A comparison of the effect of Swedish massage with and without chamomile oil on labor outcomes and maternal satisfaction of the childbirth process: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE OF STUDY: Massage is widely used as a traditional technique during labor and delivery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Swedish massage with and without chamomile oil on delivery outcomes. METHODS: The present study was a randomized clinical trial on 154 primiparous pregnant women who were selected by random sampling method and divided into 3 groups: massage with chamomile oil (n = 53), massage without chamomile oil (n = 51), and control group (n = 50). Data collection tools included demographic and delivery information questionnaire, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), maternal satisfaction with delivery scale, and Partograph form. In the two intervention groups, Swedish massage techniques (i.e., Effleurage, Petrissage, Vibration, and Superficial stroke) were performed with and without the use of chamomile oil since the active phase of labor (5 cm dilatation), while the control group received only routine labor care during labor. RESULTS: Swedish massage with chamomile oil significantly reduced the labor pain score, reduced the length of active phase and the second stage of labor, and increased the score of maternal satisfaction with the labor process (P < 0.001). In addition, there was a significant relationship between the type of study groups and the type of delivery (P < 0.043). CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that using Swedish massage techniques with or without chamomile oil can improve labor outcomes. Swedish massage using chamomile oil was associated with better results compared to the same massage without using chamomile oil. Clinical trial code IRCT20200513047430N1.

The effect of Swedish massage on pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Joint pain is one of the most common symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis patients and require medical attention. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of Swedish massage on pain and painkiller consumption in rheumatoid arthritis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 patients participated in the experiment, with half assigned to the control group (n = 30) and half to the experimental (n = 30) group using the block randomization method. On patients in the experimental group, a 30-min Swedish massage was performed regularly for eight weeks: twice a week for the first four weeks, and three times a week for the last four weeks. The control group received routine care. The visual analogue scale-pain was used to measure pain in the two groups at three points of time: before the beginning of the experiment, immediately after the last session, and one month after the last session of the intervention. RESULTS: The analysis of covariance showed that there were significant differences between the two groups' mean scores of pain and painkiller consumption immediately after and one month after the last session of the intervention (p = 0.01). Furthermore, in the experimental group, the mean scores of pain and painkiller consumption decreased over the three points of time (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Swedish massage can be effective in reducing pain and the need to use painkillers in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Six versus twelve weeks of Swedish massage therapy for generalized anxiety disorder: Preliminary findings.

Acute treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder often requires 3 months or more of care in order to optimize response. As part of an exploratory grant we have previously demonstrated that six weeks of twice-weekly Swedish Massage Therapy (SMT) was more effective than an active control in decreasing Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale Scores (HAM-A). An additional goal of this project was to determine if an additional six weeks of twice-weekly SMT led to greater clinical and statistical benefit. We found that HAM-A scores did continue to decrease with an additional six weeks of therapy but that the greatest benefit occurred during the first versus the second 12 sessions (-9.91 vs.-3.09, t = 2.21; df = 10; p = 0.052). These preliminary findings suggest that the majority of benefit in symptom reduction occurs in the first six weeks and that six weeks of twice-weekly SMT may be sufficient for the majority of patients.

A community-based survey on massage therapy in Saudi Arabia.

Massage therapy (MT) is the physical manipulation of the soft tissues. It primarily consists of manual or hands-on techniques such as applying fixed or movable pressure, holding, and moving muscles and body tissues. MT is beneficial for pain relief, sport-related injury rehabilitation, stress reduction, and to address psychological disorders. MT is the most prevalent form of complementary and alternative (CAM) therapy worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding MT among the Saudi community. A cross-sectional online survey using WhatsApp©, Google Forms©, Facebook©, and Twitter© was conducted among the general community of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding MT. Data was collected using a 20-item, self-administered questionnaire consisting of a series of both closed-ended and Likert-type questions. A total of 436 respondents completed the survey. Most of the respondents were female 84.2% (n = 367). Approximately 65% resided in the central region of KSA. The majority of the respondents, 81.4%, believed that MT is effective, 27.7% thought that MT leads to complications, and more than half of the residents, 55.7%, believed that patients should consult with their physicians prior to MT. The most common reasons for MT were to treat muscle pain, for relaxation purposes, to treat bone and joint pain, and backache relief, which were reported by 49%, 20%, 19%, and 16% of the participants, respectively. The knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of the Saudi population towards MT are insufficient in some aspects. The establishment of community-based health education programs to improve knowledge of MT is recommended.

Assessment of the Effect of Swedish Massage and Acupressure in Rehabilitation of Patients with Low Back Pain. Preliminary Report.

BACKGROUND: Low-back pain is a common problem in developed societies. The quest for methods to reduce this com-plaint may contribute to improving the quality of life for many people. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of Swedish massage combined with acupressure vs. Swedish massage alone in patients with low back pain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved 20 women and 20 men with lumbosacral pain. The group was clinically ho-mo-geneous. The participants were randomized into two groups: Group 1, which received Swedish massage with acu-pressure techniques, and Group 2, treated with Swedish massage only. The research tools comprised the Laitinen Pain Score, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Roland-Morris Ques-tion-naire, the Thomayer test, and the measurement of lumbar spine extension. Differences between the mea-surements were evaluated with the Wilcoxon test, with the minimum significance level set at p≤0.05. RESULTS: Both groups demonstrated a significant (p<0.05) decrease in pain intensity, improvement in quality of life and increase in physical activity. Increased segmental mobility of the spine was also observed in all patients, with significant changes (p<0.05) noted only in Group 1. In Group 2, the differences tended towards significance. CONCLUSION: In selected cases, Swedish massage combined with acupressure techniques may be more effective as a mo-notherapy in patients with non-specific low back pain than massage alone.