What are the benefits of massage therapy?

Benefits of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy provides several benefits including reduced pain, improved mood, decreased anxiety, and enhanced relaxation, though many effects may be short-term rather than sustained long-term. 1

Key Benefits of Massage Therapy

• Pain Management: Massage therapy provides moderate pain relief compared to no treatment or usual care in various pain conditions, with evidence supporting its effectiveness as part of a multimodal approach to pain management 1

• Mental Health Benefits: Massage therapy can reduce depression and mood disturbances, particularly anxious depression, anger, and tiredness, though these effects are often short-term rather than sustained 2

• Relaxation and Stress Reduction: Massage therapy promotes relaxation and reduces perceived stress levels, which can be particularly beneficial for older adults 3

• Cancer Symptom Management: In cancer patients, massage therapy has shown benefits for reducing anxiety, depression, and improving quality of life when used as part of comprehensive care 4

Evidence for Specific Conditions

Musculoskeletal Disorders

• Massage therapy reduces pain in the short term compared to no treatment for people with shoulder pain and osteoarthritis of the knee 5
• Improves function in the short term for people with low back pain, knee arthritis, and shoulder pain compared to no treatment 5
• May help increase muscle compliance, resulting in increased joint range of motion and decreased muscle stiffness 6

Cancer Care

• Recommended specifically for improving mood disturbance in breast cancer survivors following active treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation) with a Grade B recommendation 2
• Can help manage treatment-related side effects including pain, anxiety, and fatigue 2

Cardiovascular Health

• Some evidence suggests massage combined with antihypertensive drugs may be more effective than drugs alone in lowering blood pressure, though the methodological quality of these studies is generally low 7

Physiological Mechanisms

• Biomechanical: Mechanical pressure increases muscle compliance, potentially improving range of motion and decreasing muscle stiffness 6
• Neurological: Depending on technique, massage can alter neural excitability 6
• Physiological: Changes in parasympathetic activity (measured by heart rate, blood pressure, and heart rate variability) and hormonal levels can produce relaxation responses 6
• Psychological: Reduction in anxiety and improvement in mood state contribute to relaxation effects 6

Important Considerations for Implementation

Safety Precautions

• Massage therapy has limited adverse effects when performed by trained professionals 2, 1
• Special caution is needed for:
  • Individuals receiving anti-coagulation therapy due to risk of bruising 2
  • Cancer patients who have undergone radiation therapy or surgery or have implanted medical devices 2
  • Patients with altered body image or modesty concerns may require special accommodation 2

Optimal Delivery

• Massage should be performed by trained, licensed therapists to maximize benefits and minimize risks 2, 1
• Different massage techniques may have varying effects; structural or relaxation massage have shown benefits for chronic pain conditions 1
• More effective results are often seen with treatment sessions longer than 15 minutes and with more than 5 sessions 1

Limitations of Current Evidence

• Meta-analyses have shown inconsistent results regarding massage therapy's effects on depression, with some showing positive effects and others finding no significant benefits 2
• Many studies have methodological limitations including small sample sizes, heterogeneity in techniques, and lack of standardization 2
• Most benefits of massage therapy appear to be short-term rather than sustained long-term 2
• When compared to other active treatments (like acupuncture, joint mobilization, manipulation, or relaxation therapy), massage shows no clear advantage 5

Future Research Needs

• Standardization across massage therapy trials in terms of protocols, outcome measurements, and populations 2
• Better understanding of how to implement cost-effective massage interventions in routine clinical settings 2
• More rigorous trials with larger sample sizes and improved methodology 2