The efficacy of traditional Thai massage for the treatment of chronic pain: A systematic review

Keattichai Keeratitanont; Mark P Jensen; Uraiwan Chatchawan; Paradee Auvichayapat

doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2015.01.006

The efficacy of traditional Thai massage for the treatment of chronic pain: A systematic review

Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2015 Feb;21(1):26-32. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2015.01.006. Epub 2015 Jan 31.

Authors

Keattichai Keeratitanont¹, Mark P Jensen², Uraiwan Chatchawan³, Paradee Auvichayapat⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kean University, Thailand.
² Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
³ Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
⁴ Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kean University, Thailand. Electronic address: aparad@kku.ac.th.

PMID: 25682523
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2015.01.006

Abstract

Rational and background: Traditional Thai massage (TTM) is an alternative medicine treatment used for pain relief. The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the research about the effects of TTM on pain intensity and other important outcomes in individuals with chronic pain.

Methods: We performed a systematic review of the controlled trials of the effects of TTM, using the keywords "Traditional Thai massage" or "Thai massage" with the keyword "Chronic pain."

Results: Six research articles met the inclusion criteria. All of the studies found a pre- to post-treatment pain reductions, varying from 25% to 80% and was also associated with improvements in disability, perceived muscle tension, flexibility and anxiety.

Summary: The TTM benefits of pain reduction appear to maintain for up to 15 weeks. Additional research is needed to identify the moderators, mediators and to determine the long-term benefits of TTM relative to control conditions.

Keywords: Chronic pain; Thai massage; Traditional Thai massage.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Chronic Pain / therapy*
Humans
Massage*
Medicine, Traditional*
Thailand