What can be learned from Cochrane systematic reviews of massage that can guide future research?

Massage is an increasingly popular complementary and alternative medicine modality used for a variety of conditions. Cochrane massage reviews are a gold mine of observations regarding the methodologic issues inherent in massage trials and have raised important questions, which can be used to guide future research. Among the research issues raised in Cochrane reviews are questions about combination trials, practitioner qualifications, adequate doses, and appropriate control groups. This article summarizes these key research issues.