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R
E S E A R C H
Massage
Reduces Post-Burn Pain and Itching
Burn patients reported
less itching, pain and anxiety, and an improvement in mood after
receiving massage, according to a research study. The study, "Postburn
Itching, Pain, and Psychological Symptoms Are Reduced With Massage
Therapy," was conducted by researchers at the Touch Research
Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine and published
in the Journal of Burn Care and Rehabilitation.
Twenty adult burn patients were recruited
from a university outpatient center to participate in the study.
Individuals were in the remodeling (the reconstruction or reshaping
of the wound as it heals) phase of wound healing, approximately
118 days after injury. They had moderate-sized wounds and complained
of severe itching. They were randomly placed in either a control
group or a massage group. Both groups received standard medical
care that consisted of an examination by a doctor, medication and
physical therapy.
Those in the massage group received
twice-weekly, 30-minute massage sessions for five weeks. Massage
therapists massaged the wound area with moderate pressure, using
cocoa butter as a lubricant. Cocoa butter was applied to the wound
area in a stroking manner, and therapists pressed along the wound
edges and stroked toward the center of the wound. Massage therapists
also used circular, transverse and vertical strokes for 10 minutes
on the wound. The skin was rolled in all directions and then long,
gliding strokes to the entire affected area were used to end the
massage.
Measurements taken included an itching
and pain rating based on the McGill Pain Questionnaire; the State
Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), which measures feelings at the present
moment; and the Profile of Mood States that measures depression. Results
showed that those in the massage therapy group experienced a reduction
in pain and itching, a decrease in anxiety and improved mood, as compared
to those in the control group. The measures showed long-term improvement
from the beginning to the end of the study.
"Our findings are encouraging because
massage therapy provides a natural and effective alternative for
the reduction of itching, pain, and psychological symptoms that
are commonly experienced by patients with burns after they are discharged
from the hospital," the study authors wrote. "Future and
long-term studies might examine enduring effects of massage therapy
for scar tissue healing, including reduction of the height of the
scar and improvement in vascularity, pliability, and pigmentation."
- Source:
The Touch Research Institute. Originally published in the Journal
of Burn Care and Rehabilitation, 2000, Vol. 21, pp. 189-93.
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