Abstract
Conflicts of interest: The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy of the Department of Army/Navy/Air Force, Department of Defense, or United States Government. There are no conflicts of interest to report. Disclosure: The Evidence for Massage Therapy (EMT) Working Group (diverse stake-holders making up the steering committee and subject matter experts) contributed to the protocol development and provided input throughout the entire project; all analyses were conducted independently by Samueli Institute. All recommendations set forth in this report were made collectively with the EMT Working Group and Samueli Institute during an expert round table and are based on the evidence revealed through the systematic review and gaps that emerged through the process. “It’s not that we need new ideas, but we need to stop having old ideas.” —Edwin Land (1909—1991) Although Edwin Land is best known for his work developing camera technology as the co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation, his quote is appropriate for issues facing modern medical practice today. If the preponderance of television commercials peddling the next breakthrough in pharmaceuticals is any measure, medical science is always searching for the next profitable new idea. On the one hand, the American pharmaceutical industry is the envy of the modern world, developing treatments and cures for diseases believed unconquerable just a decade ago. On the other hand, the ‘pill for every ill’ mentality of many Americans, including those investors in pharmaceutical stocks, has generated significant health and social issues for this country. This issue is exemplified by the major public health crisis of chronic pain in America and has been highlighted recently by its most prominent symptom—opioid misuse and addiction. In 2013, drug overdose in the United States was the leading cause of injury death, surpassing motor vehicle accidents … chester.buckenmaier{at}us.army.mil
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