A randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of a single session of nurse administered massage for short term relief of chronic non-malignant pain

Table 2 Comparison of massage group and control group for both pain VAS scores and changes in pain VAS score from baseline, at post treatment assessments*.

Time point	Massage group			Control group			p-value (2 sample t-test)
	Mean	SD	N#	Mean	SD	N#
Baseline score	57.7	18.0	49	62.3	16.6	47	0.200 NS
Immediately post treatment score	41.1	20.2	49	62.8	20.9	47
Change from baseline	16.7	21.2	48	-0.04	16.0	45	0.000
1 hour post treatment score	44.8	23.5	47	64.9	26.7	43
Change from baseline	12.4	21.3	47	-2.66	24.0	41	0.002

* Note that at each time point adding the change from baseline scores to the post treatment scores will not necessarily equal the baseline scores, because some patients have dropped out after the baseline
SD = Standard Deviation
NS = Not significant
# the table has some missing data on VAS scores at baseline, but data available on other outcomes. One participant in the massage group and 3 in control group did not complete VAS pain scores, and thus were not included in the later comparisons to baseline.

ISSN: 1472-6955