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Massage therapy research review.

Tiffany Field1

  • 1Touch Research Institute, University of Miami/Miller School of Medicine, USA; Fielding Graduate University, USA.

Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
|August 10, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Massage therapy offers benefits for numerous health conditions, from prenatal depression to aging issues. Research indicates massage positively impacts various conditions more than control groups, suggesting physiological mechanisms.

Keywords:
Massage therapy research review

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Area of Science:

  • Integrative Medicine
  • Complementary Therapies
  • Health Sciences

Background:

  • Massage therapy is increasingly integrated into conventional medical settings.
  • Evidence suggests potential benefits across a wide spectrum of health conditions.
  • Existing research often compares massage to control groups or other active therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the existing literature on the efficacy of massage therapy for various health conditions.
  • To synthesize findings regarding the effects of massage on physical, physiological, and biochemical parameters.
  • To identify areas for future research in massage therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of studies comparing massage therapy to control or active comparison groups.
  • Inclusion of studies examining diverse conditions such as prenatal depression, infant care, autism, pain syndromes, hypertension, autoimmune disorders, immune conditions, and aging.
  • Analysis of studies assessing self-report measures alongside physical, physiological, and biochemical outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Massage therapy demonstrated beneficial effects across a broad range of conditions, including mental health, infant development, chronic pain, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, immune function, and age-related disorders.
  • Massage therapy groups generally reported more positive outcomes compared to control or comparison groups.
  • Potential mechanisms include enhanced vagal activity and reduced cortisol levels due to pressure receptor stimulation.

Conclusions:

  • Massage therapy shows promise as a beneficial complementary treatment for a wide array of health issues.
  • Further rigorous research, particularly in the U.S., is needed to substantiate these findings with robust methodologies.
  • The growing acceptance of massage therapy in medical settings underscores the importance of continued scientific investigation.