Search

Abstract: Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe the musculoskeletal conditions and associated pain and limitation and the effects of massage treatment in a Filipino squatter community. Methods: The study was conducted at the Hands On Philippines Education (HOPE) clinic in Bagong Barrio, Caloocan, Philippines. Baseline data were collected before the first treatment, and follow-up data were collected immediately after the second treatment. Treatment was delivered by massage students who were trained in massage by a chiropractic program faculty member through the Project HOPE charitable community-based initiative. A prospective pretest-posttest observational research design was used. The sample consisted of 290 subjects aged 16 years and older visiting the Project HOPE clinic. One hundred ninety-two subjects completed the follow-up surveys. The outcome measures were sites of pain, self-reported levels of pain, and limitation to activities of daily living at baseline and after the second massage therapy treatment. Results: Three self-reported anatomical locations were identified by each subject. The most frequently reported painful sites over the last 7 days among the 166 respondents were the upper back (36.7%), lower back (18.7%), and shoulders (16.3%). The pre-post treatment analyses of pain and disability was restricted to 66 participants who provided completed outcome measures. After 2 massage therapy treatments, all pain and limitation scores decreased. A comparison of mean self-reported levels of pain and disability at baseline and immediately after the second consultation showed statistically significant decreases of pain (t 65 = 16.97, P < .001) and disability (t 65 = 12.4, P < .001). Conclusion: This study suggests that participants who visited the Filipino squatter community clinic experience a high prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions located primarily within the axial skeleton, and that, in the short term, massage therapy delivered on-site by trained therapists was helpful in reducing self-reported levels of pain and limitation to activities of daily living. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background and objectives: This article introduces the STTEP (Sustainable Training, Treatment, Employment Program) Model. The Model has been in operation since 1995. It provides a useful conceptual framework for policy makers, practitioners, and educators. The Model evolved from work carried out by chiropractors, myotherapists, and related health workers in poor communities through the charitable organization Hands On Health Australia. The STTEP Model grew from a recognition that poor communities mostly rely on heavy, repetitive physical labor for work. For these communities, there is little opportunity to access suitable and affordable health care requiring them to frequently live with the pain and disability associated with highly prevalent musculoskeletal conditions in their communities. The STTEP Model includes myotherapy and musculoskeletal health promotion for uncomplicated musculoskeletal conditions. Conclusions: The Model also supports training for community members and collaborates with community leaders to promote employment opportunities for graduates. The Model embraces an ethos of cultural sensitivity, corporate responsibility, and sustainability. Project Hope (Hands On Philippines Education), a program in the Philippines, is used to illustrate the Model in action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]