Thai traditional massage: efficiency-assessment of three traditional massage methods on office workers: an explorative study.

Thai Traditional Massage (TTM) is popular and widely spread in Thailand. This project is aimed at studying the physiological efficiency of three popular TTM methods based on acupressure Meridian basal lines: the Sen Sib(SS) ten lines, Ratchsamnak (RS), Royal style; and Chaloeysak (CS), Folk style. Thirty healthy female administrative employees participated as patients. All were treated for 30 min with the 3 types of massage with a two-week interval between each treatment. Muscle strain was objectified by measuring strength and endurance with surface electromyography of muscle put under stress during office work: the M. Trapezius (static postural load) and the wrist muscles (M. flexors & extensors Carpi-Radialis) (dynamic contractions) as well as measuring the subjective Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before and after the sessions. An ANOVA-statistical analysis showed that strength in shoulders was not significantly different, but some forearm fatigue was decreased significantly among the three massage techniques.

Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry-based assessment of male patients using standardized bone density values and a national reference database.

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements from different manufacturers provide different bone mineral density (BMD) values and derived T-scores and Z-scores. These differences result partly from technical differences in the algorithms for the determination of bone mineral content and bone area and partly from the use of different manufacturer-derived reference databases. The present study was to implement a uniform expression of BMD in all male patients by using standardized BMD (sBMD) values and referring to a newly established national male reference sample. In 8 bone densitometry centers throughout Belgium 229 young healthy men were measured on Hologic (Bedford, MA) or GE-Lunar (Madison, WI) bone densitometers. Quality control procedures were implemented and site cross-calibration performed using the European Spine Phantom. Absolute BMD values were converted to standardized values by validated formulas (sBMD). Clinically acceptable between-center differences were noted. No discrepancy was observed in terms of mean sBMD and standard deviations at the lumbar spine and proximal femur between the Belgian and the US reference populations. Region-specific sBMD thresholds for the diagnosis of male osteoporosis were calculated. The current data provide a basis to implement a nation-wide, uniform expression of BMD in male patients and allow harmonization of the BMD-based diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in men.