A Pilot Feasibility Study of Massage to Reduce Pain in People with Spinal Cord Injury during Acute Rehabilitation

Spinal Cord, 2013 · DOI: 10.1038/sc.2013.104 · Published: November 1, 2013

Spinal Cord Injury Alternative Medicine Rehabilitation

Simple Explanation

This study explores whether massage can help reduce pain in people with spinal cord injuries during their initial rehabilitation in the hospital. Nurses were trained to give a special kind of massage, called broad compression massage (BCM), and a light touch control treatment (LCT). The study wanted to see if it was possible to do a larger study on massage for pain relief in this group of patients.

Study Duration

11 Months

Participants

40 adults with spinal cord injury

Evidence Level

Level I, randomized, single-blind, cross-over clinical trial

Key Findings

1
The study showed it is feasible to have nurses give massage therapy to patients with spinal cord injuries.
2
Patients who had more intense pain at the start seemed to get more pain relief from the light touch treatment.
3
Both the massage and the light touch treatments seemed safe and were well-liked by the patients.

Research Summary

This pilot study investigated the feasibility of using massage therapy, administered by rehabilitation nurses, to reduce pain in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) during acute inpatient rehabilitation. The study found that it is feasible to implement such a protocol and that broad compression massage (BCM) was safe and well-tolerated. The results suggested that patients with higher initial pain intensity experienced more improvement, indicating a potential area for future research focusing on different types of pain.

Practical Implications

Integrating Massage into Rehabilitation

This study suggests that massage therapy can be safely integrated into acute SCI rehabilitation programs using trained rehabilitation nurses.

Further Research on Pain Types

Future research should focus on differentiating types of pain (e.g., musculoskeletal, neuropathic) to determine the specific effectiveness of massage for each.

Larger Clinical Trials

The feasibility demonstrated in this study supports conducting larger, more rigorous randomized controlled trials to establish an evidence base for massage therapy's efficacy in SCI rehabilitation.

Study Limitations

1
The crossover design was limited by carry-over effects and a failure to return to baseline during the washout period.
2
Lack of specific testing tools and assessments for the effect of massage therapy and human touch.
3
The study did not differentiate between types of pain, potentially missing specific benefits for certain pain types.

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