Acupuncture Plus Massage is Safe and Effective for Treating Headaches

A new systematic review published in the journal Medicine examined research on the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture combined with massage to treat a common type of headache.

Cervicogenic headaches (CGH), characterized by pain starting at the neck and gradually involving the eyes and the frontal and temporal regions, are one of the most common types of headaches. Alternative therapies, including acupuncture and massage therapy, have long been used to treat headaches.

For the review, a team of researchers scoured multiple research databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and the Web of Science. Randomized controlled trials published before November 2021 evaluating the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with massage were included. Outcomes were measured by overall efficiency, visual simulation score, neck activity score, quality of life score, and adverse reactions.

The review found that existing research provides evidence that acupuncture combined with massage is a safe and effective treatment for patients with CGH. Read the full study online at https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000028736.

Abhyanga

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Abhyanga, or oil massage, is an ayurvedic external treatment where one, two, or more therapists use massage and aromatic herbal oils to bring balance to the body.

Spine Curvature in Neanderthals May Provide Clues to Modern-Day Back Pain

In a comparative study published in PNAS Nexus, a team of anthropologists analyzed the spines of Neanderthals for insight into the frequency of back-related ailments in modern humans. The team found a difference in the curvature of the spines of Neanderthals and humans living in postindustrial societies, which may explain the high frequency of lower back pain in contemporary humans.

“Neanderthals are not distinct from modern humans in lumbar wedging and therefore likely possessed curved lower backs like we do,” explains Scott Williams, an associate professor in New York University’s Department of Anthropology and one of the authors of the paper. “However, over time, specifically after the onset of industrialization in the late 19th century, we see increased wedging in the lower back bones of today’s humans—a change that may relate to higher instances of back pain, and other afflictions, in postindustrial societies.”

Williams and his team examined preindustrial and postindustrial spines of male and female modern humans from around the world—a sample that included more than 300 spines, totaling more than 1,600 vertebrae—along with samples of Neanderthal spines.

Their research showed that spines of postindustrial humans showed more lumbar wedging than those of preindustrial people, including Neanderthals.

“Diminished physical activity levels, bad posture, and the use of furniture, among other changes in lifestyle that accompanied industrialization, resulted, over time, in inadequate soft tissue structures to support lumbar lordosis during development,” Williams says. “To compensate, our lower-back bones have taken on more wedging than our preindustrial and Neanderthal predecessors, potentially contributing to the frequency of lower back pain we find in postindustrial societies.”

Read the full article at sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/ 03/220303095702.htm.

Take the FSMTB Job Task Analysis Survey

The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) invites massage and bodywork therapy professionals to participate in the 2022 Job Task Analysis (JTA) Survey. This survey seeks to ensure that the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) reflects current practice.

Practitioners with all levels of experience are invited to participate in the JTA. The survey is a formal process for determining or verifying what massage and bodywork therapists do in practice. This information is used to determine the content of the MBLEx and make sure it is relevant to the practice of massage and bodywork therapy.

The 2022 JTA will be made public, for use within the profession. The JTA is administered every five to seven years. In its previous iterations in 2007, 2012, and 2017, the survey garnered responses from thousands of professionals. This input adds to the integrity of the examination process, contributes to efforts leading to portability for therapists, and supports overall credibility of the profession.

A separate survey follows the JTA that takes about five minutes to complete. The FSMTB is asking massage and bodywork therapists to provide information about their experience(s) with sexual harassment by clients.

To access the Job Task Analysis Survey and the Sexual Harassment Survey, please visit surveymonkey.com/r/FSMTB-22. Both surveys are voluntary and anonymous.