Massage therapy seems to be a well-researched field of
therapy within CAMs. However, there are key knowledge
gaps in the literature that need to be addressed. Further
research is required to unpack the “black box” of massage
therapy, as there is ambiguity on the operational definition
of massage therapy. Various systematic reviews defined
and searched for many different types and modalities of
massage, with some discussing massage techniques as a
separate modality and some considering massage therapy
as part of a suite of interventions. This variability extended
to massage therapy parameters such as dosage, duration,
and intervention protocols. There is a scarcity of data on
the cost-effectiveness of massage therapy for the treatment
of nonspecific low back pain. As there is currently a dearth
of high-quality/low risk of bias primary research on the
effectiveness of massage for the treatment of nonspecific
low back pain, further research, such as RCTs, with sound
methodological rigor, are required. While there are a number
of systematic reviews investigating the effectiveness of massage
therapy for nonspecific low back pain, the mechanism
underlying its action remains elusive. While physiological
and psychotherapeutic models have been proposed, the precise
mechanism of action continues to be debated, requiring
ongoing further research.