Does massage therapy have a statistically significant benefit to people living with pain? Let’s dive into some of the research to see.
This Infographic was put together by the Massage Therapy Foundation based on the meta-analysis and systemic review by Crawford et. al published in the journal Pain Medicine. Here is the link to the full article:
But what is a “meta-analysis”?
According to the National Institute of Health, it is a statistical process that combines the data of multiple studies to find common results and to identify overall trends.
So, what is “systematic review” then?
It takes the medical literature from the meta-analysis and critically appraises and synthesizes the results of the multiple primary studies related to each other while using strategies that reduce biases and random errors.
This analysis included patients experiencing pain from:
- musculoskeletal pain
- headache
- visceral pain
- chronic pain
- fibromyalgia
- spinal cord pain
- venous insufficiency
Out of the 3,678 articles from the meta-analysis, 67 articles met the systematic review’s inclusion criteria and included populations that would typically seek a primary healthcare physician for support related to pain.
The following infographic lists the results. Other relavent articles are listed below.
If you or someone you know is living with pain, massage therapy is a low-risk, non-invasive first step that may provide relief.
Research like this is what led me to start Fidalgo Functional Massage Therapy. I have worked ernestly to bring together the skills and knowledge to address these issues. It would be an honor to be part of your pain management routine.
Other articles of interest:
