The report discussed a study that followed more than 400 patients suffering from chronic lower back pain. Patients either received no massage treatment, relaxation massages or structural massages. The study showed that three patients in the massage therapy group reported reduced back pain, compared with the one patient in the no massage therapy group that reported reduced pain.
“It is difficult to conceive that massage therapy would have a long-term benefit,” Dr. Andersson said in the report. “More likely, the benefit is one of short term decrease in pain and associated increase in function.
While strong evidence may be lacking, Dr. Andersson would support massage therapy to decrease medication use.
Read the report on massage therapy.
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