Effects of Anma therapy (Japanese massage) on health-related quality of life in gynecologic cancer survivors: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Anma therapy (Japanese massage therapy, AMT) significantly reduces the severity of physical complaints in survivors of gynecologic cancer. However, whether this reduction of severity is accompanied by improvement in health-related quality of life is unknown. METHODS: Forty survivors of gynecologic cancer were randomly allocated to either an AMT group that received one 40-min AMT session per week for 8 weeks or a no-AMT group. We prospectively measured quality of life by using the Japanese version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 version 3.0 (EORTC QLQ-C30) at baseline and at 8-week follow-up. The QLQ-C30 response rate was 100%. Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), Profile of Mood States (POMS), and Measure of Adjustment to Cancer were also prespecified and prospectively evaluated. RESULTS: The QLQ-C30 Global Health Status and Quality of Life showed significant improvement at 8 weeks (P = 0.042) in the AMT group compared with the no-AMT group, and the estimated mean difference reached a minimal clinically important difference of 10 points (10.4 points, 95% CI = 1.2 to 19.6). Scores on fatigue and insomnia showed significant improvement in the AMT group compared with the no-AMT group (P = 0.047 and 0.003, respectively). There were no significant between-group improvements in HADS anxiety and depression scales; however, POMS-assessed anger-hostility showed significant improvement in the AMT group compared with the no-AMT group (p = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: AMT improved health-related quality of life in gynecologic cancer survivors. AMT can be of potential benefit for applications in oncology.

Physical effects of Anma therapy (Japanese massage) for gynecologic cancer survivors: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Cancer survivors often have physical and psychological complaints after standard cancer treatment. We conducted a randomized control trial to evaluate the physical and psychological/emotional effects of Anma therapy (Japanese massage, AMT) in gynecologic cancer survivors. The primary objective was to verify the effects of 8 consecutive weeks of weekly AMT. The secondary objective was to confirm the immediate effects of single-session AMT. We report here results of the physical effects of AMT. METHODS: Forty participants were randomly allocated to an AMT group that received one 40-min AMT session per week for 8weeks and a no-AMT group. The primary endpoint was severity of subjective physical complaints assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary endpoints were urine and saliva analyses and psychological/emotional questionnaire scores. RESULTS: In the primary analysis, least-squares means (LSM) estimates of VAS score improvement over the 8weeks were -21.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], -30.1 to -12.8, P=0.0017) in the AMT group (n=20) and 0.8 (95%CI, -7.7 to 9.2, P=0.89) in the no-AMT group (n=20). The difference in the LSM estimates between the groups was -22.2 (95%CI, -34.4 to -10.1, P=0.0007). There were significant differences in VAS score and urinary epinephrine between before and after the intervention session, demonstrating the superiority of AMT. CONCLUSIONS: A single AMT session reduces the severity of subjective physical complaints and might inhibit the sympathetic nervous system in gynecologic cancer survivors. Receiving weekly AMT sessions for eight weeks effectively continues to reduce the severity of subjective physical complaints.

Anma massage (Japanese massage) therapy for patients with Parkinson's disease in geriatric health services facilities: Effectiveness on limited range of motion of the shoulder joint.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of Anma massage therapy for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in geriatric health services facilities. METHODS: (1) Immediate treatment effects: 10 PD patients, in the intervention period with Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) scale at stage 5, received 30-40 min sessions of Anma massage therapy. In the non-intervention period, six PD patients did not undergo this therapy. The shoulder joint range of motion (ROM) was measured before and after each session. (2) Continuous treatment effects: Six PD patients in the intervention period received the same massage sessions once a week continuously for seven weeks. One week after the completion of the treatment, the ROM of the shoulder joints was measured. RESULTS: (1) Shoulder abduction on the more affected side showed immediate significant improvements. (2) Shoulder abduction on the more affected side and less affected side showed notable effects of continuous treatment procedure leading to significant improvement. CONCLUSION: The above results suggested the efficacy of successive Anma massage therapy.

Effectiveness of Anma massage therapy in alleviating physical symptoms in outpatients with Parkinson's disease: a before-after study.

We aimed to confirm the physical effects of a single Anma massage session and continuous Anma massage therapy for outpatients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Twenty-one PD outpatients (mean age, 64.43 ± 8.39 [SD] years; Hoehn and Yahr stage I-IV) received a single 40-min Anma massage session involving upper and lower limb exercises and some subsequently received seven weekly Anma massage sessions. After a single session, visual analogue scale scores were significantly lower for muscle stiffness, movement difficulties, pain, and fatigue; gait speed and pegboard test time were significantly shortened; stride length was significantly lengthened; and shoulder flexion and abduction were significantly improved. No significant changes occurred in controls. After continuous sessions, we found general improvements in the same outcomes. In conclusion, Anma massage might effectively alleviate various physical PD symptoms; furthermore, because it is given through clothing, Anma massage is accessible for PD patients with movement difficulties.

Effects of Anma massage therapy (Japanese massage) for gynecological cancer survivors: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients and survivors regularly feel anxious about cancer recurrence or death, even after the conclusion of medical treatment, and they are often highly physiologically and psychologically stressed. Massage therapy is one of the most widely used complementary and alternative therapies used in the hope of alleviating such stress and physical and psychological complaints and to improve health-related quality of life. This randomized phase III, two-armed, parallel group, clinical trial was designed after obtaining positive findings in a preliminary study. The primary objective is to verify the effects of continuous Japanese massage therapy, referred to as Anma therapy, for cancer survivors. The secondary objective is to confirm the immediate effects of a single Anma massage session for cancer survivors. METHODS/DESIGN: Sixty cancer survivors older than 20 years of age who have had histologically confirmed uterine cervical, endometrial, ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer in the past, but with no recurrence for more than 3 years since receiving standard medical treatment, are being recruited by gynecologists in medical facilities. In the coordinating office, they are randomly allocated to two groups (n = 30 each): an Anma massage group receiving a 40-min Anma massage session once weekly over a 2-month intervention period (total of eight Anma massage sessions) and a control group being followed by medical doctors and receiving no Anma massage sessions. The primary end point is the severity of physical subjective symptoms that cancer survivors report in daily life, assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale. Secondary end points are urine and saliva analyses, psychological condition and health-related quality-of-life scores as determined on the basis of a self-report questionnaire. DISCUSSION: Using the evidence-based findings of this trial, medical professionals should be able to explain the benefits conferred by Anma massage to cancer survivors and provide higher-quality information to better inform patients regarding their decisions about whether to receive such therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial is registered with the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry as UMIN000009097.

Effects of traditional Japanese massage therapy on various symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease: a case-series study.

OBJECTIVES: Massage therapy is one of the most commonly used complementary therapies for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate the effects of traditional Japanese massage therapy on various symptoms of patients with PD. DESIGN: The study design was a case series study. SETTING: The study was conducted at the Center for Integrative Medicine, Tsukuba University of Technology, Japan. SUBJECTS: The subjects were 10 patients with idiopathic PD (mean age, 69.6±7.7 years; range, 55-85 years) who presented for consultation with a neurologist between February and April 2009 and who desired massage therapy in conjunction with standard pharmaceutical treatment. INTERVENTION: The intervention comprised a 30-minute session of traditional Japanese massage in conjunction with standard conventional medication. OUTCOME MEASURES: The outcome measures were as follows: Gait speed in the 20-m walk test (10-m walk and return) for gait disturbance, angular range of shoulder joint motion for frozen shoulder, and a visual analogue scale (VAS) for assessing the severity of each of various symptoms (hypophonia, shoulder stiffness, muscle pain, heaviness or lassitude of a body part, and fatigue), as determined before and after the massage session. RESULTS: (1) Patients with gait disturbance showed improved gait speed, (2) those with frozen shoulder showed improved range of motion of the shoulder joint, and (3) VAS scores for assessing the severity of other subjective symptoms were improved. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that traditional Japanese massage therapy used in combination with medication is effective for alleviating various symptoms in patients with PD and may contribute to enhancing their health-related quality of life. Larger studies with a control group are required to verify these findings.

Acupuncture might have contributed to improving amenorrhoea in a top athlete.

A 26-year-old top female athlete (height 157 cm), who took part in competitive sport similar to middle- and long-distance running, became amenorrhoeic in February 2009. In late May 2009, athletic amenorrhoea was diagnosed and a norgestrel-ethinyl estradiol combination (norgestrel 0.5 mg and ethinyl estradiol 0.05 mg three times daily) was prescribed for 2 weeks. She experienced menstrual bleeding on one occasion for 4 days in mid-June before becoming amenorrhoeic again. The athlete visited our centre to try acupuncture treatment. Forty-six acupuncture sessions were given between 1 October 2009 and 2 November 2010. Acupuncture point selection was based on classical acupuncture medicine and included points long used for gynaecological disorders in Japan--namely, CV6, CV12, LR3, LR14, BL17, BL18, BL23, SP6 and SP10. On 7 May 2010, owing to lack of regular normal vaginal bleeding, she again consulted her gynaecologist and was prescribed the same hormone preparation as used previously. She took it for 2 weeks in conjunction with acupuncture treatment. From July, the amount and duration of menstrual flow increased at regular intervals. Throughout July, a biphasic pattern in basal body temperature (BBT) was gradually established. In conclusion, the single hormone replacement therapy in May 2009 without acupuncture treatment was not effective for the amenorrhoea, nor was the single acupuncture treatment between October 2009 and May 2010. However, after hormone replacement therapy was started in May 2010 in conjunction with regular acupuncture treatment, menstrual blood flow restarted and BBT moved close to the biphasic pattern.

Effects of traditional Japanese massage therapy on gene expression: preliminary study.

OBJECTIVES: Changes in gene expression after traditional Japanese massage therapy were investigated to clarify the mechanisms of the clinical effects of traditional Japanese massage therapy. DESIGN: This was a pilot experimental study. SETTINGS/LOCATION: The study was conducted in a laboratory at Tsukuba University of Technology. SUBJECTS: The subjects were 2 healthy female volunteers (58-year-old Participant A, 55-year-old Participant B). INTERVENTIONS: The intervention consisted of a 40-minute full-body massage using standard traditional Japanese massage techniques through the clothing and a 40-minute rest as a control, in which participants lie on the massage table without being massaged. OUTCOME MEASURES: Before and after an intervention, blood was taken and analyzed by microarray: (1) The number of genes whose expression was more than double after the intervention than before was examined; (2) For those genes, gene ontology analysis identified statistically significant gene ontology terms. RESULTS: The gene expression count in the total of 41,000 genes was 1256 genes for Participant A and 1778 for Participant B after traditional Japanese massage, and was 157 and 82 after the control, respectively. The significant gene ontology terms selected by both Participants A and B after massage were "immune response" and "immune system," whereas no gene ontology terms were selected by them in the control. CONCLUSIONS: It is implied that traditional Japanese massage therapy may affect the immune function. Further studies with more samples are necessary.

Differences in practitioners' proficiency affect the effectiveness of massage therapy on physical and psychological states.

OBJECTIVE: An examination was made of how differences in the proficiency of massage practitioners had different physical and psychological effects on clients. METHOD: Eight healthy 50-year-old females, suffering from chronic neck and shoulder stiffness, were recruited and four interventions were conducted: three 40-minute massage therapy interventions, one each by a freshman and a sophomore student studying massage therapy, and one by their instructor, and one rest on the massage table. Visual analogue scale score for muscle stiffness in the neck and shoulder, state anxiety score, and salivary cortisol concentration levels and secretory immunoglobulin A, were measured pre- and post- interventions. RESULTS: Visual analogue scale of neck and shoulder stiffness after massage by the instructor was significantly lower than that after the other interventions, and the score of state anxiety was lower than that after resting.

Electroacupuncture therapy for arthralgia and Raynaud's phenomenon in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

A 45-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus presented with multiple arthralgia, coldness in fingers and toes, and Raynaud's phenomenon. Electroacupuncture (EA) therapy was performed in two courses (14 treatment sessions) 1 month apart. A needle was inserted in the proximal (or medial) side of the painful joint and another needle was inserted in the distal (or lateral) side of the same joint and a 50 Hz stimulus was applied (3 s bursts with 1 s gaps) for 15 min. A visual analogue scale was used to evaluate pain intensity. Cold provocation testing was conducted before and after EA sessions to determine the vasomotor response. Visual analogue scale scores were lower after EA sessions than before. Before starting EA, the skin temperature of the right mid fingertip was 27.9 degrees C and that of the left mid fingertip was 28.3 degrees C. In contrast, after the EA sessions, the skin temperature of the right mid fingertip was 34.8 degrees C and that of the left mid fingertip was 34.7 degrees C. In the last EA session, the patient reported that the cold in her fingers and toes had eased and Raynaud's phenomenon, in which nail colour tone changed from white to red, had disappeared. In the cold-provocation test, before EA, the temperature recovery rates of mid fingertips after cold exposure reached over 80% in 20 min. In contrast, after EA had been completed, the temperature recovery rate exceeded 80% in 10 min, thus the delay of temperature recovery was alleviated.

Effects of Anma therapy (traditional Japanese massage) on body and mind.

INTRODUCTION: Anma therapy is a traditional style of Japanese massage, one of touch and manual therapies, and one of the most popular CAM therapies in Japan. It was brought from China in the 6th century and, while based on the theory of Chinese medicine, it developed in Japan according to Japanese preference and has recently come to include theories of Western medicine. The purpose of this study was to clarify the physical and psychological effects of Anma therapy. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Fifteen healthy female volunteers in their fifth decade, with chronic muscle stiffness in the neck and shoulder, received two interventions: 40-min Anma therapy and 40-min rest intervention. The design was cross-over design. Participants were randomly divided into two groups. Group A was started on Anma therapy from the first day followed by the rest intervention after a 3-day interval. The order of the Anma therapy and the rest intervention reversed for Group B. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score for muscle stiffness in the neck and shoulder, state anxiety score, and salivary cortisol concentration levels and secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) were measured pre- and post-interventions. RESULTS: Anma therapy significantly reduced VAS scores and state anxiety scores. S-IgA concentration levels increased significantly across both groups. CONCLUSION: Anma therapy reduced muscle stiffness in the neck and shoulder and anxiety levels in this pilot study of 50-year-old females.

Mental health and related factors among massage practitioners with visual impairment.

The purpose of this study was to explore the mental health conditions and related factors among 155 visually impaired massage practitioners chosen from alumni lists of ten schools for the visually impaired in Japan. It was thought massage practitioners with visual impairment did not suffer burnout and depression because their mean scores indicated "no problem". However, their mean score for anxiety was high compared with previous studies. Gender and level of education showed no significant differences on anxiety and depression. Higher scores for anxiety and depression correlated inversely with age. Scores of depersonalization, anxiety, and depression were significantly higher and those of personal accomplishment lower for unmarried subjects compared to those who were married. Scores of emotional exhaustion, anxiety, and depression were significantly higher in persons who were able to read written text compared to those who read Braille only. Massage practitioners with visual impairment working at hospitals, medical clinics, and nursing homes revealed significantly higher daily client turnover, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization compared to those who established their own massage clinics. It was thought that massage practitioners who were young and unmarried, had slight visual impairment, high client turnover, hectic relationships between clients, little autonomy at work, and worked at medical-related workplaces were prone to burnout. It is suggested that this group of massage practitioner requires periodic education about stress management techniques and more social support.

Washing hands before and after performing massages? Changes in bacterial survival count on skin of a massage therapist and a client during massage therapy.

OBJECTIVE: Massage therapy involves direct contact between the therapist and the client in a clinical setting, which can result in the transfer of bacteria. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of bacteria transfer between a therapist and a client during a massage session and differences between types of lubricants used. DESIGN: Medium cultures were taken from the therapist's palms and the client's skin before, during, and after the massage session. Experiments proceeded with the following settings: use of three different types of lubricants, without the use of a lubricant, and without massage as control. After each massage session, the therapist washed his or her hands and a bacterial sample was again taken. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in bacteria count. RESULTS: (1) Bacteria count on the therapist's palms increased during and after massage with and without the use of lubricant. There was no change in the case of no massage. (2) Bacteria count on the client's skin decreased during and after massage with the use of three different kinds of lubricants compared to the no-massage control. However, an increase was evident when no lubricant was used. (3) After hand washing with water for 20 seconds after each massage session, there were still bacteria on the therapist's palms. However, bacteria count differed with the type of lubricant used. CONCLUSION: Bacteria from the client's skin transferred to the therapist's hands during massage therapy. Bacteria count when no lubricant was used was greater than massage sessions using lubricants.