Article

Objective:To determine the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled
trial of massage therapy for patients with a new spinal cord injury (SCI) during
acute inpatient rehabilitation.Design:A pilot single-center, randomized,
single-blind, cross-over clinical trial.Setting:Free-standing, not-for-profit,
comprehensive rehabilitation center specializing in SCI
rehabilitation.Participants:Forty adults ages 18 years and older undergoing acute
rehabilitation following an SCI reporting any type of
pain.Intervention:Rehabilitation nurses trained to give broad compression massage
(BCM) and a control light contact touch (LCT) treatments. Participants were
randomized to receive either BCM or LCT first, in six 20-min treatment sessions
over 2 weeks, with a 1-week washout between the 2-week treatment periods.Main
outcome measures:Primary outcomes were changes in pain intensity and in fatigue,
measured daily. Secondary outcomes included depressive symptoms measured by the
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and an assessment of pain medication
usage.Results:Pain intensity was higher at baseline and reduced more in the
LCT-first group compared with the BCM-first group in period 1 (P=0.014), although
this pattern was not found in period 2 (P=0.58). LCT and BCM groups did not
significantly differ on any secondary measures except PHQ-9.Conclusions:This
study demonstrates the feasibility of using rehabilitation nurses to provide
tactile therapy to patients with an SCI and suggests a model for controlled
clinical trials examining the efficacy of massage therapies. Although efficacy
was difficult to assess, BCM was safe and well tolerated.

Langue : ANGLAIS