Massage therapy has long been known to relax tired, overworked bodies. It is one of the quickest solutions for people who suffer from muscle aches and fatigue due to their jobs and other regular activities and responsibilities in life, which can force them to move or stay in an uncomfortable position for a prolonged period.
But over the years, London wellness professionals say, massage therapy has proven to be more than just a way to relax and relieve the body of those painful tension knots. Numerous extensive studies have shown that it can also alleviate the symptoms of serious illnesses or health conditions.
The following are examples of health conditions that can be better managed or helped to produce more positive outcomes with massage therapy.
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Pains
Research reviews and NCCIH-funded clinical trials concluded that massage might be helpful for chronic and extreme pains.
For chronic lower back and neck pains, NCCIH-funded clinical trials reported that massage therapy could alleviate pain by as much as 50%. Likewise, it has proven to effectively diminish excruciating pains due to osteoarthritis of the knee and provide prospective, nonrandomised, observational studies of cancer patients.
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Cancer
Massage therapy temporarily reduces pain.
In a prospective, nonrandomised, observational study of cancer patients treated at the Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, cancer symptoms declined in severity by approximately 50% through manipulation therapy (Swedish, light touch, and foot massage). While the effects (including pain reduction, relaxation, and mood improvement) were only temporary, it cannot be disputed that rubbing therapy helped.
Professional therapists are advised, however, to take specific precautions with cancer patients. The National Cancer Institute advises avoiding massage on bruised areas or any part with skin breakdown, the tumour’s location, areas with a blood clot in a vein, and sensitive areas due to radiation therapy.
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Mental Health
Research indicates that massage therapy can reduce symptoms of depression and general anxiety disorder.
A study conducted on HIV-infected individuals suffering from depression reveals that extended stroking therapy managed to reduce the severity of the participants’ depression during the eight-week duration of the activity. This indicates that therapeutic massage can be an integral element in the treatment of patients with HIV.
There were similar results in a test study conducted on military veterans with anxiety, worry, and depression. The results showed a decline in the levels of tension and irritability following massage.
In addition to those, remedial therapy has proven helpful in reducing the symptoms of people with a general anxiety disorder. It was as effective as deep breathing and placing a person suffering from the condition in a peaceful environment.
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Fibromyalgia
Massage therapy leads to biochemical changes.
According to some studies, massage therapy’s various movements facilitate biochemical changes that help improve muscle flexibility and influence blood and lymph circulation. Massage therapy also leads to the reabsorption of nociceptive and inflammatory mediators.
Some studies also indicate that massage therapy can diminish pain by increasing serotonin levels, which influences both mood and pain perception.
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Headaches
Massage therapy is a viable alternative to medication in treating tension headaches.
Studies indicate that massage therapy (London) can effectively reduce the pain associated with migraine, lumbar pain, fibromyalgia, and other conditions. One research project sought to determine whether the same benefits can be attained by patients suffering from chronic pain like tension headaches.
According to this research, massage therapy focusing on the neck and shoulder muscles effectively reduces headache frequency within the first week of treatment.
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HIV/AIDS
Manipulation therapy can help improve the quality of life of patients who have HIV/AIDS.
According to Australian researchers, massage therapy and other modalities like meditation can improve immunological function and increase natural killer cell and CD4+ cell counts.
In another study, test subjects underwent Swedish massage therapy for one hour twice weekly. The researchers then discovered that massage therapy can help in reducing the symptoms of depression experienced by people who have HIV/AIDS.
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Infant care
Massage can reinforce the mother-infant bond and help pre-term and medically fragile infants.
One study between 2008 and 2010 revealed that massaging a baby reinforces its bond with the mother.
A review of previous studies on infant manipulation therapy reported that it can help pre-term babies gain weight and increase bone density. This review suggests that using oils and applying moderate pressure contribute to weight gain, which translates to a shorter hospital stay and cost savings.
Another study argues that massage therapy can be used safely for infants who are classified as medically fragile and can be implemented as a component of a NICU program.
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Autism
Stroking therapy benefits both children with autism and their parents
In a study involving Oregon preschoolers, researchers discovered that massage therapy could help decrease the severity of autism by as much as 32 per cent. Massage can also improve sensory problems and sensitivity to touch and texture and increase receptive language.
But apart from the children with autism, the use of massage therapy can also help decrease the stress undergone by the parents while improving parent-child bonding and interaction.
Massage and other conditions
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Cardiovascular disease
Massage helps improve postoperative conditions in cardiac surgery patients
There is an increasing prevalence of cardiovascular disease in many countries today. For patients who do not respond well to medical treatments and lifestyle modifications, surgery is the recommended solution. Major surgery often results in the experience of anxiety, severe pain, sleep disturbance, and psychological distress among patients.
In a randomised study of 113 cardiac surgery patients, a significant decrease in anxiety, pain and tension was observed after the patients received physical therapy, leading to the conclusion that massage therapy can be an essential component of the healing process after cardiovascular surgery.
Likewise, a similar review of the effectiveness of massage therapy on postoperative outcomes among cardiac surgery patients revealed that out of seven studies, six demonstrated how massage therapy can improve cardiac surgery patients’ postoperative outcomes.
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Diabetes
People with diabetes can experience positive healing effects on their quality of life and glucose levels.
Diabetes — a disease that involves an impaired carbohydrate metabolism caused by the failure to produce adequate amounts of the hormone insulin — currently affects millions of people across the globe.
Massage has long been considered beneficial to diabetes management in several significant ways. It can promote relaxation for a patient who suffers from the inherent stress of the condition. Massage therapy can also help improve lymph and blood circulation. It is also suitable for working the body’s connective tissues and muscles (especially the hands and feet) for improved movement, which is crucial for people with diabetes.
According to a systematic review published by the American Diabetes Association’s journal Diabetes Spectrum, massaging an insulin injection site can substantially increase serum insulin action, which helps decrease blood glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes.
Another randomised controlled trial study, this time on the effect of Swedish massage on the blood glucose levels in children with diabetes mellitus, found that blood glucose levels became significantly lower in an intervention group compared to a control group (groups were made up of 36 children 6-12 years old with diabetes). Incorporating Swedish massage with a daily routine that includes proper diet, exercise, and medication suited for diabetes is recommended for improving glucose levels.
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Asthma in children
Physical can help improve lung function in children with asthma
Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic illnesses that can develop in childhood, and it can substantially affect a child’s ability to interact socially and excel in academics and other endeavours. More research is being done on complementary and alternative treatments for asthma.
In one study, 32 children received relaxation or healing therapy, but those treated using physical therapies exhibited more favourable results. In younger children, massage led to an immediate decrease in behavioural anxiety and cortisol levels; it was also observed that their attitude toward asthma and their pulmonary functions (peak airflow, for example) were improved.
Meanwhile, older children who received massages reported experiencing lower levels of anxiety after treatment, and daily manipulation helped improve their airway calibre and control of asthma.
Another study of complementary therapy reveals how treatments can benefit compromised pulmonary functions. The children were divided into two groups: One group received a 20-minute massage at home from their parents before bedtime every day for five weeks in addition to their standard asthma treatment.
The other group, the control group, only received the standard asthma treatment for the same period. Massage improved the key pulmonary functions (FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratio) among the children with asthma.
What does science say about massage therapy?
Based on the reported results of the various studies performed on individuals with multiple health conditions, massage therapy offers benefits and improvements that can help improve patients’ health and quality of life to considerable degrees.
While further research is necessary to attain an even greater understanding of massage’s effect on many other illnesses and disorders, massage specialists can attest that massage therapy plays a key role in the recovery and healing stages of many health conditions—and it is certainly worth exploring to develop more beneficial applications.
