VA Evaluates Use of Massage Therapy for Pain Relief

PainRelief.com Interview with:
Dr. Selene Mak Ph.D, MPH
Program Manager in the Evidence Synthesis Program
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System

Dr. Selena Mak
Dr. Selena Mak

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: The Department of Veterans Affairs is committed to providing evidence-based treatments.  One way VA pursues this is through rigorous examinations of the evidence about potential therapies.  Massage therapy is one such therapy being examined. 

VA previously produced an evidence map of massage therapy for pain, which included systematic reviews published through 2018. However, new evidence is constantly appearing and to categorize the newer evidence base for use in decision-making by policymakers and practitioners, VA policymakers requested a new, updated evidence map of systematic reviews published since 2018 to answer the question “What is the certainty of evidence in systematic reviews of massage therapy for pain?”

Last Updated on August 1, 2024 by PainRelief.com