Chronic Disease
Cancer
Cancer patients have found a reduction of stress, improvement of depression, anxiety and anger, as well as, an improvement of quality of life while receiving massage therapy. Studies have included those with a variety of cancers.(1,2,3) There may also be an improvement in immune function in these patients(2) and pain.(4)
HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS patients may benefit from stress reduction and improved quality of life through the use of massage. Massage may also results in improved immune function. A 2010 Cochrane review notes studies-to-date are small and further studies with larger sample sizes are indicated.(5)
Fibromyalgia
In one RCT of patients with fibromyalgia, treatment group patients had a significant reduction in anxiety, quality of sleep, pain and quality of life measures during the treatment. Six months post treatment only quality of sleep differed from the control group.(6)
Anxiety
Although many trials report a reduction in anxiety symptoms there does not appear to be support over other methods for generalized anxiety disorder. In one RCT addressing generalized anxiety disorder, massage was not more effective than "relaxing room therapy" or "thermotherapy." All three groups had clinical improvement.(7)
The thermotherapy group worked with a massage therapist who placed warm towels and heating pads on various body parts. They were also taught deep breathing exercises as a part of the sessions. The relaxing room control group were helped to find a comfortable position on the massage table in a calm room and listened to CDs they choose. They were given handouts on deep breathing. The study group concluded that less expensive relaxation techniques, such as the "relaxing room therapy" may be more cost effective for patients.
This study points out the importance of adequate control arms in teasing out the roll of actual manipulation versus the stress relieving factors of interacting with a caring practitioner and being in a calm environment.
1. Keir ST. Effect of massage therapy on stress levels and quality of life in brain tumor patients-observations from a pilot study. Support Care Cancer. 2010 Nov 3.
2. Noto Y, Kitajima M, Kudo M, Okudera K, Hirota K. Leg massage therapy promotes psychological relaxation and reinforces the first-line host defense in cancer patients. J Anesth. 2010 Dec;24(6):827-31.
3. Hernandez-Reif M, Ironson G, Field T, Hurley J, Katz G, Diego M, Weiss S, Fletcher MA, Schanberg S, Kuhn C, Burman I. Breast cancer patients have improved immune and neuroendocrine functions following massage therapy. J Psychosom Res. 2004 Jul;57(1):45-52.
4. Kutner J, Smith M, Corbin S, et al. Massage therapy versus simple touch to improve pain and mood in patients with advanced cancer: a randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2008;149(6):369–379.
5. Hillier SL, Louw Q, Morris L, Uwimana J, Statham S. Massage therapy for people with HIV/AIDS. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Jan 20;(1):CD007502.
6. Castro-Sánchez AM, Matarán-Peñarrocha GA, Granero-Molina J, Aguilera-Manrique G, Quesada-Rubio JM, Moreno-Lorenzo C. Benefits of massage-myofascial release therapy on pain, anxiety, quality of sleep, depression, and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:561753. Epub 2010 Dec 28.
7. Sherman KJ, Ludman EJ, Cook AJ, Hawkes RJ, Roy-Byrne PP, Bentley S, Brooks MZ, Cherkin DC. Effectiveness of therapeutic massage for generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Depress Anxiety. 2010 May;27(5):441-50.