New Study Shows Massage to be Most Effective for Relieving Lower Back Pain

In a study funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, researchers conducted a 10-week trial on over 400 adults with moderate to severe lower back pain. The purpose of the study was to see how effective massage was compared to other medical therapies-such as chiropractic and physical therapy-and drugs-such as ibuprofen and prescription muscle relaxants.

The study divided the participants into three groups, those who received weekly whole-body relaxation massages, those who received weekly therapeutic massage focused on the lower back, and those who used medical or pharmacological therapies.

At the end of study, those in the massage groups reported a greater than average improvement in pain and functioning over the medical group. Most significantly, 39% of patients in the massage groups said that their pain was ‘nearly or completely gone’ compared to only 4% of those using medical therapies.

“Like in most other treatments, this is not a slam dunk, and it’s not like a cure,” says study researcher Richard A. Deyo, MD, a professor in the department of family medicine at Oregon Health and Science University, “But it’s something that seems to offer a significant benefit for a substantial number of patients.”

We look forward to being part of your relief.

– Damon Iacovelli, Lead LMT PDX