Background: In Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the premature infant is often placed under incubator, phototherapy and with several cords and tubing connected all over body. They are subjected both to highly stressful environment (noise, bright light, frequent care related handling) and are often deprived of tactile stimulation that they would otherwise experience in general mothering care....

BACKGROUND Cancer resource centers offer patients a variety of therapeutic services. However, patients with cancer and cancer healthcare practitioners may not fully understand the specific objectives and benefits of each service. This research offers guidance to cancer healthcare practitioners on how they can best direct patients to partake in specific integrative therapies, depending on their ...

| Lymphedema is still considered as one of the main sequela resulting from surgical treatment of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a protocol that included use of a high-voltage electrical stimulation (HVES) associated with therapeutic exercises, self-massage, and self-care for the treatment of lymphedema of the upper limbs in women who underwent surgery for b...

effective March 1, 2012, Antony Porcino, Phd (cand.), assumed the position of executive editor of the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. Antony’s affiliation with the IJTMB has included his membership on the Massage Therapy Foundation’s e-Journal Committee, his role as a contributing author to the journal, and his service as a member of the IJTMB’s Manuscript review Board....

Little is known about the effect of massage on post-burn tissue in children. We conducted a pilot study to examine the effect of massage (3-5 days) on mood and range of motion (ROM) in eight post-burn children. Participants showed significant increases in ROM from Time 1 (pre-massage, first day) to Time 2 (post-massage, last day) in massaged tissue but not control (non-massaged) tissue. Mood wa...

[Purpose] This study aimed to examine whether or not friction massage of the popliteal fossa would be effective for achieving dynamic changes in muscle oxygenation and ankle flexibility. [Subjects and Methods] Twelve healthy male university students participated. Before and after friction massage, dynamic changes in muscle oxygenation and ankle flexibility were measured by near-infrared spectro...

BACKGROUND Massage therapy is offered increasingly in US medical facilities. Although the United States has many massage schools, their education differs, along with licensure and standards. As massage therapy in hospitals expands and proves its value, massage therapists need increased training and skills in working with patients who have various complex medical concerns, to provide safe and ef...

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular diseases such as acute coronary syndrome and myocardial infarction are often accompanied by severe anxiety over the likelihood of death. Cortisol has been known as a stress hormone. However, there are controversies about the effect of massage therapy on blood cortisol level. Furthermore, no study is available on the difference between massage applied by a nurse special...

This preliminary investigation compares peripheral blood cell counts including red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), neutrophils, peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs), CD4(+), CD8(+) and CD16(+) lymphocytes, CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio, hematocrit, humoral parameters including serum interferon-gamma and interleukin-6, salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA). Psychological measures includin...

BACKGROUND There is not enough evidence to support the efficacy of massage for muscle fatigue despite wide utilization of the modality in various clinical settings. This study investigated the influence of massage application on localized back muscle fatigue. METHODS Twenty-nine healthy subjects participated in two experimental sessions (massage and rest conditions). On each test day, subject...