Sep
5
2023
Smooth and integrated movement patterns can help individuals with back pain
Many people with back pain do not know what is causing it and they do not receive effective treatment, but learning to move in a more integrated way makes a big difference, reveals research from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
“People with long-term back pain often protect themselves by unconsciously limiting their movements,” says physiotherapist Christina Schön-Ohlsson. “Such inefficient movement patterns gradually become habituated even though the original injury or strain is no longer present.”
The answer to the problem is sensory motor learning, where patients are guided to find out how they are moving and how they can free themselves from self-imposed limitations. This process leads patients to develop their bodily awareness and to trust in their bodily sensations again.
In one of the studies 40 patients were randomly divided into two groups to compare experiences of two different types of treatment: exercise therapy and sensory motor learning.
“The patients in the sensory motor learning group said that they had learned to trust in themselves and now felt able to handle their low back pain themselves without seeking further medical help,” says Schön-Ohlsson.
This contrasted with the patients in the exercise group, who expressed insecurity and felt dependent on advice from back-pain experts.
The overall purpose of the thesis was to evaluate how sensory motor learning, which has its roots in the Feldenkrais method, affected patients with long-term back pain who had previously not been helped by any treatment. The patients’ subjectively experienced positive physical and psychological changes coincided with objectively assessed improvements in movement capacity.
Schön-Ohlsson draws the conclusion that sensory motor learning helps patients to learn to listen to their body so that they can take care of their back problems themselves.
Sep
5
2023
Book review
J.-P. Barral and A. Croibier, Manual Therapy for the Peripheral Nerves , Churchill Livingstone (2007) ISBN 0-4431-0307-0 288 pages, £34.99.
Karen McCreesha, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Physiotherapy
The aim of this text is to present, from an osteopathic perspective, a new system of assessment and treatment of dysfunction of the nervous system. The book is an English translation from an original French text, which was published in 2004. The authors are osteopaths with extensive experience in the practice and teaching of manual therapy and visceral manipulation. It is intended for practising manual therapists in osteopathy, chiropractic and physiotherapy.
The book is well organised, with the first three chapters dedicated to a detailed and comprehensive review of the anatomy, physiology and pathology of the peripheral nervous system. These would make useful reading for any therapist interested in revising their knowledge of these areas, and gaining further knowledge on mechanisms of neural blood flow, intra- and extraneural pressure and links to the visceral system. Subsequent chapters are devoted to an explanation of the authors’ system of assessment and treatment of nerves, dealing separately with the cervical, brachial, lumbar and sacral plexuses, with additional detailed review of the topographical anatomy of each area. The techniques are well illustrated; however, as is often the case with practical skills, it is difficult to gain an exact understanding of the ‘listening’ and ‘manipulation’ techniques described. This issue is often addressed in other comparable textbooks by supplying an accompanying CD-ROM with demonstrations of the techniques, which could be considered for future editions of this text.
The early chapters reference much of the classic literature in the areas of neuroanatomy and physiology. However, there is no reference to the more recent, extensive body of published work in the area of nerve movement, which, in the context of this book, would seem a significant omission. It is also disappointing that the text contains both unsubstantiated assertions and clinical anecdotes, detracting from the potential of this text as an evidence-based educational resource.
From a physiotherapy perspective, this text is interesting in that it demonstrates another profession’s approach to the management of neural pathology. As a complete text, it would be of use to experienced manual therapists as a practical and clinical guide to this particular treatment approach, while the anatomy and physiology sections would be a useful refresher for all therapists treating pain of neural origin.
Sep
5
2023
Massage therapy for cancer palliation and supportive care: a systematic review of randomised clinical trials
E. Ernst. Support Care Cancer (2009) 17:333–337
DOI 10.1007/s00520-008-0569-z
Massage is a popular adjunct to cancer palliation. This systematic review is aimed at critically evaluating all available randomised clinical trials of massage in cancer palliation.
Six databases were searched to identify all trials of classical massage for cancer patients. Studies of other types of massage, e.g. reflexology, aromatherapy, were excluded. Fourteen trials met all inclusion criteria.
Collectively, they suggest that massage can alleviate a wide range of symptoms: pain, nausea, anxiety, depression, anger, stress and fatigue. However, the methodological quality of the included studies was poor, a fact that prevents definitive conclusions.
The evidence is, therefore, encouraging but not compelling. The subject seems to warrant further investigations which avoid the limitations of previous studies.
