Naturopathic Reflex Therapies for the Treatment of Chronic Back and Neck Pain - Part 1: Neurobiological Foundations

Evidence from recent RCT's has shown that naturopathic reflex therapies such as massage, Gua Sha massage, cupping, wet packs, or rhythmic embrocation etc. are helpful in reducing symptoms of chronic pain. These bodily oriented therapies are likely able to influence chronic pain not only through brain mechanisms such as expectation or the feeling of well-being, but also through mechanisms at the level of the peripheral nociceptor and the spinal cord. However, the neurobiological basis of these effects has rarely been investigated even though the accumulating knowledge of the pathophysiology of chronic pain syndromes allows for developing specific hypotheses. This essay discusses specific reflex therapies (cupping, Gua Sha massage, classical massage, and rhythmic embrocation) and their possible mechanisms of action via ascending pathways to the brain.