Massage therapy is a safe and effective way to reduce pain and improve function in adults with osteoarthritis of the knee. A standard one-hour Swedish massage twice a week for four weeks, followed by Swedish massage once a week for the next four weeks, and after the first eight weeks of massage therapy, participants had improved flexibility, less pain and improved range of motion.

Massage is free of any known side effects and shows therapeutic promise. Alternative treatments like massage are most important when conventional treatments are far from ideal. Currently available non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often not well-tolerated by older adults with osteoarthritis. Cox-II inhibitors like Vioxx were developed as substitutes for traditional anti-inflammatory drugs, but pose highly-publicized toxicity problems of their own.

Massage therapy can be used in conjunction with conventional treatment for osteoarthritis. Massage may be shown to lessen a patient's reliance on medications and decrease health care costs. This treatment is not only safe and effective, but cost-effective.

Black Book Bingo

Bingo Player Network