Table 6.
Summary of overall findings
| Type of pain | Number of studies | Results (number of studies) | Quality ranking (global assessment of quality) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low back pain | 8 | MT > relaxation (1), education (1), acupuncture (1) | 1 (good) |
| MT = corsets (2), exercise (1) | |||
| MT < spinal manipulation (4), TENS (1) | |||
| Shoulder pain | 3 | MT > acupuncture (1), no treatment (2) | 2 (moderate) |
| Headache pain | 3 | MT > rest for migraine (1) and tension-type (1) | 3 (moderate) |
| MT < spinal manipulation for cervicogenic (1) | |||
| Fibromyalgia | 4 | MT > TENS (1), relaxation (1) | 4 (preliminary) |
| MT = no treatment (1), usual care (1) | |||
| Mixed chronic pain | 3 | MT > usual care (1) | 5 (preliminary) |
| MT = relaxation (1), meditation and usual care (1) | |||
| Neck pain | 1 | MT = acupuncture (1) | 6 (preliminary) |
| Carpal tunnel | 1 | MT > no treatment (1) | 7 (preliminary) |
Note: Quality Ranking refers to the overall ranking of the quality of the literature on the effectiveness of massage therapy for each chronic pain condition relative to the other chronic pain conditions discussed in this review.