Evidence for Use
Massage is used for a wide range of conditions, from acute musculoskeletal pain to fibromyalgia to post surgical issues to mental health diagnoses. Historically, studies were few and often poorly designed. Increasingly, however, studies are of higher quality, often larger randomized control trials on an ever increasing scope of clinical issues. The following pages review the evidence for a select number of the more common uses of massage but are not exhaustive.
For more information, consider looking at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine's (NCAAM) page which often highlights recent studies. The site can be searched by modality and is useful for more information on a number of interventions. PubMed is also a useful source of information.