Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Controlled clinical trials incorporating one patient group who received massage as the sole treatment.
Specific interventions included in the review
Massage, defined as manual or apparative massage of muscular and soft tissue structures of the back. Trials in which massage was used in combination with other treatments (other than mild heat) were excluded. Trials were excluded when massage was used in both treatment and control groups. Types of massage included gentle stroking, light effleurage, soft tissue massage of the lumbosacral area, and underwater massage. Frequency of treatment sessions and duration of treatment programmes varied between trials. Control groups received rotational manipulation, chiropractic, electrostimulation, transcutaneous muscular stimulation, corset, balneotherapy, traction, and no treatment.
Participants included in the review
Patients with any form of LBP, including acute, subacute, or chronic.
Outcomes assessed in the review
The outcome measures used varied between studies, and included pain (assessed by visual analogue scale), Borg Scale, Confidence Scale, Schober test, straight leg raise, extension strength, Oswestry Scale, Roland-Morris Scale, general symptoms, activities of daily living, mobility, tenderness to palpation, fingertip flexion test, and analgesic consumption. The length of follow-up ranged from 3 weeks to one year.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The author does not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many of the reviewers performed the selection.