|
| First authors, year, country | Pain location, pain duration | Sample size, mean age (year), | Duration weeks | Follow-up weeks | Main outcome assessments | Experimental group intervention* | Control group intervention* | Main conclusion
(mean improvements on pain) |
|
| Irnich 2001, Germany [8] | Neck pain
42% > 5 years | 177
52 | 3 | 12 | Pain VAS (0–100)
Cervical mobility | Massage therapy (MT)
(30 min/5 sessions) | (1) Acupuncture (AC)
(2) Sham laser AC
(30 min/5 sessions) | MT (12.70) < AC (25.30);
MT (12.70) < Sham laser AC (19.20) |
|
| Dyson-Hudson 2001, US [9] | Shoulder pain
5.8 years | 18
45 | 5 | 5 | Pain WUSPI
ROM | MT
(45 min/10 sessions) | AC
(20–30 min/10 sessions) | MT (28.80) > AC (26.70) |
|
| Cen 2003, US [10] | Neck pain
NR | 31
49 | 6 | 6 | Pain NPQ (0–100)
ROM | Chinese traditional massage
(CTM) (30 min/18 sessions) | (1) Exercise (EX)
(20 min/day)
(2) Standard care (SC) | CTM (19.22) > EX (7.78)
CTM (19.22) > SC (−4.13) |
|
van den Dolder 2003, Australia
[11] | Shoulder pain
28 weeks | 29
64 | 2 | — | Pain VAS (0–100)
ROM | Soft tissue massage (STM) (15–20 min/6 sessions) | Waiting list (WL) | STM (26.60) > WL (0.10) |
|
| Mok 2004, Hong Kong [12] | Shoulder pain
NR | 102
73 | 1 | 3 days | Pain VAS (0–100)
STAI | Slow-stroke back massage
(SBM) (10 min/7 sessions) | SC | SBM (14.60) > SC (7.61) |
|
| Fryer 2005, Australia [13] | Neck pain
NR | 37
23 | 1 day | — | PPT | Manual pressure release
(MPR) (1 session) | Sham myofascial release
(SMR) (1session) | MPR (2.05) > SMR (−0.08) |
|
| Meseguer 2006, Spain [14] | Neck pain
NR | 54
40 | 1 day | — | Pain VAS (0–10) | Classical strain/counterstrain technique (CST)
Modified strain/counterstrain technique (MST) (1 session) | SC | CST = MST (2.60)
CST (2.60) > SC (0.03) |
|
| Blikstad 2008, UK [15] | Neck pain
4–12 weeks | 45
24 | 1 day | — | Pain VAS (0–10)
ROM | Myofascial band therapy
(MBT) (1session) | (1) Activator trigger point therapy (ATPT)
(2) Sham ultrasound (SU)
(1 session) | MBT < ATPT
MBT = SU |
|
| Zuo 2008, China [16] | Neck pain
10.4 years | 60
42 | 2 | — | Pain VAS (0–10)
NDI | CTM
(30 min/6 sessions) | Traction (TR)
(20 min/14 sessions) | CTM (5.47) > TR (4.87) |
|
| Sherman 2009, US [17] | Neck pain
7.6 years | 64
47 | 10 | 16 | NDI
CNFDS | MT
(10 sessions) | SC | MT > SC (NDI) |
|
| Buttagat 2011, Thailand [18] | Shoulder pain
39 months | 20
25 | 3 | 2 | Pain VAS (0–10)
STAI | Traditional Thai massage (TTM) (30 min/9 sessions) | Physical therapy (PT)
(30 min/9 sessions) | TTM (4.50) > PT (1.60) |
|
| Zhang 2011, China [19] | Neck pain
1–3 years | 120
23 | 10 days | 24 | Pain VAS (0–10)
ASCS (0–29) | CTM
(20 min/10 sessions) | TR
(15 min/10 sessions) | CTM (5.56) > TR (3.85) |
|
