Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/121374
somatic research are within the scope of practice and training of massage and bodywork therapists. In particular, some of the self-care education techniques are a good fit: relaxation therapies such as breath work and awareness exercises, postural reeducation, and stretching and strengthening techniques. These treatment options can be part of a bodywork session and encouraged between sessions. Self-Care Treatment Options: Massage and Exercise The success of multidisciplinary therapies is a balance of active and passive techniques. Researchers of a recent study published in the Journal of Pain Research said, "Patients suffering from chronic pain prefer passive treatment, which is helpful in symptom control. On the other hand, one of the main aims of treatment is to increase the activity levels of the patient, which can only be achieved with adequate active therapies."4 This theory is supported in many studies involving a variety of chronic pain conditions in various populations. This is valuable information to consider not only for the IM teams, but also for MTs when designing our treatment plans and selecting our hands-on techniques and homework strategies. Combination therapies are easily achieved through a multidisciplinary team approach to care. However, if there is no one on the team providing active therapies, along with stretching and strengthening self-care routines to support change, it may be necessary to incorporate exercise and self-care education in your sessions. Take care to stay within your scope of practice regarding stretching and strengthening, but when possible, make it a priority to include active and resistive treatment techniques and self-care education in your massage and bodywork sessions. Take care to stay within your scope of practice regarding stretching and strengthening, but when possible, make it a priority to include active and resistive treatment techniques and self-care education in your massage and bodywork sessions. In a study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, researchers updated an evidence-based clinical practice guideline on therapeutic massage for low-back pain based on a systematic review, demonstrating that massage interventions are effective to provide short-term improvement of subacute and chronic low-back pain symptoms and decreasing disability at immediate posttreatment and short-term relief when massage therapy is combined with therapeutic exercise and education (emphasis added).5 A comparative effectiveness study found that massage therapy, when combined with exercise, stress management, and relaxation therapy education, decreased pain intensity, pain duration, and depression, and increased functional status and quality of life in people with migraines.6 Some of the simple stretching and strengthening exercises studied include: • Eccentric strengthening. • Hamstring stretching and quadriceps strengthening. • Manual fascial stretching of the back. • Slump stretching. • Spinal extensor strengthening. Other Self-Care Options There are several categories of self-care discussed in the literature. The most common is in regards to posture: body awareness and correct positioning, as well as the flexibility, mobility, strengthening, and stretching exercises involved in supporting postural changes. These were accompanied by lessons on how to avoid overload and pain during activities of daily living.7 Increasing awareness around what movements or activities cause or increase the pain can lead to better choices about how to move or what activities to modify or avoid. www.abmp.com. See what benefits await you. 59