Massage Therapy for Hospitalized Patients Receiving Palliative Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Integrative Medicine
• Symptom Management

Background:

• Massage therapy is increasingly utilized in palliative care to enhance patient quality of life (QoL) and alleviate symptom burden.
• Optimal massage "dosage" for maximizing benefits in this population remains insufficiently defined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of three distinct massage dosing strategies in hospitalized patients receiving palliative care.
• To evaluate the impact of different massage frequencies and durations on QoL and symptom management.

Main Methods:

• A randomized trial involving 387 inpatients receiving palliative care consultation.
• Three arms were compared: 10-min daily massage x 3 days, 20-min daily massage x 3 days, and a single 20-min massage.
• Primary outcome was overall QoL (McGill QoL question); secondary outcomes included pain, distress, peacefulness, and satisfaction.

Main Results:

• All massage groups showed within-group improvements in QoL at follow-up; no significant between-group differences were observed.
• Immediate improvements in distress and pain were noted across all arms.
• Sustained improvement in distress was observed only in groups receiving three consecutive daily massages (10 or 20 minutes).

Conclusions:

• Massage therapy offers benefits to complex patients with advanced illness, irrespective of specific dosage.
• Session length (10 or 20 minutes) predicted short-term symptom improvements.
• Treatment frequency, specifically three consecutive daily sessions, predicted sustained improvements in distress at follow-up.