Care ally-assisted massage for Veterans with chronic neck pain: TOMCATT results.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the effectiveness of care ally-assisted massage (CA-M) versus a waitlist control (WL-C) in reducing chronic neck pain (CNP) and associated disability.
Results Summary
CA-M led to greater reductions in CNP severity and disability compared to WL-C, though 45% of CA-M participants withdrew after not attending in-person training.
Population
Veterans with chronic neck pain (mean age 56.7, 75% White, 15% female, 75% married/partnered).
Effective Dosage
Three 30-minute massage sessions weekly.
Duration
12 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
care ally-assisted massage (CA-M) | decrease | chronic neck pain (CNP) with disability | participants | - | led to greater reductions | #1 |
care ally-assisted massage (CA-M) | decrease | pain severity | participants | - | led to greater reductions | #2 |
PURPOSE: Chronic neck pain (CNP) is prevalent and challenging to treat. Despite evidence of massage's effectiveness for CNP, multiple accessibility barriers exist. The Trial Outcomes for Massage: Care Ally-Assisted vs. Therapist Treated (TOMCATT) study examined a care ally-assisted massage (CA-M) approach compared to a waitlist control prior to a study design modification (WL-C METHODS: CA-M consisted of in-person training for veteran/care-ally dyads to learn a standardized 30-minue massage routine, instructional DVD, and printed treatment manual. Participants were to complete three care ally-assisted massage sessions weekly for 12-weeks. Outcomes collected at baseline, 1-, 3-, and 6-months included validated measures of neck pain severity and associated disability. Linear mixed-model approaches were used for analysis with 3-months as the primary outcome timepoint. RESULTS: Participants (N = 203) were 56.7 ± 14 years old, 75% White, 15% female, and 75% married/partnered. Among 102 CA-M participants, 45% did not attend the in-person training and subsequently withdrew from the study and were more likely to be younger (p = .016) and employed (p = .004). Compared to WL-C CONCLUSION: In this analysis, CA-M led to greater reductions in CNP with disability and pain severity compared to WL-C