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Chronicles
Journal News 4-30-02
Long search to find back pain therapy
"For many Americans, finding an effective therapy for back pain is elusive. A new study comparing acupuncture, massage and self -care found that after one year the massage group came out ahead, using the least amount of medications and spending the least amount of money for subsequent medical care, said Daniel C. Cherkin from the Center for Health Studies in Seattle. Acupuncture was relatively ineffective. 'Therapeutic massage was effective for persistent lower back pain, apparently providing long-lasting benefits,' he reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine."
AMTA Massage Therapy Journal Fall 2004
Massage Benefits Breast Cancer Patients
"A recent study from the Touch Research Institutes in Miami highlights the benefits of massage for women with breast cancer. Women diagnosed with breast cancer who received massage therapy or practiced progressive muscle relaxation for 30 minute sessions three times a week for five weeks reported less depressed mood, anxiety and pain immediately after their first and last session than woman who received standard treatment."
"Moreover, only those who received massage therapy reported being less depressed and less angry and having more vigor. This group also had increased dopamine levels, natural killer cells and lymphocytes."
"The study appeared in the April 2005 issue of the International Journal of Neuroscience."
Massage Today
An MPAmedia Publication Volume 5, Number 9
Consumer Reports Survey Shines Positive Light on Massage Therapy
Public Gives Massage Consistently High Marks
Article written by Michael Devitt, senior associate editor of MPAmedia
"Twelve years ago, a groundbreaking study co-authored by Dr. David Eisenberg took a hard look at the use of alternative medicine in the United States. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Eisenberg's study found that one out of every three adults in the U.S. had used some type of "unconventional therapy," with massage ranking as the third most-popular therapy in the study. Subsequent studies by Eisenberg and other researchers have found that the use of alternative therapies has remained relatively stable, and that massage is being used to treat a wide variety of conditions, ranging from back problems to fatigue, arthritis and muscle sprains."
"As these reports indicate, "alternative medicine" has become something of a misnomer. Just as the scientific world has investigated the use of alternative medicine by the American public, so have more mainstream media outlets. A case in point is Consumer Reports, a monthly magazine with a subscription base estimated at more than 4 million. In late 2004, Consumer Reports surveyed its readers regarding their use of both alternative and conventional therapies .The results of that survey, published in the August 2005 issue of the magazine, reveal that massage is one of the most popular forms of alternative care on the market, with both doctors and patients finding it extremely valuable in the treatment of certain conditions."
"More than 34,000 readers participated in the survey, which asked them to rate the effectiveness of both conventional and alternative forms of care for their two most problematic health conditions experienced during the past two years. Readers were asked to rate each treatment depending on whether it helped "a lot," "somewhat," "a little," or "not at all." Respondents based their opinions of the effectiveness of care on personal experience, rather than scientific measurements."
"Forty-seven percent of the respondents reported trying at least one alternative remedy in the past two years, a figure slightly higher than reported in the Eisenberg studies, yet in keeping with other national surveys on alternative medicine use. In addition, women were more likely than men to have tried, and liked, "hands-on" treatments such as massage, chiropractic and acupuncture."
"In terms of managing individual conditions, deep-tissue massage ranked first out of five methods of treating fibromyalgia (deep-tissue massage, prescription drugs, general exercise, physical therapy and over-the-counter drugs), and first out of 10 methods of treating osteoarthritis (deep tissue massage, prescribed exercise, physical therapy, general exercise, prescription drugs, chiropractic treatment, acupuncture, special diet, glucosamine, and over-the-counter drugs).Specifically, for both conditions, more readers said deep-tissue massage "helped me feel much better" than any of the other treatment strategies. Over-the counter drugs finished last in both categories..."
(To look up the rest of this article scroll down to the link for Massage Today.)
References
1. Eisenberg DM, Kessler RC, Foster C, et al. Unconventional medicine in the United States. Prevalence, cost, and patterns of use. The New England Journal of Medicine 1993; 328:246-52
2. Which alternative treatments work? Consumer Reports August 2005; 70:39-43
3. DeNoon D. Massage, chiropractic top medical alternatives. WebMD Medical News, June 30, 2005.
More articles
To enter the News Room of the American Massage Therapy Association:
http://www.amtamassage.org/
Massage Today a popular publication with diverse information: (interesting articles, educational resources, up-to-date information written by doctors and highly qualified individuals)
http://www.massagetoday.com
Here is more evidence of alternative recognition: Mesothelioma.com, a site dedicated to providing vital information to those affected with the type of cancer caused by asbestos contact. Our Mesothelioma alternative treatment section features holistic healing options such as massage therapy. http://www.mesothelioma.com/alternative_treatments.htm | 
