{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]],"date-time":"2026-05-15T22:04:30Z","timestamp":1778882670363,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,16]],"date-time":"2023-06-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1686873600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Khon Kaen University (KKU)"},{"name":"Research Center in Back, Neck, Other Joint Pain, and Human Performance (BNOJPH), KKU, Khon Kaen, Thailand"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Traditional Thai massage (TTM) is a unique form of whole body massage practiced to promote health and well-being in Thailand since ancient times. The goal of the present study was to create a standardised TTM protocol to treat office syndrome (OS) diagnosed based on the identification of the palpation of at least one so-called myofascial trigger point (MTrP) in the upper trapezius muscle. The new 90 min TTM protocol, which was developed following appropriate review of the literature and in consultation with relevant experts, has 25 distinct steps (20 pressing steps, 2 artery occlusion steps, and 3 stretching steps). Eleven TTM therapists treated three patients each using the new 90 min TTM protocol. All of the therapists reported scores greater than 80% in respect to their satisfaction and confidence to deliver the protocol, and all of the patients gave the treatment a satisfaction score of greater than 80%. The treatment produced a significant reduction in pain intensity measured on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), with minimum and maximum values of 0 and 10 cm, of 2.33 cm (95% CI (1.76, 2.89 cm), p &lt; 0.001) and significant increase in pain pressure threshold (PPT) of 0.37 kg\/cm2 (95% CI (0.10, 0.64 kg\/cm2), p &lt; 0.05). The protocol was revised based on the feedback and the results obtained, and the new standardised TTM protocol will be applied in a randomised control trial (RCT) to compare the efficacy of TTM and conventional physical therapy (PT) for treating OS.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20126159","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,19]],"date-time":"2023-06-19T02:29:19Z","timestamp":1687141759000},"page":"6159","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Standardised 25-Step Traditional Thai Massage (TTM) Protocol for Treating Office Syndrome (OS)"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0317-9072","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wiraphong","family":"Sucharit","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center in Back, Neck, Other Joint Pain and Human Performance (BNOJPH), School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences (AMS), Khon Kaen University (KKU), Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5538-8653","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Neil","family":"Roberts","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Reproductive Health (CRH), School of Clinical Sciences, The Queen\u2019s Medical Research Institute (QMRI), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wichai","family":"Eungpinichpong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center in Back, Neck, Other Joint Pain and Human Performance (BNOJPH), School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences (AMS), Khon Kaen University (KKU), Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Torkamol","family":"Hunsawong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center in Back, Neck, Other Joint Pain and Human Performance (BNOJPH), School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences (AMS), Khon Kaen University (KKU), Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2109-0394","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Uraiwan","family":"Chatchawan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center in Back, Neck, Other Joint Pain and Human Performance (BNOJPH), School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences (AMS), Khon Kaen University (KKU), Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"286","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbmt.2015.10.005","article-title":"Acute Effects of Traditional Thai Massage on Cortisol Levels, Arterial Blood Pressure and Stress Perception in Academic Stress Condition: A Single Blind Randomised Controlled Trial","volume":"20","author":"Bennett","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. 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