2/2007The efficacy of medical massage in people in advanced age with spinalgia

WALDEMAR ANDRZEJEWSKI (Katedra Fizjoterapii, Wydział Fizjoterapii Akademii Wychowania Fizycznego we Wrocławiu; Kierownik: prof. dr hab. Tadeusz Skolimowski)

Background
The researchers attempted to evaluate efficacy of medical massage in people in advanced age with spinalgia, with special attention paid to the effect of medical massage on pain and a subjective evaluation of patients’ health.

Material and methods
The participants of the study were 32 residents of a social welfare home, aged 70–85, complaining about pain of the spine due to degenerative changes. Each of the patients had 6 procedures of medical massage three times a week. Before and after the series of massages, a palpable evaluation of pressure sensitivity of soft tissue of the motor apparatus was carried out. Before and after therapy, patients filled in a questionnaire about state of their health, the level of physical activity and the intensity of pain as well as their subjective evaluation of health. Smirnow’s test was used to determine statistical significance of obtained results of the study.

Results
After a series of medical massage, there was a reduction in the intensity of pain, as well as in the number of painful tissue found during palpable evaluation. The subjective evaluation of state of health improved and everyday tasks became less onerous.

Key words: people in advanced age, spinalgia, medical massage