Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Massage for mechanical neck disorders.

B G Haraldsson1, A R Gross, C D Myers

  • 1North Surrey Massage Therapy Clinic, 201-10366 136A Street, Surrey, BC, Canada V3T 5R3. bodhigharaldsson@yahoo.ca

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|July 21, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Gender differences in PTSD severity and pain outcomes: baseline results from the LAMP trial.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2023
Same author

Canadian Surgery Forum.

Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie·2022
Same author

Adjuvant Breast Radiotherapy at an Academic Centre during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Reassuringly Safe.

Clinical oncology (Royal College of Radiologists (Great Britain))·2021
Same author

Does Concurrent Use of CDK4/6 Inhibitors During Palliative Radiotherapy Increase Toxicity in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer?

Clinical oncology (Royal College of Radiologists (Great Britain))·2020
Same author

Efficacy of 0.2 μg/day fluocinolone acetonide implant (ILUVIEN) in eyes with diabetic macular edema and prior vitrectomy.

Eye (London, England)·2017
Same author

Exercises for mechanical neck disorders: A Cochrane review update.

Manual therapy·2016
Same journal

Interventions to prevent or cease electronic cigarette use in children and adolescents.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Drugs to improve anaemia, quality of life, and physical function in people with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Interventions for smoking cessation in inpatient psychiatry settings.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Mechanical thromboprophylaxis for preventing intradialytic hypotension in people undergoing maintenance haemodialysis.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Prognostic models for predicting intensive care unit admission or mortality in critically ill adults not yet been admitted to the intensive care unit.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Views and experiences of weight management for people living with mobility‑limiting conditions, intellectual disabilities or severe mental illness: a qualitative evidence synthesis.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
See all related articles

The effectiveness of massage for mechanical neck disorders (MND) remains uncertain due to low-quality studies and inconsistent results. Further research is needed to establish optimal massage protocols and its role in multimodal treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Evidence-based practice
  • Complementary and alternative medicine
  • Musculoskeletal disorders

Background:

  • Mechanical neck disorders (MND) are prevalent, causing disability and significant healthcare costs.
  • Massage is a frequently utilized therapy for managing neck pain.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of massage in alleviating pain and improving function for adults with neck pain.
  • To assess patient satisfaction and the economic impact of massage therapy.
  • To document any adverse effects associated with massage treatment.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic review of randomized or quasi-randomized trials was conducted.
  • Searches included multiple databases (Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, MANTIS, CINAHL, ICL) up to September 2004.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two reviewers; a random-effects model was used for analysis.

    • Main Results:

    • Nineteen trials met the inclusion criteria, but most (12/19) were of low methodological quality.
    • Heterogeneity between studies precluded statistical pooling; a levels-of-evidence approach was adopted.
    • Results for massage as a standalone treatment were inconsistent, and its contribution in multimodal interventions remains unclear due to study design limitations.

    Conclusions:

    • Current evidence is insufficient to recommend massage for neck pain.
    • Further high-quality pilot studies are required to define optimal massage parameters (frequency, duration, technique).
    • Future trials should employ rigorous designs, including factorial designs for multimodal interventions, and adhere to improved reporting standards (e.g., CONSORT) for massage characteristics and outcomes.