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What the Science Says About the Effectiveness of Massage
A lot of the scientific research on massage therapy is preliminary or conflicting, but much of the evidence points toward beneficial effects on pain and other symptoms associated with a number of different conditions. Much of the evidence suggests that these effects are short term and that people need to keep getting massages for the benefits to continue.
Researchers have studied the effects of massage for many conditions. Some that they have studied more extensively are the following
Pain
A 2008 systematic review and 2011 NCCIH-funded clinical trial concluded that massage may be useful for chronic low-back pain.
Massage may help with chronic neck pain, a 2009 NCCIH-funded clinical trial reported.
Massage may help with pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee, according to a 2012 NCCIH-funded study.
Studies suggest that for women in labor, massage provided some pain relief and increased their satisfaction with other forms of pain relief, but the evidence is not strong, a 2012 review concluded.
Cancer
Numerous systematic reviews and clinical studies have suggested that at least for the short term, massage therapy for cancer patients may reduce pain, promote relaxation, and boost mood. However, the National Cancer Institute urges massage therapists to take specific precautions with cancer patients and avoid massaging:
Open wounds, bruises, or areas with skin breakdown
Directly over the tumor site
Areas with a blood clot in a vein
Sensitive areas following radiation therapy.
Mental health
A 2010 meta-analysis of 17 clinical trials concluded that massage therapy may help to reduce depression.
Brief, twice-weekly yoga and massage sessions for 12 weeks were associated with a decrease in depression, anxiety, and back and leg pain in pregnant women with depression, a 2012 NCCIH-funded randomized controlled trial showed. Also, the women’s babies weighed more than babies born to women who didn’t receive the therapy.
However, a 2013 research review concluded that there is not enough evidence to determine if massage helps pregnant mothers with depression.
A 2010 review concluded that massage may help older people relax.
For generalized anxiety disorder, massage therapy was no better at reducing symptoms than providing a relaxing environment and deep breathing lessons, according to a small, 2010 NCCIH-supported clinical trial.
NCCIH Clearinghouse: The NCCIH Clearinghouse provides information on NCCIH and complementary and integrative health approaches, including publications and searches of Federal databases of scientific and medical literature. The Clearinghouse does not provide medical advice, treatment recommendations, or referrals to practitioners.
Toll-free in the U.S.: 1-888-644-6226
TTY (for deaf and hard-of-hearing callers): 1-866-464-3615
Web site: nccih.nih.gov
E-mail: info@nccih.nih.gov
FIBROMYALGIA
People with fibromyalgia have widespread pain and “tender points” on their bodies that hurt when slight pressure is put on them. People with fibromyalgia may also have other problems, such as:
Trouble sleeping
Morning stiffness
Headaches
Painful menstrual periods
Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
Problems with thinking and memory (sometimes called “fibro fog”).
Fibromyalgia may also be associated with depression and anxiety.
The causes of fibromyalgia are unknown, but current research is looking at how different parts of the nervous system may contribute to fibromyalgia pain.
It is estimated that fibromyalgia affects 5 million American adults. Most people with fibromyalgia—between 80 and 90 percent—are women. However, men and children also can have the disorder.
A person with fibromyalgia may have other, coexisting chronic pain conditions. Such conditions may include chronic fatigue syndrome, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis (painful bladder syndrome), irritable bowel syndrome, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, and vulvodynia (chronic vulvar pain). It is not known whether these disorders share a common cause.
Often unable to find help elsewhere, fibromyalgia sufferers have been known to seek out alternative methods to find lasting pain relief. Understanding the disorder more comprehensively and discovering how medical massage can be applied to a particular client may benefit all who suffer from it.
The patient is usually depressed, suffers from mood swings, easily bursts into tears, has significant sleep disturbances, and is mentally and physically fatigued. Additionally, the patient may have many related physical complaints: migraines, bruxism (teeth grinding), TMJ problems, irritable bowel syndrome, pelvic pain, tachycardia (increased cardiac rate), Raynauld\'s phenomenon and chronic rhinitis.
The pain-causing physical expressions of chronic inflammation consist of mild swelling of the soft tissue, tension in fascia, pathological hypertonus of muscles, significant decrease in blood supply and calcium depositing in the soft tissue.
We recommend beginning the first 10 massage therapy treatments on a two procedures per week basis. Main focus on pertinent areas will be addressed prior to the full-body massage treatment be considered after the first three to four treatments.
History\'s Lessons
In 1968, in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, in the former Soviet Union, workers of a large industrial complex started developing fibromyalgia symptoms in epidemic proportions. The Soviet government assigned a group of scientists to find the causes of this epidemic. It was clear to everyone that psychosomatic disorders should be ruled out.
The group of scientists eventually found that an adjacent lake, heavily contaminated with toxic waste, was causing muscular tension. Over time, this led to the development of fibromyalgia. What these scientists learned was that individuals suffering from myofascial pain syndrome have a higher risk of developing fibromyalgia. But those who develop fibromyalgia are almost guaranteed to develop chronic fatigue syndrome.
During a study and clinical treatments, these scientists concluded that the development of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome can be prevented by medical massage treatments (for more on medical massage, see Boris Prilutsky\'s medical massage article in Massage Bodywork, August/September 2003). As we mentioned here, the persistence of low-grade pain bombards the central nervous system and causes a decrease in serotonin level. Restoration of ATP, neuromuscular function and stabilization of metabolism will decrease the pain sensation. The elimination of low-grade pain will allow the central nervous system to restore the level of serotonin and chronic fatigue syndrome development will be prevented.
Studies from the "Journal of Clinical Rheumatology", "Touch Research Institute", "Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners" found exciting results from fibromyalgia and massage therapy studies.
They found that massage therapy for fibromyalgia results in:
• Increased blood circulation
• Increased muscle flexibility and range of motion
• Reduced pain, swelling and stiffness
• Decreased stress, stress hormone levels and anxiety
• Less fatigue and trouble sleeping, with longer sleep times
• Less use of analgesics (pain medicine)
• Less depression
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What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches, pain and stiffness, soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue, and sleep disturbances.
The pain can be spread over any part of your body, but the most common sites tend to be your neck, back, shoulders, pelvic girdle, and hands. Patients tend to experience a wide variety of symptoms with varying intensities that wax and wane over time.1
Fibromyalgia seems to occur 8 to 10 times more prevalently in women than men, and is seen in children and all ethnic groups. Because of its debilitating nature, it has a serious impact on patients’ families, friends, and employers, as well as on society as a whole.
Classic Symptoms
Pain – The key marker of fibromyalgia is pain, which is profound, widespread
and chronic. It occupies most parts of your body, and it varies in intensity.
It has been described as deep muscular aching,
stabbing, shooting, throbbing and twitching.
Neurological complaints add to the discomfort
such as numbness, tingling, and burning.
The severity of the pain and stiffness is often
worse in the morning. Aggravating factors are
cold/humid weather, non-restorative sleep,
fatigue, excessive physical activity, physical
inactivity, anxiety and stress.
• Fatigue – The fatigue of fibromyalgia is different from the fatigue that many
people complain of in today’s busy world. It is more than being tired—it is an allencompassing exhaustion that interferes with even the simplest daily activities, often leaving the patient with a limited ability to function both mentally and physically for an extended period of time.
• Sleep Disruption – Many patients have an associated sleep problem that prevents them from getting deep, restful, restorative sleep. Medical researchers have documented specific and distinctive abnormalities in the Stage 4 deep sleep of fibromyalgia patients. During sleep, they are constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity, limiting the amount of time they spend in deep sleep.
• Other Symptoms – Other symptoms can include irritable bowel and bladder, headaches and migraines, restless leg syndrome and periodic limb movements, impaired memory and concentration, skin sensitivities and rashes, dry eyes and mouth, anxiety, depression, ringing in your ears, dizziness, Raynaud’s Syndrome, and impaired coordination. In order for fibromyalgia to meet the diagnostic criteria of the American College of Rheumatology, it must meet two criteria:
1. Widespread pain in all four quadrants of your body for a minimum of three months
2. Tenderness or pain in at least 11 of the 18 specific tender points when pressure is applied (see diagram below)
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