subject: Shoulder Massage Therapy By A Licensed Massage Therapist (lmt) Can Ease Pain [print this page] Shoulder pain can be caused by a wide range of conditions. Whatever the root cause of the pain is, it may be eased by soft tissue massage therapy given by a licensed massage therapist or LMT.
Paul A. van den Dolder and David L. Roberts, both members of the staff of the Auburn Hospital and Concord Repatriation General Hospital in Sydney, did a study titled A trial into the effectiveness of soft tissue massage in the treatment of shoulder pain that was published in Vol. 49 of the Australian Journal of Physiotherapy. The study proved that when patients with shoulder pain are given soft tissue massage therapy this results in improved range of motion, better functionality and less pain.
Twenty nine patients with shoulder pain being managed by the Concord Repatriation General Hospital participated in the two week study. They had a variety of medical diagnoses, with most of them having rotator cuff tear, nerve impingement and unspecified shoulder pain.
The participants were randomly assigned to a control group and a massage therapy group. The participants in the control group were given no treatment for shoulder pain within the two week period of the study. The participants in the massage therapy group received six sessions of soft tissue massage therapy focused on the shoulder region during the same two week period. Each of those massage sessions lasted for 15 to 20 minutes. The pectoralis major was massaged in the stretch position, the lateral border of the scapula was massaged in full shoulder flexion, the anterior deltoid was massaged at end of range hand behind back position, and the posterior deltoid was massaged at end of range horizontal flexion.
In assessing the patients before and after the two week study, the Patient Specific Functional Disability Measure was used to evaluate the functional ability of their shoulders; the Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire was used to rate their level of pain; and abduction, flexion and movements that required having hands behind their backs were used to measure active range of motion of their shoulders.
Results showed that participants in the control group showed no significant improvements in shoulder pain, range of motion and functional ability. Participants in the massage therapy group, however, showed significantly improved function in their shoulders, significantly less pain and significant improvement in active range of motion covering an average of 42.2 degrees for abduction, an average of 22.6 degrees for flexion and an average of 11 centimeters for reaching up their backs.
According to the conclusions of researchers Paul A. van den Dolder and David L. Roberts, This randomized, controlled trial has shown that soft tissue massage around the shoulder in subjects with shoulder pain of local mechanical origin produces significantly greater improvements in pain, function and range of motion than does no treatment over a two-week periodThe fact that these patients improved with such a wide range of diagnoses points to the potential generalisability of the effects of this massage in patients with shoulder pain of local mechanical origin.
In order to achieve the same results as the study, it is crucial that only a licensed massage therapist or LMT should be asked to do the required soft tissue massage therapy. Only then can you be certain that the massage therapy is properly performed and effective while the safety of the patient is guaranteed.
Aside from easing shoulder pain, a licensed massage therapist also does deep tissue massage therapy, sports massage therapy, craniosacral massage therapy, pregnancy massage therapy, reflexology, acupressure and shiatsu. He also does insurance billing for people in auto accidents, allowing his clients to concentrated all their energies on healing and full recovery.
