Panel Otawa

Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies (2012) 16, 300e325

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/jbmt

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW: MASSAGE & NECK

Ottawa panel evidence-based clinical practice
guidelines on therapeutic massage for neck pain
Lucie Brosseau, PhD c,i,*,1,2, George A. Wells, PhD a,b,1,2,
Peter Tugwell, MD, MSc a,b,d,1,2, Lynn Casimiro, PhDc,i,1,2,
Michael Novikov, MSc.S c,1,2, Laurianne Loew, MSc.S, PhD(c) c,1,2,
´
Danijel Sredic, BSc f,1,2, Sarah Clement, BSc f,1,2,
f,1,2
´
Amelie Gravelle, BSc
, Kevin Hua, BSc f,1,2,
Daniel Kresic, BSc f,1,2, Ana Lakic, BSc f,1,2,
´
ˆ´
Gabrielle Menard, BSc c,1,2, Pascale Cote, MSc.S c,1,2,
c,1,2
Ghislain Leblanc, MSc.S
, Mathieu Sonier, MSc.S c,1,2,
Alexandre Cloutier, MSc.Sc,1,2, Jessica McEwan, MLIS e,1,2,
´
Stephane Poitras, PhD c,1,3, Andrea Furlan, PhD, MD j,1,3,
Anita Gross, MSc p,1,3, Trish Dryden, RMT k,1,3,
ˆ´
Ron Muckenheim, RMT l,1,3, Raynald Cote, RMT m,1,3,
´ronique Pare, RMT m,1,3, Alexandre Rouhani, RMT n,1,3,
´
Ve
´
Guillaume Leonard, PhD o,1,3, Hillel M Finestone, MD g,1,3,
`
Lucie Laferriere, MHA h,1,3, Simon Dagenais, DC q,1,3,
Gino DeAngelis, M.Sc c,4, Courtney Cohoon, M.A. c,4
a

Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
c
School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
d
Centre forGlobal Health, Institute of Population Health, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
e
University of Ottawa Health Sciences Library, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
f
School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
g
`re
SCO Health Services, Elisabeth Bruye Health Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
h
Directorate Force Health Protection, Canadian Forces HealthServices Group Headquarters, National Defense, Ottawa,
Ontario, Canada
i
Montfort Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
j
Institute for Work and Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
k
Research and Corporate Planning Centennial College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
l
Everest College, St-Laurent, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
m
Academy of Massage and Orthotherapy, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
b1360-8592/$ - see front matter ª 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2012.04.001

Therapeutic massage for neck pain

301

n

´rapie et Soins Corporels l’Orchide Gatineau, Que
´e,
´bec, Canada
Centre de Massothe
´bec, Canada
Sherbrooke University, Physiotherapy, Sherbrooke, Que
p
School of Rehabilitation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canadaq
Palladian Health, West Seneca, New York, USA
o

Received 3 January 2012; received in revised form 30 March 2012; accepted 5 April 2012

KEYWORDS
Clinical practice
guidelines;
Neck pain;
Massage therapy;
Randomized
controlled trial;
Systematic review

Summary Objective: To update evidence-based clinical practice guideline (EBCPG) on the
use of massage compared to a control orother treatments for adults (>18 years) suffering from
sub-acute and chronic neck pain.
Methods: A literature search was performed from January 1, 1948 to December 31, 2010 for
relevant articles. The Ottawa Panel created inclusion criteria focusing on high methodological
quality and grading methods. Recommendations were assigned a grade (A, B, C, Cþ, D, Dþ,
DÀ) based on strength of evidence.Results: A total of 45 recommendations from ten articles were developed including 8 positive
recommendations (6 grade A and 2 grade Cþ) and 23 neutral recommendations (12 grade C
and 11 grade D).
Discussion: Therapeutic massage can decrease pain, tenderness, and improve range of
motion for sub-acute and chronic neck pain.
Conclusion: The Ottawa Panel was able to demonstrate that the massage...