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Care ally-assisted massage for Veterans with chronic neck pain: TOMCATT results.

Contemporary clinical trials
July 1, 2024
N Munk et al. (8 authors)
Journal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

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.

Extracted Claims (2)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
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
Abstract

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

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansFemaleMaleVeteransMiddle AgedNeck PainChronic PainMassageAgedAdultPain Measurement
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy75/10
Quality80/10
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score2.43
Normalized Score0.66
Related Supplements
Care ally-assisted massage for Veterans with chronic neck pa... | Panacea Index