Massage DOES help treat lower back pain, study finds 

  • Lower back pain leads all disorders in years lost to disability in the US
  • But massage could end this problem as it can effectively treat lower back pain 
  • Adults born in the baby-boom (1946-1964) and older generations were much more likely to experience clinically meaningful changes 24 weeks after therapy
  • Obese patients showed improvements too but failed to retain these improvements 24 weeks afterwards 

By Cecile Borkhataria For Dailymail.com

Published: 19:01 EDT, 3 April 2017 | Updated: 19:01 EDT, 3 April 2017

Researchers have found that massage therapy can effectively treat chronic lower back pain. 

Lower back pain leads all disorders in years lost to disability in the US. 

But massage may end this problem: More than 50 per cent of people who participated in a study where they received massages experienced clinically meaningful improvements in lower back pain. 

Research found that Adults born in the baby-boom (1946-1964) and older generations were much more likely to experience clinically meaningful changes and retain them 24 weeks after massage therapy 

Research found that Adults born in the baby-boom (1946-1964) and older generations were much more likely to experience clinically meaningful changes and retain them 24 weeks after massage therapy 

While most patients with lower back pain improve rapidly, one-third report persistent back pain and 15 per cent develop chronic lower back pain with significant physical limitations.  

Dr Niki Munk, an assistant professor of health sciences in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and one of the co-first authors of the study, said that the findings are important given the large number of people who suffer low back pain in the US.

'The study can give primary care providers the confidence to tell patients with chronic low back pain to try massage, if the patients can afford to do so,' Dr Munk said. 

However, generally massage is not covered by insurance, Medicaid or Medicare.

Previous studies into the effectiveness of massage were conducted in controlled research situations, but in this study, patients were referred by a primary care physician for 10 massage sessions with community practicing licensed massage therapists. 

The massage therapist designed and provided the massage series at no cost to the patient, in the same environment that people who get massages in the real-world experience.  

WHAT IS THE OSWESTRY DISABILITY INDEX?

The Oswestry Disability Index (also known as the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire) is a tool that researchers and disability evaluators use to measure a patient's permanent functional disability. 

The test is considered the ‘gold standard’ of low back functional outcome tools. 

Patients answer a set of 10 multiple choice questions, and the resulting score is used to determine how severe the disability is. 

The questions include inquiries about pain intensity, the patient's ability to lift weights, ability to carry out personal care such as washing and dressing oneself, walking ability, sitting ability, sex life, standing ability, sleep, social life and travelling. 

Source: Michigan State University Rehabilitation  

The study looked at the different patient characteristics that can affect how likely they are experience a clinically meaningful change from massage. 

Primary outcomes of the massage therapy were measured via the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) - a questionnaire used by clinicians and researchers to determine functional disability caused by lower back pain.

For example, the study found that adults born in the baby-boom (1946-1964) and older generations were much more likely to experience clinically meaningful changes and retain them 24 weeks after the therapy. 

Obese patients had much larger improvements in ODI measurements at 12 weeks after, but failed to retain these improvements at 24 weeks. 

Patients who were taking opioids experienced improvements in their pain from disability in some cases, but were two times less likely to experience meaningful change compared to those who were not taking opioids. 

Dr Munk said that while the study results are promising, much more work needs to be done. 

'The fact of the matter is that chronic lower back pain is very complex and often requires a maintenance-type approach versus a short-term intervention option,' she said. 

Dr Munk said that additional investigation is needed to replicate the results of the study and conduct a cost-benefit analysis of massage therapy.

'Massage is an out-of-pocket cost,' she said. 

'Generally, people wonder if it is worth it. 

'Will it pay to provide massage to people for an extended period of time? 

'Will it help avoid back surgeries, for example, that may or may not have great outcomes? 

'These are the types of analyses that we hope will result from this study.'

Patients who were taking opioids experienced improvements in their pain from disability in some cases, but were two times less likely to experience meaningful change compared to those who were not taking opioids

Patients who were taking opioids experienced improvements in their pain from disability in some cases, but were two times less likely to experience meaningful change compared to those who were not taking opioids

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