December 2005 [Volume 4, Issue 12]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• Physician Survey Gives Massage High Marks
• More Consumers Discovering the Benefits of Massage Therapy
• Answers to Your Massage Questions: Highlights From This Month's "Ask a Massage Therapist" Online Forum

A new survey has found that more than half of the physicians questioned consider massage to be a highly effective form of complementary and alternative medicine currently available. The survey also revealed deep divisions on the perceived impact of CAM on the quality of health care in the United States. Despite these beliefs, a majority of doctors have recommended some form of alternative medicine to their patients in the past, and an equal number feel the National Institutes of Health should continue to fund research on alternative medicine.

The 31-question survey was conducted by HCD Research, a New Jersey-based marketing and research firm, and The Louis Finkelstein Institute for Religion and Social Studies, over a two-day period in September 2005. A total of 873 physicians participated in the survey.

Physicians were almost equally divided in their beliefs on alternative medicine. While 39 percent believe alternative medicine has a positive effect on the quality of health care in the U.S., 40 percent believe it has a negative effect; the remainder thought alternative medicine had no affect on the quality of health care.

A slight majority of physicians believe alternative medicine to be beneficial to their patients. Fifty-one percent stated that alternative medicine was "usually helpful" or "helpful to patients in some circumstances." However, 28 percent believe that alternative medicine could be harmful to some degree, and another 15 percent attribute the helpful effects of alternative medicine to the placebo effect.

Despite these strong sentiments, most physicians appear comfortable recommending alternative medicine to their patients. In fact, 65 percent of the respondents report recommending alternative medicine as a complement to their medical treatment at some time, and when asked "Are there any conditions under which you would advise a patient to use complementary medicine?", 63 percent responded, "Yes."

A majority of physicians also support federal funding for complementary and alternative medicine research. When asked if the establishment of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine was a positive or negative development, 53 percent believe it was positive; only 15 percent replied that it was a negative development. Similarly, most physicians (65 percent) feel that the National Institutes of Health should fund CAM research; only 20 percent feel the NIH should not.

In releasing its 9^th annual consumer survey, the American Massage Therapy Association noted several important new gains for the massage therapy profession: 1. The popularity and use of massage increased; 2. For the first time in the history of the AMTA consumer surveys, massage tied with medication as the preferred form of pain relief among respondents; and 3. More men are receiving massage than in years past.

The survey was conducted from Aug. 11-14, 2005, by Opinion Research Corporation International in Princeton, N.J., and included a national probability sample of 1,014 adults (506 men and 508 women) ages 18 and older who live in private households in the United States.

The popularity of massage grew as 2 million more people received a massage this year compared to last year, and approximately 47 million people (more than one in five adults surveyed) received a massage in the past 12 months. A healthy 90 percent of those polled believe massage can be beneficial to your health, with 94 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds agreeing with that statement. The use of massage among older Americans tripled since 1997, increasing from 4 percent of those 65 and older using massage to 15 percent in 2005. Consumer confidence in massage therapy increased as well, as 73 percent of respondents would recommend massage to someone they know (an 8-point jump from a year ago).

The survey also shows increases in the numbers of health care providers promoting the benefits of massage therapy. Sixty percent of those polled said a physician recommended massage therapy to them, while 50 percent were referred by a physical therapist and 38 percent by a chiropractor. Twenty one percent of those surveyed said they discussed massage with their physician or other healthcare provider, up 14 percent from 2002.

More men are discovering the benefits of massage therapy as the total number of men receiving massage within the past year increased 3 percentage points. Seventeen percent of those polled received a massage in the past 12 months, an increase of 14 percent over last year.

Question: I was wondering about the pros and cons of getting massage treatments for Eosinophilic Fasciitis - an unusual attack of Rheumatoid Arthritis on fascia.

Answer: Eosinophilic fasciitis (or Shulman Syndrome) is a syndrome characterized by tenderness and swelling of the extremities caused by inflammation and thickening of the fascia and muscles. It can lead to rheumatoid arthritis. It can be mild to extremely painful and debilitating so massage treatments will be unique to each individual.

Massage therapy can help by reducing swelling and pain that can occur in the hands, arms, legs, and feet. Massage can help maintain functional ability, muscular strength and the joint range of motion.

Since this condition can also cause mild to severe contractures to joints massage can help by improving the elasticity of skin and fascia thereby improving joint movement. Gentle stretching and strengthening exercises can maintain range of motion. Be aware that this condition is often treated with corticosteroid medications and anti-inflammatories making it necessary to modify massage treatments.

Note: Information provided in this Q&A section is drawn from the "Ask a Massage Therapist" online forum, in which massage therapists field questions relative to the massage profession. Readers are encouraged to post their questions at www.massagetoday.com/ask/. Answers should not be misconstrued as a diagnosis, prognosis or treatment recommendation and do not in any way constitute the practice of massage therapy or any other health care profession. Readers should consult their own health care providers for medical advice.

The staff of MassageToday.com offers its condolences to the victims and survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Anyone wishing to make a donation to the relief/recovery effort is encouraged to call 1-800-HELP-NOW (1-800-435-7669) or visit www.redcross.org.

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