ABSTRACT
A survey was administered to registered massage therapists (RMT) across Canada to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and discomfort to the low back, shoulders, neck, wrist and thumbs associated with therapeutic treatments. A total of 502 RMT responded to the survey. Despite the majority of the respondents indicating they received proper training in therapy postures and self-care, there was a high prevalence of pain reporting to all areas of the upper extremity. The highest reporting of pain and discomfort was reported in the wrist and thumb, followed by the low back, neck and shoulders, respectively. There were no significant gender differences in pain/discomfort reporting except for the neck. The results of this survey indicate a high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and discomfort associated with delivering massage therapy treatments. Therapists must focus on proper technique posture and adhere to a regime of self-care to reduce the risks of pain and injury. Further research is needed to determine the effects of neuromuscular fatigue and technique accommodation as it relates to pain risk.
Subject(s)
Massage , Musculoskeletal Diseases/epidemiology , Occupational Diseases/epidemiology , Occupational Exposure/adverse effects , Pain/epidemiology , Adult , Canada/epidemiology , Data Collection , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Musculoskeletal Diseases/etiology , Neck Pain/epidemiology , Neck Pain/therapy , Occupational Diseases/etiology , Pain/etiology , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Shoulder Pain/epidemiology , Shoulder Pain/therapy , WristABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the difference in muscular and postural demands of performing manual therapy using a massage chair and a massage table. METHODS: Twelve female senior massage therapy students performed two 10-minute regional back massages on a fully clothed client using both a massage chair and massage table. The root mean square was used to determine the mean activation from the electromyographic signal collected from 8 upper extremity muscles. Integrated electromyography was used to compare activation between the 14 massage techniques used. Eight electromagnetic motion capture sensors were attached: the head, trunk, and upper arm, forearm, and hand bilaterally to track segment kinematics and determine total time spent in different postures. RESULTS: There was higher activation in lumbar erector spinae when using the table and anterior deltoid when using the chair. The anterior deltoid showed a significant condition x period interaction for mean muscle activation for 6 of the 14 massage techniques. The therapists spent significantly more time in mild trunk flexion when using the massage table and significantly more time in severe radial deviation and mild shoulder flexion when using the massage chair. CONCLUSIONS: The chair and table were more demanding of the anterior deltoid and lumbar erector spinae, respectively. Therapists adopted trunk and wrist postures that would increase the risk of upper extremity injury while using either the massage chair or table.
