A survey of training and practice patterns of massage therapists in two US states

BACKGROUND: Despite the growing popularity of therapeutic massage in the US, little is known about the training or practice characteristics of massage therapists. The objective of this study was to describe these characteristics. METHODS: As part of a study of random samples of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners, we interviewed 226 massage therapists licensed in Connecticut and Washington state by telephone in 1998 and 1999 (85% of those contacted) and then asked a sample of them to record information on 20 consecutive visits to their practices (total of 2005 consecutive visits). RESULTS: Most massage therapists were women (85%), white (95%), and had completed some continuing education training (79% in Connecticut and 52% in Washington). They treated a limited number of conditions, most commonly musculoskeletal (59% and 63%) (especially back, neck, and shoulder problems), wellness care (20% and 19%), and psychological complaints (9% and 6%) (especially anxiety and depression). Practitioners commonly used one or more assessment techniques (67% and 74%) and gave a massage emphasizing Swedish (81% and 77%), deep tissue (63% and 65%), and trigger/pressure point techniques (52% and 46%). Self-care recommendations, including increasing water intake, body awareness, and specific forms of movement, were made as part of more than 80% of visits. Although most patients self-referred to massage, more than one-quarter were receiving concomitant care for the same problem from a physician. Massage therapists rarely communicated with these physicians. CONCLUSION: This study provides new information about licensed massage therapists that should be useful to physicians and other healthcare providers interested in learning about massage therapy in order to advise their patients about this popular CAM therapy

Complementary and alternative medical therapies for chronic low back pain: What treatments are patients willing to try?

BACKGROUND: Although back pain is the most common reason patients use complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies, little is known about the willingness of primary care back pain patients to try these therapies. As part of an effort to refine recruitment strategies for clinical trials, we sought to determine if back pain patients are willing to try acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, meditation, and t'ai chi and to learn about their knowledge of, experience with, and perceptions about each of these therapies. METHODS: We identified English-speaking patients with diagnoses consistent with chronic low back pain using automated visit data from one health care organization in Boston and another in Seattle. We were able to confirm the eligibility status (i.e., current low back pain that had lasted at least 3 months) of 70% of the patients with such diagnoses and all eligible respondents were interviewed. RESULTS: Except for chiropractic, knowledge about these therapies was low. Chiropractic and massage had been used by the largest fractions of respondents (54% and 38%, respectively), mostly for back pain (45% and 24%, respectively). Among prior users of specific CAM therapies for back pain, massage was rated most helpful. Users of chiropractic reported treatment-related "significant discomfort, pain or harm" more often (23%) than users of other therapies (5–16%). Respondents expected massage would be most helpful (median of 7 on a 0 to 10 scale) and meditation least helpful (median of 3) in relieving their current pain. Most respondents indicated they would be "very likely" to try acupuncture, massage, or chiropractic for their back pain if they did not have to pay out of pocket and their physician thought it was a reasonable treatment option. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients with chronic back pain in our sample were interested in trying therapeutic options that lie outside the conventional medical spectrum. This highlights the need for additional studies evaluating their effectiveness and suggests that researchers conducting clinical trials of these therapies may not have difficulties recruiting patients

Implementation of a shared care guideline for back pain: effect on unnecessary referrals

Objective: To determine the effect of the implementation of a shared care guideline for the lumbosacral radicular syndrome (LRS) on unnecessary early referrals and the duration of the total diagnostic procedure. Design: Introduction of shared care guideline in November 2005. Pre-test in 2005 (April to October), a first post-test in 2006 (April to October) and a second post-test in 2007 (April to October). Setting and Intervention: The introduction of a shared care guideline derived from national guidelines for GPs and several medical/paramedical specialists in two Dutch regions. Three hundred and sixty GPs, 550 physiotherapists and two hospitals (9 neurologists and 18 radiologists) were involved. The essential component of the guideline was a trade-off: if the GP complied with the conservative management approach in the first 6 weeks, the hospital guaranteed a priority appointment with the neurologist after 6 weeks, if still required. Main Outcome Measures: The neurologists in both hospitals registered whether a patient had been unnecessarily referred during the first 6 weeks. The duration of the total diagnostic procedure was defined as the number of days between referral by the GP and the consultation when the neurologist made the final diagnosis. Results: The percentage of patients being unnecessarily referred within 6 weeks fell significantly from 15% in 2005 to 9% in 2006 and 8% in 2007. The duration of the total diagnostic procedure also fell significantly in both the long and short terms. Conclusions: The introduction of a shared care guideline for all care providers in a region reduces the number of unnecessary early referrals for patients with LRS. © The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care