The effectiveness of functional massage on pain and range of motion measurements in patients with orthopedic impairments of the extremities

Abstract

Objectives: Functional Massage (FM) is a therapeutic technique that incorporates joint motion with massage to treat musculotendinous pain and impairments. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of FM to decrease pain and improve range of motion (ROM) in patients. Methods: A test re-test design was utilized to identify the effects of FM as measured by the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) and ROM. Twenty patients were treated by one of three participating orthopedic manual physical therapists (OMPT) and data was collected for five sessions. Results: One hundred and five data points collected from the twenty patients included: shoulder (55), knee (40), and ankle (10). The average change in NPRS (1.68) was statistically significant but not clinically significant (change ≥2). The majority of the FM treatments resulted in a positive NPRS change 82/105(78.1%). The average change in ROM (7.08°) was statistically (P < 0.001) and clinically significant (change >4°). Conclusions: FM resulted in statistically significant changes in NPRS and ROM in one treatment session. FM may be a useful treatment option for increasing ROM, and decreasing pain, of the shoulder, knee, and ankle in patients with orthopedic impairments.