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intervention group got two-hour sessions
of traditional Thai massage twice a week
for four weeks, while the control group
did not. After pausing for two weeks, the
groups were switched: the participants who
had been in the control group got massage,
and the others did not. Measurements were
taken at the beginning and end of each four-
week series. Some things did not change,
but one metabolic marker that indicates
bone growth activity was markedly higher
in the participants who received massage,
especially among the older subjects in the
study. According to the researchers, "While
the improvement in the marker of bone
formation cannot readily be extrapolated to
an enhancement of bone mass or reduced
fracture risk, our finding at least suggests
that Thai traditional massage is likely
to be beneficial to bone, particularly in
women of advancing age among whom
osteoporosis is a common health problem."
6
It is not reasonable to suggest that
traditional Thai massage prevents or delays
osteoporosis based on this single study, but
it certainly suggests further possibilities to
explore.
Massage therapists with older clients
will almost certainly have some among them
who are at risk for, or who already live with,
osteoporosis. With care and knowledge,
our work can help to make these challenges
a bit more manageable by reducing pain,
improving range of motion, and providing
caring touch for a population that truly
needs our best work.
Notes
1. Cleveland Clinic, "Compression
Fractures," accessed December 2023,
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/
diseases/21950-compression-fractures.
2. Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation,
"Osteoporosis Fast Facts," accessed December
2023, www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/wp-
content/uploads/Osteoporosis-Fast-Facts-2.pdf.
3. Linus Pauling Institute, "Bone Health In Depth,"
accessed December 2023, https://lpi.oregonstate.
edu/mic/health-disease/bone-health.
4. Zhiping Guo et al., "Isolated Unilateral Vertebral
Pedicle Fracture Caused by a Back Massage in
an Elderly Patient: A Case Report and Literature
Review," European Journal of Orthopaedic
Surgery & Traumatology 23, no. 2 (2013): 149–53,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-012-1031-y.
5. C. H. Jeon et al., "Case Report: Electrical
Automated Massage Chair Use Can Induce
Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression
Fracture," Osteoporosis International
30, no. 7 (April 2019): 1533–6, https://doi.
org/10.1007/s00198-019-04961-4.
6. Sunee Saetung, La-or Chailurkit, and Boonsong
Ongphiphadhanakul, "Thai Traditional
Massage Increases Biochemical Markers
of Bone Formation in Postmenopausal
Women: A Randomized Crossover Trial,"
BMC Complementary and Alternative
Medicine 13, no. 69 (March 2013): https://
doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-13-69.
Ruth Werner is a former massage
therapist, a writer, and an NCBTMB-approved
continuing education provider. She wrote
A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology
(available at booksofdiscovery.com), now in
its seventh edition, which is used in massage
schools worldwide. Werner is available at
ruthwerner.com.
RESOURCES
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PATHOLOGY PERSPECTIVES
