The efficacy of traditional Thai massage for the treatment of chronic pain: A systematic review.

Abstract

RATIONAL AND BACKGROUND:

Traditional Thai massage (TTM) is an alternative medicine treatment used for pain relief. The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the research about the effects of TTM on pain intensity and other important outcomes in individuals with chronic pain.

METHODS:

We performed a systematic review of the controlled trials of the effects of TTM, using the keywords "Traditional Thai massage" or "Thai massage" with the keyword "Chronic pain."

RESULTS:

Six research articles met the inclusion criteria. All of the studies found a pre- to post-treatment pain reductions, varying from 25% to 80% and was also associated with improvements in disability, perceived muscle tension, flexibility and anxiety.

SUMMARY:

The TTM benefits of pain reduction appear to maintain for up to 15 weeks. Additional research is needed to identify the moderators, mediators and to determine the long-term benefits of TTM relative to control conditions.

• Authors: Keattichai Keeratitanont, Mark P Jensen, Uraiwan Chatchawan, Paradee Auvichayapat
• Journal: Complementary therapies in clinical practice (Complement Ther Clin Pract) Vol. 21 Issue 1 Pg. 26-32 (Feb 2015) ISSN: 1873-6947 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 25682523 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review, Systematic Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Chronic Pain (therapy)
• Humans
• Massage
• Medicine, Traditional
• Thailand