Massage for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Written by Tiffany Field, Ph.D.; Miguel Diego; Christy Cullen; Kristin Hartshorn; Alan Gruskin; Maria Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D.; and William Sunshine


Massage therapy easesrepparttar symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome and increases grip strength, according to a recent study.

"Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms are lessened following massage therapy" was conducted by staff atrepparttar 150297 Touch Research Institutes atrepparttar 150298 University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, Florida.

Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include pain, tingling, burning and numbness ofrepparttar 150299 hand. Sixteen people diagnosed with this syndrome participated inrepparttar 150300 study. All of them held jobs involving heavy word processing or computer work.

Subjects were randomly assigned to eitherrepparttar 150301 standard-treatment control group orrepparttar 150302 massage-therapy group. Those inrepparttar 150303 massage group received one massage per week onrepparttar 150304 affected arm for four weeks. They were also instructed in self-massage, which they were to perform each night before bed.

The massage routine consisted of stroking of moderate pressure fromrepparttar 150305 fingertips torepparttar 150306 elbow. A massage and pain log was kept by subjects inrepparttar 150307 massage group. Inrepparttar 150308 log, participants recordedrepparttar 150309 times at which they began and ended self-massage, as well as their levels of pain on a scale from zero to 10.

Subjects inrepparttar 150310 control group received no intervention, but were taughtrepparttar 150311 massage routine afterrepparttar 150312 study ended.

Physicians evaluated participants' carpal tunnel symptoms, such as tingling, numbness, pain and strength, atrepparttar 150313 beginning and end ofrepparttar 150314 four-week study. The Tinel sign, which tests to see if light tapping ofrepparttar 150315 affected area elicits pain or tingling, was also used atrepparttar 150316 start and finish ofrepparttar 150317 study. Physicians usedrepparttar 150318 Phalen Test atrepparttar 150319 beginning and end ofrepparttar 150320 study as well. The Phalen Test involves flexing ofrepparttar 150321 wrists to see if numbness or tingling occurs.

Massage Reduces Headache Frequency

Written by Saman Baghestani


Massage significantly reducedrepparttar number of headaches experienced by people with chronic tension headaches, and decreasedrepparttar 150296 duration ofrepparttar 150297 headaches, according to a recent study.

"Massage Therapy and Frequency of Chronic Tension Headaches" was conducted by Christopher Quinn, Clint Chandler and Albert Moraska, Ph.D., ofrepparttar 150298 Boulder College of Massage Therapy in Boulder, Colorado.

Four people who had experienced two to three headaches per week forrepparttar 150299 past six years or more participated inrepparttar 150300 study, which lasted eight weeks. Duringrepparttar 150301 first four weeks, baseline headache measures were recorded. Throughoutrepparttar 150302 last four weeks, participants received two 30-minute massages per week.

A standardized massage protocol was used, consisting of six phases that fit inrepparttar 150303 30-minute time period: preparatory tissue warm-up (three minutes), myofascial release (five minutes), axial cervical traction (two minutes), trigger-point therapy (15 minutes), facilitated stretching (five minutes) and session closure (three-to-five minutes).

The trigger-point therapy, which made uprepparttar 150304 bulk ofrepparttar 150305 routine, consisted of scanning palpation ofrepparttar 150306 upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, suboccipital, splenius capitis, levator scapulae and temporalis muscles.

"When located, active trigger points were treated by pincer or flat palpation with just enough pressure to elicit referred pain or autonomic referral phenomena," staterepparttar 150307 study's authors.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use