Lower-Back Pain

A randomized controlled trial of patients with subacute lower-back pain found that subjects who received comprehensive massage therapy (soft-tissue manipulation, remedial exercise and posture education) had improved function, less intense pain, and a decrease in the quality of pain compared with subjects who had received soft-tissue manipulation only, remedial exercise with posture education only, or a placebo of sham laser therapy. (Canadian Medical Association Journal, June 2000)

Fatigue

Research shows that massage-assisted recuperation from fatigue is more effective than total rest. (Clinical Sports Medicine 1, 1989)

Headaches

A Danish study reported that 15 minutes twice a week of deep neck muscle massage, with or without accompanying chiropractic spinal manipulation, may be an effective remedy for those with chronic headaches. By week 7, patients had fewer hours of headaches per day and required less frequent or lower doses of pain-relieving medications. (Journal of the American Medical Association, November 1998)

Depression

A group of hospitalized, depressed and adjustment disorder children and adolescents were given a daily 30 minute back massage for a 5 day period. After the massage, subjects were less depressed and anxious and had lower saliva cortisol levels, compared with a control group who viewed relaxing videotapes. Nurses rated the subjects as being less anxious and more co-operative on the last day of the study, and nighttime sleep increased over the period. (Journal of American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, January 1992)

Job Stress

Twenty-six adults were given a chair massage and twenty-four control group adults were asked to relax in the massage chair for 15 minutes, two times per week for five weeks. The massage group was found to have decreased frontal alpha and beta power (suggesting enhanced alertness); while the control group showed increased alpha and beta power. The massage group also showed increased speed and accuracy on math computations, lower anxiety levels and had lower job stress test scores then the control group. (International Journal of Neuroscience, 1996)