Massage News Alert - August 2008

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Dear Bodyworkers,

In the Olympics, we have seen the great opening ceremony, and great athletes performance. Behind the athletes success we are sure to find that bodywork and massage played important role in maintaining the performance and to help recovery. And TCM is evident in the Chinese swimmers.. see the article below. This month we have various articles related to Sports to keep you entertained. Finally.. Go Australia...

Check out our new products The Complete Reiki Toolkit, BodyReading by Tom Myers, this is an exceptional DVD a must for structural bodyworker. Also a new Nerve Mobilization DVD for the legs & back, a great work on how to assess and treat anyone with back pain, or any nerve pain down their leg. Poster .. Poster we got a range of poster

This newsletter is our attempt to bring you what's happening in the latest research and news on massage related issues. We sell massage videos and books so the advert is at the end of this page. Archive of our past news can be found at http://www.massage-research.com/blog/ You can search for and comment on articles. We don't just sell DVDs, we provide you with the latest information. Happy reading and stay healthy… from us at www.terrarosa.com.au

 

 

Inside this issue:

Massaging Muscles Facilitates Recovery After Exercise

Nurse massage cuts chronic pain

Frankincense Provides Relief for Osteoarthritis

Light Stretching Improves Range of Joint Motion

Neuromuscular training reduces injuries

Olympic athletes to try TCM

Ultrasound therapy does nothing to help an injured skeletal muscle heal any faster

 

 

Massaging Muscles Facilitates Recovery After Exercise

Researchers testing the long-held theory that therapeutic massage can speed recovery after a sports injury have found early scientific evidence of the healing effects of massage. The scientists have determined that immediate cyclic compression of muscles after intense exercise reduced swelling and muscle damage in a study using animals.

Though they say it’s too soon to apply the results directly to humans in a clinical environment, the researchers consider the findings a strong start toward scientific confirmation of massage’s benefits to athletes after intense eccentric exercise, when muscles contract and lengthen at the same time.

“There is potential that this continuing research will have huge clinical implications,” said Thomas Best, a professor of family medicine at Ohio State University and senior author of the study. “If we can define the mechanism for recovery, the translation of these findings to the clinic will dictate how much massage is needed, for how long, and when it should be performed after exercise.”

Anecdotal evidence suggests massage offers many health benefits, but actual testing of its effects at the cellular level is more difficult than one might think. In this study with rabbits, the researchers used one mechanical device to mimic movements associated with a specific kind of exercise, and a second device to follow the exercise with a simulated consistent massaging motion on the affected muscles. They compared these animals to other animals that performed the exercise movements but did not receive simulated massage. All animals were sedated during the experiments.

“We tried to mimic Swedish massage because anecdotally, it’s the most popular technique used by athletes,” said Best, who is also co-medical director of the OSU Sports Medicine Center and a team physician for the Department of Athletics. “A review of the research in this area shows that despite the existing anecdotal evidence – we know athletes use massage all the time – researchers don’t know the mechanism of how massage improves recovery after exercise and injury.”

After the experimental exercise and massage were performed in the study, the researchers compared the muscle tissues of all of the animals, finding that the muscles in animals receiving simulated massage had improved function, less swelling and fewer signs of inflammation than did muscles in the animals that received no massage treatment after exercise. The research is published in a recent issue of the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

The research focused on eccentric exercise, which creates a motion similar to the way in which quadriceps in human thighs are exercised during a downhill run. In the study, the scientists focused on the tibialis anterior muscle, located on the front of the shin in humans. The simulated exercise involved continuous flexing and pointing of the toes to exert the muscle during seven sets of 10 cycles, with two minutes of rest between each set.

“It’s hard to describe exactly how the exercise intensity would be matched in a human, but this was considered a significant amount of exercise that would likely cause muscle soreness and possible damage,” Best said. Immediately following the exercise, the affected muscle was subjected to 30 minutes of simulated massage, called compressive loading. The researchers used mathematical equations to determine the appropriate amount of force to apply to the animal muscle, which was intended to match the force Swedish massage typically places on a patient’s spine. The device used to simulate the stroking motion for the research was designed by Yi Zhao, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Ohio State and a co-author of the study.

“We know biological tissues are sensitive to the magnitude of frequency, duration and load, so we controlled the force, frequency and time spent on massage,” Best said. The exercise-massage cycle was repeated for four days, after which the animals’ muscle strength and tissue were examined. The massaged muscles recovered an estimated 60 percent of the strength after the four-day trial, compared to restoration of about 14 percent of strength in muscles that were exercised and then rested.

Similarly, the massaged muscles had fewer damaged muscle fibers and virtually no sign of white blood cells, the presence of which would indicate that the body was working to repair muscle damage, when compared with the rested muscles. The massaged muscles weighed about 8 percent less than the rested muscles, suggesting that the massage helped prevent swelling, Best said.

“One fundamental question is how much of a role does inflammation play in repair to a muscle? Are we preventing inflammation and therefore improving recovery? We haven’t proven that yet,” Best said.

“Our goal is to use this model to understand the biological mechanisms of massage as a guide to preclinical trials to test the effects of massage on muscle recovery after exercise,” he said. “A trial in humans could look at optimal indications for massage. "Ultimately, we could also find out how massage helps not just exercise-induced muscle injury, but swelling and pain associated with other medical conditions, as well.”

Ohio State University (2008, August 12). Massaging Muscles Facilitates Recovery After Exercise. ScienceDaily.

 

Nurse massage cuts chronic pain

Nurses can successfully use massage to reduce short-term pain and anxiety in patients with chronic, non-malignant pain, according to UK nursing research.In a study of 101 patients with moderate-to-severe pain, those who received a 15-minute head, neck and shoulder massage from a nurse reported significantly less pain and anxiety than those in a control group – both immediately after and one hour post-treatment.

‘Nurses are well placed to be trained in and to deliver massage. It could be a useful addition to techniques offered to patients as part of their care,’ said the authors from the RCN Research Institute at Warwick University.

For more info:

A randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of a single session of nurse administered massage for short term relief of chronic non-malignant pain. Kate Seers, Nicola Crichton, June Martin, Katrina Coulson, Dawn Carroll. BMC Nursing 2008, 7:10 (4 July 2008) http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6955/7/10/abstract

http://www.nursingtimes.net/Clinical_journal_round_up/2008/07/nurse_massage_cuts_chronic_pain.html

Frankincense Provides Relief for Osteoarthritis

Frankincense may help reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis, according to a study of 70 patients.

An enriched extract of the “Indian Frankincense” herb Boswellia serrata was used in the randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Patients who took the herbal remedy showed significant improvement in as little as seven days. The compound caused no major adverse effects and is safe for human consumption and long-term use, according to the study authors. The findings were published in the July 29 edition of Arthritis Research & Therapy.

The extract used in the study was enriched with 30 percent AKBA (3-O-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid), which is believed to be the most active ingredient in the B. serrata plant. “AKBA has anti-inflammatory properties, and we have shown that B. serrata enriched with AKBA can be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee,” study leader Siba Raychaudhuri, a faculty member of the University of California, Davis, said.

“The high incidence of adverse effects associated with currently available medications has created great interest in the search for an effective and safe alternative treatment,” Raychaudhuri said. B. serrata has been used for thousands of years in traditional Indian medicine. This is the first study to examine the effect of an enriched extract of the plant.

 

Light Stretching Improves Range of Joint Motion

Short-duration stretching before exercise temporarily improves range of joint motion and doesn’t weaken muscles, says new research that fuels the debate about whether stretching before exercise reduces muscle strength and performance.

In this study, moderately active, non-athlete participants did two, four and eight-minute sessions of lower leg and ankle stretching. The participants’ exercise performance was assessed before and immediately after, and also 10, 20 and 30 minutes after stretching.

The stretching didn’t cause any changes in muscle strength, but did improve range of motion of the ankle joint. The findings were published in the August issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

“In moderately active individuals, short durations of stretching seem to temporarily improve flexibility without the detrimental strength losses that have been previously reported,” study author Eric Ryan said in an American College of Sports Medicine news release.

“Pre-competition stretching became controversial due to what has been reported as decreases in performance, however, future research still needs to determine how these stretching exercises may impact athletes,” Ryan said.

“Durations of stretching at or less than eight minutes may not significantly alter lower-leg strength,” study co-author Joel T. Cramer said in the news release. “Our findings, in conjunction with previous studies, suggest that for these muscles, there may be a ‘threshold’ of stretching between eight and 10 minutes that would be necessary to decrease muscle strength.”

Neuromuscular training reduces injuries

Training individual muscles and nerves before playing a sport can reduce injuries, say Finnish researchers.

As in other sports, there’s been a trend towards what’s called neuromuscular training, which is where they try to train and pattern the muscles and the nervous system in the moves, stresses and strains relevant to the sport.

Twenty-eight female Finnish floorball teams were randomised to about 120 hours of either neuromuscular or their usual training over six months, then monitored for injuries, particularly non-contact injuries, during games or training, as well as non-playing injuries like overuse.

The results showed nearly a 70 per cent reduction in injury risk and the more a team adhered to the program, the lower were the chances.

There are problems with a study like this, because it’s impossible to be blind to the fact that you’re having this special training.

In addition, the overall reduction in injury numbers wasn’t spectacular – about 15 fewer injuries if you include contact and that was over about 60,000 hours of training and playing.

Title: British Medical Journal
Author: Pasanen K et al. Neuromuscular training and the risk of leg injuries in female floorball players: cluster randomised controlled study.

http://www.abc.net.au/health/minutes/stories/2008/07/21/2305195.htm

Olympic athletes queue to try TCM

To the Games hosts, it was the perfect chance to showcase treatments developed long before the Ancient Greeks met to compete in Olympia. So it is that, for the first time in Olympic history, the athletes' village is equipped with a clinic offering traditional Chinese treatments.

Reports suggest that the initiative is proving to be a success. Sui Ma, a practitioner at the clinic, told The Times: “We have had many athletes coming in. Some have come in with old traumas that perhaps haven't been recognised. Also, because it's a very strong competition, many people have new injuries.”

The clinic has four acupuncturists from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. The Beijing Massage Hospital has also supplied four of its finest traditional masseuses. Speaking from the hospital in Central Beijing, Jin Tao said: “They are working shifts and they are rushed off their feet. I haven't seen them since they started working there last month.”

Tony Smith, the coach of the Canadian gymnastics team, told the state newspaper China Daily that he was astonished when a niggling pain in his back vanished after a single acupuncture session. “It really does work,” he said. “I will definitely recommend it to my athletes.”

Ola Ronsen, the head doctor for the Norwegian team, said: “I talked to one of the Chinese practitioners before we arrived, mostly focusing on sleep disturbances and other types of imbalances.” When he arrived, he went for a full check-up. “The doctor discovered problems I didn't tell him of,” he said.

Other athletes have viewed the service with a mixture of curiosity and caution, fearful of inadvertently ingesting anything that might place them on the wrong side of the drug testers. The Government has ordered traditional medicine vendors to isolate and label any medicines that could be in breach of the International Olympic Committee's list of banned substances.

Beneath glass counters in the Tongrentang store are dried bird's nests, to help to “stimulate the vital forces” and to treat coughs and colds, as well as dried sea horses, which heal bumps and bruises and are best consumed boiled or with alcohol. The ideal treatment for athletes appears to be glossy ganoderma. The enormous mushroom, which grows on the mountains of Liaoning province, calms the body, relieves asthma and can aid sleep.

A member of staff insisted that all athletes ought to take Chinese medicines. “I have seen athletes in here,” she said. Had any of them purchased the dried deer penises to boost their potency? She could not possibly say.

Another virility aid was available. A helpful lady pointed at an emaciated form and said that it was “the dog's testicles”. She appeared to be boasting of its efficacy, until The Times's translator intervened. “No, that's what it is,” she said. “Dog's testes.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article4510344.ece

 

Ultrasound therapy does nothing to help an injured skeletal muscle heal any faster

Although ultrasound is one of the most frequently prescribed treatments for one of the most common sport and athletic injuries – skeletal muscle contusions – there's really no good scientific evidence showing that it treats injured muscles effectively, said Steven Devor, the study's lead author and an assistant professor of sport and exercise sciences at Ohio State University.

Devor and his colleagues used ultrasound to treat contusion injuries inflicted on rats' gastrocnemius muscles – the main muscle in the calf. Ultrasound treatment didn't hasten healing at all, even when compared to injured muscles that weren't treated with ultrasound.

"It didn't make one bit of difference in the time it took the treated and non-treated calf muscles to heal," Devor said. "Millions of people receive ultrasound treatment every year for muscle injuries, with insurance companies usually covering the cost."  The study appears in a recent issue of the International Journal of Sports Medicine.

The researchers dropped small weights – about six ounces – onto the gastrocnemius muscles of rats' right and left hind limbs. The impact created a contusion in each muscle. "The injury is similar to what might happen to a field hockey player if she was struck in the calf with a hockey stick," Devor said.

The researchers treated one hind limb on each rat with ultrasound daily for seven days for five minutes per session. Ultrasound waves were transmitted through a small wand that was rubbed along the rats' limbs. The other limb, used as the control, was left to recover on its own. Rats were sacrificed at various points during the two-month study so that the researchers could evaluate how each gastrocnemius muscle was healing.

The researchers compared a variety of markers in the muscle tissue from the ultrasound treated and non-treated legs of each rat, including muscle mass, protein concentration and muscle fiber cross-section. Cross-section simply refers to the amount of force a muscle can exert – the greater the cross-section a muscle possesses, the more force it can produce.

A comparison of these markers led the researchers to conclude that the muscles treated with ultrasound healed at the same rate as the muscles that were left to heal naturally.

While Devor doesn't discount that ultrasound treatment may feel good, he worries that treating a sports-related muscle injury with ultrasound may give an athlete a false sense of security. "Because the injured muscle feels better after ultrasound treatment, an athlete may be tempted to get back in the game before the skeletal muscle injury is really healed," Devor said. "This puts him at risk for more significant re-injury if the muscle isn't completely healed.

"I'm supportive of the placebo effect – massaging an injury may make the person feel better," he continued. "But in this case, ultrasound treatment didn't have any physiological effect. Medical practitioners who administer this treatment regularly need to ask more questions about its effectiveness in treating injured skeletal muscle."

The results from this study may readily translate to human muscular injuries, as the structure of skeletal muscle tissue is the same across species. "Our skeletal muscle tissue is the same as what's in a rat, dog, cat, etc.," Devor said. "The difference is that the tissue is exposed to diverse hormonal environments."  In the meantime, Devor's best advice is that injured athletes let muscles heal as Mother Nature intended – on their own time.

Ohio State University (2004, April 13). Ultrasound Treatment For Hurt Muscles May Feel Good, But Doesn't Promote Healing, Study Suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 17, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2004/04/040412234906.htm

 

Health alert! Strange case of measles spotted at Olympics?

The treatment is said to be so relaxing that patients fall asleep. The drawback, though, is plain to see.
The disturbing marks on the back of an Olympic swimmer waiting to begin her training session in Beijing are from an ancient Chinese massage method using suction cups.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/news-and-features/health-alert-strange-case-of-measles-spotted-at-olympics-885242.html