Massage Therapy Journal Spring 2024

Spring 2024 • 17

A Common Shoulder Condition: Osteoarthritis According to the Arthritis Foundation, shoulder osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease where cartilage and joint tissue gradually break down. Friction in the joint leads to pain, which slowly reduces mobility and function. Although less common than hip or knee osteoarthritis, it’s estimated that one in three people over the age of 60 are dealing with some degree of shoulder osteoarthritis. There are two types of shoulder osteoarthritis: primary and secondary. Primary shoulder osteoarthritis has no known cause, but is thought to be related to age, genes and sex, as it’s generally seen in people over 50 and women are affected more often than men. Alternatively, secondary shoulder osteoarthritis has a cause, such as previous injury, infection or rotator cuff tears. Common symptoms clients with shoulder osteoarthritis may be trying to manage include pain, reduced range of motion and crepitus.

tightly together with imbalances in one or more of the muscle groups already mentioned.” Overuse is one of the most common sources of shoulder pain. Other sources include post-surgery pain, frozen shoulder, and fascial/scar adhesions around the

shoulder capsule and collarbone. Massage for Back Pain: Updates in Research

The benefits of massage therapy for back pain are well-studied, and results have long shown the promise of massage, especially as alternatives to pharmacological interventions become an important part of combatting the opioid epidemic. In recent years, numerous studies investigating the effects of massage therapy on back pain have continued to build on the existing knowledge base. One such study 2 explored the effect of lumbar myofascial release with electrotherapy on the elastic modulus of lumbar fascia and pain in patients with non-specific low-back pain. The purpose of the study was to compare the effect of lumbar myofascial release and electrotherapy on clinical outcomes of non specific low-back pain and elastic modulus of lumbar myofascial tissue. Low-back pain severity and elastic modulus of the lumbar myofascial tissue were assessed before and after treatment. The study found improvements in the outcome measures, which suggests that lumbar myofascial release may be effective in reducing non-specific low-back pain. “Data suggest that the elastic modulus of lumbar fascia and the severity of low-back pain are directly linked,” researchers noted. “Decreasing the elastic modulus after myofascial release can directly affect reducing low-back pain.” Another study 3 focused on the effect of massage force on relieving non-specific low-back pain. The study enrolled 56 female patients with non-specific low back pain at a single medical center. For each patient, a massage therapist performed a 30-minute (20-minute general

session and 10-minute focal session) massage session using a special instrument with a force sensor inserted. During the 10-minute focal session, the patients were split into two groups, a high force group (≥2 kg) and a low force group (≤1 kg). Pain intensity using the visual analog scale was the primary outcome measured. The study concluded high force massage exerted superior effects on pain relief in female patients with non-specific low-back pain when compared to low force massage. These results align with how some massage therapists we talked with describe the work they do with clients with low-back pain. “The techniques I use—effleurage, petrissage, friction and compression—don’t vary much from client to client, but the pressure, speed and direction of movement do,” Jobe explains. For Jobe, a typical massage session with a client experiencing back pain starts with warming the tissue using Swedish massage, myofascial release or a warm compress and identifying any tension or trigger points. Once areas that may benefit from attention are identified, she moves to massage techniques like petrissage, friction and compression.

DEEPER DIVE For more information on the promise massage therapy is showing in providing pain relief and reducing the need for opioids, see AMTA’s resource “Massage as an Alternative to Opioids,” available at amtamassage.org.

amtamassage.org/mtj