Ouch! The drugs don’t work for back pain, but here’s what does

Ouch! The drugs don’t work for back pain, but here’s what does

"Opioids such as oxycodone should also be avoided for back pain, since they have shown to increase the chances of having serious side effects, including misuse, overdose and dependency. In Australia, about 20% of people who see a GP for back pain are prescribed an opioid painkiller, but recent research has shown it provides minimal benefit for people with back pain."

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Massage Therapy and Dupuytren's Disease

Massage Therapy and Dupuytren's Disease

Massage therapy combined with active and passive stretching has been proposed as a potential adjunctive treatment for Dupuytren’s disease. It is a technique that is simple to carry out, economical, and has very few side effects, it is worth investigating the effects of massage therapy for attenuating dupuytren's disease progression and recurrence.

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The Integration of Current Research into Massage Therapy

The Integration of Current Research into Massage Therapy

Massage Therapy has exploded into mainstream healthcare, it is now a recognized treatment option for a wide range of injuries. This means the profession is moving into new formal settings, these changes to the profession have led to a need to adapt to an evidence based model of care. This does not require us to reinvent the wheel, we can look to the evidence-based medicine model and adapt it to our profession.

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The role of massage in scar management

The role of massage in scar management

Massage therapy is simple to carry out, economical, and has very few side effects, so it is worth investigating the effects of massage therapy on post-surgical scaring. Research is still in its infancy but there is evidence to suggest that in addition to managing pain and discomfort, massage therapy may augment post-surgical healing.

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Incorporating Research into Practice

Incorporating Research into Practice

"Massage therapy continues to be more common in new environments: hospitals, sport medicine clinics and long term care facilities. These settings require massage therapists to work directly with physicians and allied health professions, this requires a sound understanding of the latest research findings."

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How Massage Therapists can Contribute to Research

How Massage Therapists can Contribute to Research

The goal of evidence based massage is to achieve the best outcomes for patients in a cost-effective manner, this provides the profession with an opportunity for unprecedented growth. One of the best ways to facilitate this growth is by connecting with like-minded peers through social media, here therapists can work together to critically evaluate the contents of a research paper, teasing out the clinically relevant points. Whether you are new to the professional or have over 20 years of experience, there is someone out there that will benefit from your knowledge. Another way to move the profession forward is by putting together a case study in a peer reviewed journal.

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