OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the effectiveness of therapeutic massage, one of the most popular complementary medical treatments for neck pain. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate whether therapeutic massage is more beneficial than a self-care book for patients with chronic neck pain. METHODS: Sixty-four such patients were randomized to receive up to 10 massages over 10 weeks or a self-care book. Follow-up telephone interviews after 4, 10, and 26 weeks assessed outcomes including dysfunction and symptoms. Log-binomial regression was used to assess whether there were differences in the percentages of participants with clinically meaningful improvements in dysfunction and symptoms (ie, > 5-point improvement on the Neck Disability Index; > 30% improvement from baseline on the symptom bothersomeness scale) at each time point. RESULTS: At 10 weeks, more participants randomized to massage experienced clinically significant improvement on the Neck Disability Index (39% versus 14% of book group; relative risk (RR) 2.7; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.99 to 7.5) and on the symptom bothersomeness scale (55% versus 25% of book group; RR 2.2; 95% CI 1.04 to 4.2). After 26 weeks, massage group members tended to be more likely to report improved function (RR 1.8; 95% CI 0.97 to 3.5), but not symptom bothersomeness (RR 1.1; 95% CI 0.6 to 2.0). Mean differences between groups were strongest at 4 weeks and not evident by 26 weeks. No serious adverse experiences were reported. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that massage is safe and may have clinical benefits for treating chronic neck pain at least in the short term. A larger trial is warranted to confirm these results.

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