The Effects of Massage Therapy on QOL in Youth/Young Adults With Cystic Fibrosis

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study is to describe the effects of massage therapy on quality of life (QOL) in youth and young adults (ages 8 to 21 years) with cystic fibrosis (CF).

Detailed Description
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Massage therapy (MT) is defined as hands on manipulation of the soft tissue of the body with the intent to produce therapeutic, physiologic effects and to promote health and well-being (Oawriter - OAC - codes.ohio.gov, 2010; American Massage Therapy Association, 2010). Quality of life is defined as a self-description (child or adult) or parent's description of the child's perceived health and well-being based on satisfaction with physical, emotional, psychosocial and school/role functioning (Varni et al., 2002). Additional measures for this study which may influence QOL include pain, pulmonary function, ease of breathing and thoracic excursion. Research Questions: i. What differences in changes of QOL scores, as measured by the Peds QL 4.0 (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory) and the CFQ-R (Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire - Revised) are found in youth and young adults with CF between the group receiving MT and control group? What changes in QOL scores in each group are found over time? ii. What differences in changes of musculoskeletal pain, as measured by the Numeric Rating Scale for pain are found in youth and young adults with CF between the group receiving MT and the control group? What changes in pain scores in each group are found over time? iii. What differences in changes of the pulmonary function are found in youth and young adults with CF between the group receiving MT and the control group in terms of the following: Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1) and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) scores, Single breath counting score, measuring ease of breathing, and Thoracic excursion as measured by the cloth tape measure technique? What changes in the above pulmonary function in each group are found over time?

Official Title
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The Effects of Massage Therapy on Quality of Life in Youth and Young Adults With Cystic Fibrosis: A Pilot Study

Conditions
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Cystic Fibrosis, Quality of Life

Intervention / Treatment
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* Procedure: Massage Therapy


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Inclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of CF evidenced by a prior documented positive sweat test (>60 mEq/ml by quantitative pilocarpine iontophoresis and genotype with two identified mutations consistent with CF) Males and females, aged 8 to 21 years at time of enrollment to obtain a broad range of symptoms related to tissue changes. (Over time, individuals with CF present with increasing symptoms with age and disease progression.) English speaking Pulmonary function clinical baseline <100% (Baseline is defined as the highest PFT during the 6 months prior to PFT at enrollment.) * This criteria was eliminated to expand eligible subjects (including PFT baseline >100). Clinically stable as defined by no evidence of acute upper or lower respiratory tract infections or other acute illnesses requiring use of antibiotics for at least 14 days prior to enrollment. (Pulmonary exacerbation often includes cough which may affect responses to MT.) * this criteria was omitted after study began as subjects were frequently being treated with antibiotics secondary to CF and pulmonary exacerbations. Approval to participate from Pulmonary Physician Informed consent to participate Exclusion Criteria: Exposed to any investigational drug or device within 30 days of enrollment Any other illness at time of enrollment not a direct result of CF that the pulmonary physician determines that MT is contraindicated Inability to lay flat on massage table as is required for massage protocol Platelet count within past 12 months < 100,000. (Contraindication for deep tissue MT.) *eliminated this criteria with medical approval. INR International Normalized Ratio (INR) - (blood test used to monitor the effectiveness of blood thinning drugs) within past 12 months > 1.5 (Delayed clotting time is a contraindication for deep tissue MT.) * eliminated this criteria with medical approval. History of hepatosplenomegaly as deep tissue massage is contraindicated. History of lung and/or liver transplant as deep tissue MT may be contraindicated with anti-rejection drug protocol. Received MT within the past 30 days to eliminate the potential bias of previous response to treatment. *changed protocol to allow enrollment and wait 30 days to initiate protocol. Skin condition or injury that would be contraindicated for MT and would restrict ability to apply massage strokes according to protocol

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 8 Years
Maximum Age: 21 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| No Intervention: control group<br>control group | |
| Active Comparator: Massage therapy<br>Treatment group receives pre-determined massage therapy protocol x 5 over 10-12 weeks. massage therapy protocol includes a blend of Swedish strokes and myofascial trigger point therapy. Initially, dosing will be more frequent. Treatments will be spaced out to determine the ability of the body to maintain a more efficient musculoskeletal system, especially related to respiratory and postural efforts. Each session will end with resting hands and relaxation strokes to signal the end of the session. This protocol invites increased mobility in the musculoskeletal system. The ultimate goal is to return connective tissue (including muscles and fascia) to a more relaxed and neutral state, thus allowing expansion and ease of movement of the areas of the musculoskeletal system being worked. | Procedure: Massage Therapy<br>* The Massage Therapy protocol consists of a series of 5 massages administered over 10 (+2) weeks. Length of time for each visit will be approximately 1.5 - 2 hours Typically, a series of treatments over time allows the body time to integrate tissue related changes and potentially maintain a more healthy musculoskeletal state. Based on expert opinion in the field of MT, following a series of massage treatments administered over time, one can anticipate tissue changes. By adding time between treatments, data will describe the ability of subjects to maintain changes over progressively longer periods of time. Treatment protocol will be based on the application of myofascial trigger point therapy (Timberlake, 1999) to musculoskeletal areas of the body often affected by disease progression in CF.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Quality of life _Peds QOL and CFQ-R | standardized measures of quality of life will be administered to subject and to parents of subjects under 18 years of age. Muscle tightness, ease of breathing, and overall relaxation 0-10 scores captured subjective QOL data. | measured twice; visit 1 for baseline for treatment and control group and 10-12 weeks later following last treatment for treatment group, and same time frame for control group | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pulmonary function | Pulmonary function test will be obtained prior to first data collection visit, using clinical pft's for treatment and control groups. Clinical pft's will also be obtained for control group 10-12 weeks following first data set. For treatment group, research pft will be obtained following last massage 10-12 weeks following initial data collection. Ease of breathing will be measured pre and post each massage for treatment group and at time 1 and 2 for control group. Thoracic excursion will be measured pre and post each massage and x2 during each massage for treatment group, and at time 1 and 2 for control group. | pre treatment, prior to each massage, post treatment; Time 1 = initial data collection; collect data over 10-12 weeks for treatment group. For control group, time 1 is initial data collection; time 2 is 10-12 weeks later. | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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cystic fibrosis, quality of life