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Massage is a popular alternative therapy for low back pain. In this study, researchers randomized 400 patients with low back pain (duration, ≥3 months) to receive usual care or 10 weekly sessions of either relaxation (Swedish) massage (intended to induce a generalized sense of relaxation) or structural massage (focused on musculoskeletal contributors to back pain, using myofascial, neuromuscular, and other soft-tissue techniques). Dysfunction was measured using a modified Roland Disability Questionnaire (RDQ; score range, 0–23). Final follow-up was at 1 year.
Mean RDQ scores at 10 weeks declined from baseline for all groups. Adjusted mean RDQ scores were 2.9 points lower in the relaxation massage group and 2.5 points lower in the structural …