, J. J., Shearer, H. M., Mior, S., Jacobs, C., Côté, P., Randhawa, K., . . . Taylor-Vaisey, A. (2016). Are manual therapies, passive physical modalities, or acupuncture effective for the management of patients with whiplash-associated disorders or neck pain and associated disorders? an update of the bone and joint decade task force on neck pain and its associated disorders by the optima collaboration. The Spine Journal.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26707074

van der Velde, G., Yu, H., Paulden, M., Côté, P., Varatharajan, S., Shearer, H.M., Wong, J.J.,...,Taylor-Vaisey, A. (2016). Which interventions are cost-effective for the management of whiplash-associated and neck pain-associated disorders? A systematic review of the health economic literature by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration. The Spine Journal.
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Varatharajan, S., Ferguson, B., ... Taylor-Vaisey, A. (2016). Are non-invasive interventions effective for the management of headaches associated with neck pain? An update of the Bone and Joint Decade Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration. Eur Spine J.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26851953

Yuan, S.L., Matsutani, L.A., Marques, A.P. (2015). Effectiveness of different styles of
massage therapy in fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Man Ther.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25457196 

Xu, Q., Chen, B., Wang, Y., Zhou, Y. (2017). The Effectiveness of Manual Therapy for Relieving Pain, Stiffness, and Dysfunction in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Pain Physician.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28535547