Study Evaluating the Effectiveness of Shiatsu on Fatigue in Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis

Summary

Spondyloarthritis is a potentially serious disease with reduced life expectancy. Even if the clinical presentation is eminently variable from one patient to another, the most frequently encountered manifestations such as inflammatory spinal pain, peripheral arthritis or even extra-articular involvement of the disease all represent disabling symptoms, origin of pain, temporary or in some cases permanent functional incapacity, but also general repercussions on daily life (asthenia, reactive depressive syndrome, etc.) which require a multidisciplinary approach, involving several medical, paramedical and other stakeholders, The objective of treatment is to improve quality of life, to control symptoms and inflammation, to prevent structural damage, particularly in peripheral damage, to preserve or restore functional capacities, autonomy and social participation of patients with spondyloarthritis.

In France, the main professional reference for shiatsu is the Syndicat des Professionnels de Shiatsu, which proposes the following definition to define shiatsu:

Shiatsu (finger pressure in Japanese) is an energetic manual discipline addressing the individual as a whole. Shiatsu is part of personal assistance. He receives himself, dressed in soft clothes. Shiatsu is a discipline of well-being and prevention for better health. Its objective is to correct both the energy flow (ki, blood, lymph, etc.) and the body structure (muscles, tendons, etc.) by applying rhythmic pressure to the whole body, most often with the inches. It is for everyone and at all ages. Its principle of action is to restore the free flow of Ki (qi, Energy) in the body.

Shiatsu is a set of pressures performed mainly with the thumbs and the palms of the hands on different areas of the body, often taking up the points of the acupuncture meridians. Shiatsu pressures can be (Ishizuka 1993; Kagotani 1984; Okamoto 2016):

* mobile in a given place and lasting 3 to 5 seconds: a phase of increasing pressure followed by a short holding time then release,
* static: same phases but with a hold time of up to approximately 1 minute or even longer.

To date, there is no treatment specifically targeting fatigue in axSpA. Indeed, the underlying mechanisms of fatigue in SpA remain poorly understood, and could for example involve pro-inflammatory cytokines and the inflammatory process, and/or psychological distress. The effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions and in particular the care provided by shiatsu practitioners have not been the subject of studies evaluating, according to the criteria of evidence-based medicine, the benefit of this practice, particularly in the context of treatment of spondyloarthritis.

Conditions

• Spondyloarthritis

Interventions

PROCEDURE

SHIATSU

The patients will benefit from shiatsu treatments by a professional according to the shiatsu protocol developed by the Syndicate's evaluation commission Shiatsu Professionals (SPS).

PROCEDURE

DUMMY SHIATSU

Exercising a fake shiatsu is a real problem as opinions differ. The consensus of the different schools and styles of the technique is that shiatsu pressure is weight transfer. We are therefore going to remove this aspect from the SFASPA shiatsu protocol. The professional will run the same sequence of points, without any weight transfer, being only in contact with the receiver

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre Hospitalier Régional d'Orléans

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Eric LESPESSAILLES, PH · CHR d'Orléans

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

70 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-09-20

Primary Completion

2024-12-10

Completion

2024-12-10

Countries

• France

Study Locations