Massage & Bodywork

January/February 2010

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news notes COMPILED BY SEAN EADS Massage sessions were found to reduce anxiety and cortisol levels, and patients reported extended periods of itch reduction. Massage ASHLEY MONTAGU AWARD ANNOUNCED Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD, has won the Ashley Montagu Award, given by the Canadian Touch Research Center to a candidate who demonstrates an outstanding contribution to the science of touch. Cherkin, a researcher at Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle, Washington, has focused on research for the efficacy of massage therapy in back pain. The award was previously given in 2004 and 2006. More information about the selection criteria and previous winners is available at www.ccrt-ctrc.ca. CAM Use Skyrockets for Rhinosinusitis Sufferers A study presented at the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO- HNSF) Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, found patients suffering from chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) are making significant use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies to seek relief. CRS is an inflammation of paranasal sinuses that lasts at least 12 weeks. The condition is thought to account for 22 million doctor visits and more than 500,000 emergency room trips each year. The survey was conducted on 75 patients over a two-month period. CAM therapies such as acupuncture, herbal therapies, and massage were reportedly used by 65 percent of the patients. for Pruritus Doctors report massage can be used to effectively treat pruritus, or itchiness, in severe burn victims. Pruritis is often a significant and irritating part of burn recovery known to reduce quality of life and cause depression as sufferers try to find means to alleviate the discomfort. Scientists from the United Kingdom have reviewed the efficacy of massage therapy as a treatment in a study involving 28 burn patients who were assigned 30-minute massage sessions twice a week using cocoa butter as a lubricant. The sessions were found to reduce anxiety and cortisol levels, and patients reported extended periods of itch reduction. The findings were published in Journal of Burn Care & Research. 16 massage & bodywork january/february 2010

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