Research into the Benefits of Massage Therapy
While it's obvious that massage is a great relaxer, the true health benefits of massage therapy have not received as much scientific investigation as many other forms of treatment. The following is a brief listing of research into proven positive affects of massage.Massage Techniques
A complete list of the various massage techniques that may be offered by therapists listed on Myssage.com along with explanations.Common Massage Terms
This is where you will find definitions for some common massage terms.Conditions
Research Studies on the Benefits of Massage Therapy
Aggression (top)
Uppsala University in Sweden conducted an interesting study that demonstrates the power of touch, specifically massage therapy. They took a group of 4- to 5-year-old children with aggression and deviant behavior and provided half of them with a short massage during midday rest while the others listened to a story. The results showed a significant decrease in aggressive behavior among the children receiving massage at 3, 6, and 12 months with only 5-10 minutes of massage each day. Read the research abstract.Blood Pressure (top)
The University of South Florida, College of Nursing studied the effect of massage on hypertension. They took a group of 14 people suffering from hypertension and provided a 10-minute back massage to 8 of them, three times a week, while the other 6 relaxed in the same setting for 10 minutes, three times a week. After 10 sessions, the persons receiving massage showed lower blood pressure than the control group. Read the research abstract.Depression (top)
The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami conducted a study on the effects of massage on women diagnosed with breast cancer. Over a 5-week period, the women were either given three 30-minute massages per week, practiced progressive muscle relaxation for 30 minutes, three times per week, or received the standard treatment. At the conclusion of the study, the massage group reported less depression and anger, along with a number of physiological benefits. Read the research abstract.Healing (top)
The Red Cross College of Nursing in South Korea studied the effects of skin rehabilitation massage therapy on a group of 18 burn victims over a 3-month period. Massage recipients showed reduced itching, improved skin quality, and less depression. Read the research abstract.Immunity (top)
The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami conducted a study of 34 women who had been diagnosed with Stage 1 or Stage 2 breast cancer. The women were divided into a group that received 30 minutes of massage therapy, three times per week, and a control group. Longer term results for the massage group included increased urinary dopamine levels, seratonin values, Natural Killer cells, and lymphocytes. Read the research abstract.24 HIV-positive adolescents were randomly divided into two groups of 12, one group receiving massage therapy and the other progressive muscle relaxation two times per week for 12 weeks. Results showed increased Natural Killer cells and improved HIV disease progression markers. Read the research abstract.
Pain: Lower Back (top)
The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami studied the effect of massage over a 5-week period on 24 randomized chronic low back pain sufferers. After receiving two 30-minute treatments per week for the duration of the study, the massage group reported less pain, depression, anxiety, and improved sleep. Read the research abstract.Pain: Chronic (top)
The University of Warwick in England studied the short-term effects of massage on chronic pain. 101 patients were randomly divided, half of whom received 15 minutes of massage, while the other half discussed their pain. One hour after treatment, the massage group showed significantly less pain and anxiety. Read the research abstract.Freiburg University in Germany compared massage therapy and standard medical care in the treatment of chronic pain conditions in various parts of the body. While pain improved in both groups, only the massage group reported maintenance at the 3-month follow-up. Read the research abstract.
Pregnancy (top)
The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami randomly divided eighty-four depressed pregnant women into three groups; massage therapy, progressive muscle relaxation, and a control. The massage group received two 20-minute massages per week for 16 weeks and reported lower anxiety, depression, and back pain. Interestingly, neonatal outcomes were better for the massage group than the other, leading the authors to conclude that both pregnant mothers and their children may benefit from massage therapy. Read the research abstract.The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami studied the effects of massage therapy on pregnant women versus relaxation therapy. After five weeks of twice-weekly 20-minute sessions, both groups experienced reduced anxiety and leg pain, but only the massage group reported improved mood, better sleep, and less back pain. Read the research abstract.
Sports: Muscle Fatigue (top)
Chukyo University investigated the effects of massage therapy on leg muscles after strenuous cycling. During a one-week trial, the group receiving massage reported reduced muscle stiffness and perceived fatigue, along with increased total power. Read the research abstract.The University of Stirling's 2004 study concerning the efficacy of massage therapy in sports both refutes and reinforces the Chukyo University study mentioned above. As with the Chukyo study, massage was used to treat a group of participants after high-intensity cycling. The results showed no difference between blood lactate levels or power, but the massage group did experience a significant reduction in fatigue over the non-massage group. Read the research abstract.
Edith Cowan University in Australia examined the effect of massage therapy on delayed-onset muscle soreness, that pain we all get after too much exercise. They had 10 healthy subjects perform upper-arm exercises and then massaged only one of the arms 3 hours after exercise. This resulted in a significant reduction in post-workout soreness, but did not affect muscle strength. Read the research abstract.