Research Article

Chinese Massage Combined with Herbal Ointment for Athletes with Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Figure 2

Mean changes of the primary and secondary outcomes. The means of outcomes are shown for the experimental group (triangles) and the control group (squares). Measurements were obtained at baseline (M1), immediately after the first intervention (M2), immediately after the last intervention (M3), one month (M4), and three months (M5) after the last intervention. The Chinese Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (C-SFMPQ) consists of 15 descriptors (11 sensory; 4 affective) which are rated on an intensity scale (0 to 3), such the C-SFMPQ scores consist of sensory scores, affective scores, and total scores with the higher scores indicating greater pain. Visual analogue scale (VAS, rang 0 to 10) with higher scores indicating greater pain. The local muscle stiffness was tested during a relaxed state (RS) or a maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) by Myotonometer with higher scores indicating lower stiffness.
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