BACKGROUND: Leg muscle cramps and compromised sleep patterns are prevalent issues experienced by individuals undergoing hemodialysis treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of massage therapy on hemodialysis patients experiencing cramping, specifically focusing on the frequency and severity of cramps, as well as the quality of sleep.
METHODS: This research involved 36 hemodialysis patients. The intervention group received intradialytic massage targeting the lower extremities, administered three times a week for a total of six sessions over a 2-week period. Data collection utilized a Patient Information Form, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Visual Analog Scale, and a Patient Follow-Up Form.
RESULTS: The study revealed a significant reduction in both the frequency and severity of cramps experienced by patients in the intervention group during hemodialysis sessions and at home, from the end of one session to the beginning of the next, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). This effect was observed over the course of six dialysis sessions. Additionally, there was a notable decrease in the mean total score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) among participants in the intervention group, declining from 9.00 ± 3.79 prior to massage therapy to 5.94 ± 2.84 post-massage (p < 0.001). Conversely, no significant change was observed in the control group, highlighting a notable disparity between the intervention and control groups in terms of sleep quality improvement.
CONCLUSIONS: The investigation revealed that employing intradialytic massage on the lower extremities led to a reduction in both the frequency and severity of cramps, while also eliciting a positive impact on the sleep quality of patients undergoing hemodialysis.

UNASSIGNED: The use of alternative medicine (AM) is rising globally. Hence this study aimed to assess the Use of and Satisfaction with Alternative Medicine in the management of headache and Related Factors in Individuals, living in Saudi Arabia.
UNASSIGNED: A cross-sectional study was conducted from July to December 2023 using an online questionnaire in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. The data was collected using a series, of prevalidated questionnaires aimed to assess the utilization and satisfaction of AM for the headache. Convenience sampling was applied for data collection.
UNASSIGNED: A response rate of 93.1 % (n = 550) was obtained. Among the respondents, 78.7 % reported having headaches, while 69.2 % had a history of using AMs for headaches. However, among the users of AMs, 65.9 % of them were satisfied with the results of AMs, of those who were satisfied, 33.7 % said that AMs helped to prevent headache attacks, and 53.8 % reported that AMs use reduced pain intensity. The regression results demonstrated that there was a significant relationship between the satisfaction of AM for the headache and age (p < 0.004), and Active in sports (p < 0.019) and severity of the headache pain (p < 0.081).
UNASSIGNED: The findings reported that relatively high prevalence of AMs used to manage headaches, while 65.9% of the users were satisfied with the outcomes, the satisfaction was found to have a significant relationship with age, activity in sports and severity of pain. To avoid negative effects of AM, it is recommended to use under the qualified healthcare professionals.

BACKGROUND: Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) is a common condition affecting the masticatory muscles and joint mobility.
OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to compare the effects of massage therapy alone and massage therapy combined with post-isometric relaxation exercises in patients with TMD for pain and maximal mouth opening.
METHODS: Assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial.
METHODS: Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Chaudhry Muhammad Akram Dental Hospital, Lahore Medical and Dental Hospital.
METHODS: Temporomandibular joint disorder patients.
METHODS: Group A (n = 23) received conventional treatment including massage and therapeutic exercises consecutively for 2 weeks. Group B (n = 23) received post-isometric relaxation technique along with conventional treatment for consecutive 2 weeks.
METHODS: The main outcome measures were pain and maximal mouth opening. Pain was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and maximal mouth opening (MMO) was measured using the TheraBite Scale.
RESULTS: Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in pain and MMO scores post-treatment. However, Group B (massage with post-isometric relaxation exercises) showed significantly better outcomes compared to Group A (massage alone). There was a statistically significant difference in post-treatment pain scores (P = 0.000) and MMO scores (P = 0.000) between the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that massage therapy combined with post-isometric relaxation is more effective than massage therapy alone in managing pain and improving mouth opening in TMD patients. The study provides evidence supporting the use of these therapies in TMD management.
UNASSIGNED: NCT05810831. Date of registration/First submission: 15 March 2023.

UNASSIGNED: Massage has been used as a treatment for musculoskeletal pain throughout history and across cultures, and yet most meta-analyses have only shown weak support for the efficacy of massage. There is a recognised need for more research in foundational questions including: how massage treatments are constructed; what therapists actually do within a treatment, including their clinical reasoning; and what role therapists play in determining the effectiveness of a massage treatment.
UNASSIGNED: The aim of this study was to explore what experienced orthopaedic massage therapists consider to be the aspects of their work that contribute to effectiveness.
UNASSIGNED: Semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom with six experienced orthopaedic massage therapists in Australia.
UNASSIGNED: The interviews were analysed using inductive thematic analysis, seeking insights that might be practically applied, rather than theory-driven interpretations.
UNASSIGNED: The participants focused on the underlying differences between clients, between therapists, and between treatments, and clearly indicated that this concept of \"difference\" was foundational to their view of their work and was the underlying context for the comments they made. Within that frame of \"difference\", three key themes were interpreted from the data: (1) \"Everyone is different so every treatment is different\": how they individualised treatment based on these differences; (2) \"How therapists cope with difference\": how they managed the challenges of working in this context; and (3) \"What makes a difference\": the problem-solving processes they used to target each treatment to meeting the client\'s needs.
UNASSIGNED: Participants did not identify specific techniques or modalities as \"effective\" or not. Rather, a therapist\'s ability to provide effective treatment was based on an iterative process of treatment and assessment that allowed them to focus on the individual needs of the client. In this case \"effectiveness\" could be considered a process rather than a specific massage technique.

UNASSIGNED: Forward shoulder posture (FSP) is a risk factor for shoulder pathology. Manual therapists often use myofascial release (MFR) to elongate restricted pectoral fascia to reduce FSP and improve shoulder function; however, the effects of this treatment approach remain anecdotal.
UNASSIGNED: Determine the acute effects of 4-min of MFR, compared to a soft-touch control (CON), to the pectoral fascia on: 1) FSP, 2) shoulder horizontal abduction ROM (HA-ROM), and 3) muscle excitation of the trapezius (upper, middle, lower [UT, MT, LT]) and pectoralis major (PEC).
UNASSIGNED: Fifty-nine right-handed participants (27 ± 9 years, 30 female) with FSP, but otherwise asymptomatic shoulders participated in a randomized crossover clinical trial by attending two experimental sessions: one MFR and one CON treatment, each administered by a Registered Massage Therapist. FSP, HA-ROM, and muscle excitation during a reaching task, were measured before and after each treatment.
UNASSIGNED: There was a significant interaction between treatment and time for FSP (p = .018, ηp = .093) with FSP decreasing from PRE MFR (128 ± 19 mm) to POST MFR (123 ± 19 mm; p < .001, ηp = .420) and PRE CON (126 ± 19 mm) to POST CON (124 ± 18 mm; p < .001, ηp = .191) interventions. There were no significant differences in HA-ROM or muscle excitation.
UNASSIGNED: Four minutes of MFR or CON to the pectoral fascia acutely reduces FSP.

A randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted from 2022 to 2023 at a hospital specializing in Traditional Chinese Medicine in Shanghai. A total of 564 participants were allocated into control and intervention groups in order to determine the effectiveness of Shujing Tongdu massage on patients with chronic lesions or spinal disorders. No significant differences were observed in baseline characteristics between the groups; age, gender and condition type were all distributed in a comparable manner. Following the implementation of Shujing Tongdu massage therapy twice weekly for the duration of 12 weeks, intervention group exhibited noteworthy enhancements. Significantly, rate of lesion healing achieved in the intervention group increased by 30%, while it merely improved by 10% in the control group. The intervention group exhibited decrease in pain intensity from 6.5 to 4.2, whereas control group demonstrated comparatively smaller reduction from 6.7 to 6.0. Range of motion in the intervention group increased substantially from 45 to 60 degrees, whereas it increased from 44 to 46 degrees in the control group. In the intervention group, Quality of Life scores increased from 50 to 75, exceeding the increase of 58 in the control group. There was significant rise in the Mental Well-being Index for intervention group, from 60 to 80, in contrast to rise of 64 from 62 in the control group. Statistically significant outcomes were determined, establishing the massage therapy\'s efficacy. Mild discomfort and muscle soreness were the most frequent adverse effects in the intervention group, whereas vertigo was more prevalent in the control group. Based on the findings of this research, Shujing Tongdu massage therapy effectively promoted wound healing and mitigated symptoms associated with spinal disorders, indicating its potential as the supplementary therapeutic modality in clinical environments.

BACKGROUND: Shoulder pain is a common clinical problem after laparoscopic surgeries. The use of non-pharmacological massage and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) as an adjunct to routine treatment is increasing to provide optimal pain relief. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effect of TENS and massage therapy on post laparoscopic shoulder pain (PLSP).
METHODS: This study was conducted on 138 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients were randomly divided into three groups: massage plus conventional pharmacological treatment (n = 46), TENS plus conventional pharmacological treatment (n = 46), and conventional pharmacological treatment (n = 46). Massage and TENS were performed three consecutive times after the patients regained consciousness in the inpatient wards. The intensity of Shoulder pain was evaluated using a visual analog scale before and 20 min after each treatment.
RESULTS: Both massage therapy and TENS led to a significant reduction in the intensity of PLPS compared to the control group in all three measured times (p < 0.001). However, no significant difference was observed between TENS and massage at any of the three-time points.
CONCLUSIONS: This study\'s findings demonstrated that massage and TENS techniques could reduce PLSP.
BACKGROUND: Registered in the Iranian registry of clinical trials ( www.irct.ir ) in 05/02/2022 with the following code: IRCT20200206046395N1.

BACKGROUND: Massage therapy is a popular intervention for those suffering osteoarthritis, however, there is a paucity of evidence to support its effectiveness in osteoarthritis. A simple measure that could potentially assess the benefits of massage treatment is walking speed which is a predictor of mobility and survival length, particularly in ageing populations. The primary aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of using a phone app to measure walking ability in people with osteoarthritis.
METHODS: This feasibility study used a prospective, observational design to collect data from massage practitioners and their clients over a 5-week period. Feasibility outcomes included practitioner and client recruitment and protocol compliance. The app MapMyWalk was used to record average speed for each walk. Pre-study surveys and post-study focus groups were conducted. Clients received massage therapy in a massage clinic and were instructed to walk in their own local community for 10 min every other day. Focus group data were analysed thematically. Qualitative data from clients\' pain and mobility diaries were reported descriptively. Average walking speeds were graphed for each participant in relation to massage treatments.
RESULTS: Fifty-three practitioners expressed interest in the study, 13 completed the training, with 11 successfully recruiting 26 clients, 22 of whom completed the study. 90% of practitioners collected all required data. A strong motivation for participating practitioners was to contribute to evidence for massage therapy. Client compliance with using the app was high, but low for completing pain and mobility diaries. Average speed remained unchanged for 15 (68%) clients and decreased for seven (32%). Maximum speed increased for 11 (50%) clients, decreased for nine (41%) and remained unchanged for two (9%). However, data retrieved from the app were unreliable for walking speed.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that it is feasible to recruit massage practitioners and their clients for a study involving mobile/wearable technology to measure changes in walking speed following massage therapy. The results support the development of a larger randomised clinical trial using purpose-built mobile/wearable technology to measure the medium and long-term effects of massage therapy on people with osteoarthritis.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of repeated massage adjusted for swimmers\' training on the perceptive, functional, and performance outcomes of a sprint. We also investigated the effects of a single short massage on swimmers\' self-reported perceptions after resistance training. This cross-over randomized controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis included 19 male and female competitive swimmers between 12 and 20 years old. Participants were subjected to three 12-min interventions over a week between resistance and swim training and monitored regarding training load and perceptions. After the intervention week we assessed: perceptive (well-being, heaviness, tiredness, discomfort, and pain), performance (sprint time, FINA points, and stroke characteristics), and functional outcomes (flexibility, squat jump, bench press, proprioception), in addition to athlete beliefs and preferences. A massage was defined as consisting of sliding movements on the arms, back, and anterior thigh, with metronomic rhythm control (1:1), and was divided into two protocols: superficial massage (SM) (light touch) and deep massage (DM) (light, moderate, intense effleurage) while the control (CON) rested. After repeated massage (SM and SM), participants had less chances to report tiredness, and they also maintained perceptions of well-being while CON got worse throughout the week. However, we found evidence of worsening of the perceptions of heaviness and pain at the main stages of the swim training for the massage groups. SM and DM had no effects over sprint and functional performance. Our results suggest that the swimmers were able to train harder with no harm to recovery.

Background: There is ample evidence supporting the use of manual therapy techniques for the treatment of cervicogenic headache (CGH). Objective: The objective of this study was to find and compare the effects of different manual therapy approaches to cervicogenic headache. Methods: A randomized, controlled study was conducted on 84 CGH participants at the university hospital. The participants were divided into a Mulligan mobilization therapy group (MMT; n = 28), a spinal manipulation therapy group (SMT; n = 28), and a control group (Control; n = 28); they received the respective treatments for four weeks. The primary outcome (CGH frequency) and secondary outcomes (CGH pain intensity, CGH disability, neck pain frequency, pain intensity, pain threshold, flexion rotation (right and left), neck disability index, and quality of life scores) were measured at baseline, after 4 weeks, after 8 weeks, and at a 6-month follow-up. The one-way ANOVA test and repeated measures analysis of variance (rANOVA) test were performed to find the difference between the inter- and intra-treatment group effects. Results: Four weeks following training, the MMT group showed a statistically significant difference in the primary (CGH frequency) and secondary (CGH pain intensity, CGH disability, neck pain frequency, neck pain intensity, flexion rotation test, neck disability index, and quality of life) scores than those of the SMT and control groups (p < 0.001). The same difference was seen in the above variables at 8 weeks and at the 6-month follow-up. At the same time, the neck pain threshold level did not show any difference at the 4-week and the 8-week follow-up (p ≥ 0.05) but showed statistical difference at the 6-month follow-up. Conclusion: The study concluded that Mulligan’s mobilization therapy provided better outcomes in cervicogenic headache than those of spinal manipulation therapy and conventional massage therapy.