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Benefits of Massage Therapy

Research has shown that massage therapy (MT) can help with pain management as well as specific conditions like fibromyalgia, knee osteo-arthritis, and limited range of motion.

Pain Management

Post-surgery

MT appears beneficial for reducing pain and anxiety in patients about to undergo or recovering from surgery.1 It may also have a positive short-term effect for post-operative pain, but results are not generalizable.2

Burn Patients

MT may reduce pain in burn patients after intervention, but follow-up was unknown.3

Low Back

MT may be beneficial in the short term for pain and disability in people with low back pain when compared to fake/no treatment or inactive treatment (relaxation); however there is uncertain evidence for MT compared to other active treatments or usual care.4

Musculoskeletal Disorders

MT may be beneficial for pain in people with musculoskeletal disorders in the short term when compared to no treatment.5

General Population

MT is beneficial for pain intensity when compared to no treatment, and it was beneficial for anxiety and health-related quality of life compared to fake treatments, exercise, relaxation, or physical therapy.6

Specific Conditions

Fibromyalgia

Every style of massage reviewed, except for Swedish massage, was beneficial for symptoms related to fibromyalgia, making Swedish massage not recommended for fibromyalgia.7 Beneficial styles of massage that were reviewed included manual lymphatic drainage, connective tissue massage, myofascial release, shiatsu, and Trager.

Knee Osteo-Arthritis (OA)

MT may improve pain, stiffness, and functionality in the short term for those with osteo-arthritis, but not in the long term.8 It may also benefit knee OA pain when combined with self-massage.9

Range of Motion

When compared to no treatment, MT may improve range of motion in the shoulder, with sports massage specifically showing the largest significant effect.10

Massage Therapy Techniques

Specific massage therapy techniques have also been shown to help manage symptoms of the conditions noted above as well as others.

Positional Release Therapy

Positional release therapy is a gentle hands-on approach used to relieve pain and tension in muscles and joints. It involves finding a comfortable position for the affected area, then gently holding it in that position for a short period of time.

It has been found to be beneficial for pain intensity and pressure pain threshold in upper trapezius myofascial trigger points.11

Positional release therapy has also been found to be as effective as medication for tension type headaches,12 but less effective than manual trigger point release for improving neck pain and range of motion.13

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) is a stretching technique used to improve flexibility and range of motion in muscles. It involves stretching a muscle, then contracting it against resistance, and finally relaxing and stretching it again.

PNF was found to be equal or superior to other treatments for gait speed in persons with Parkinson’s14 and beneficial for balance and gait speed in persons recovering from stroke.15

It can improve lumbar range of motion in those with low back pain16 and may decrease pain (moderate evidence) and disability (low evidence) in persons with low back pain.17

For people with adhesive capsulitis, it was superior to conventional physical therapy for decreasing pain, increasing range of motion, improving function, and reducing disability.18

Kinesiology Taping (for Musculoskeletal Conditions)

Kinesiology taping is a therapeutic technique where a special type of tape is applied to the skin to provide support, stability, and pain relief to muscles and joints. It has been found to help with the following:19

  • pain and function in knee osteoarthritis (kinesiology taping, rigid taping, and McConnell taping)
  • sub-acromial impingement syndrome (rigid taping as an adjunct to exercise and manual therapy)
  • pain and disability in carpal tunnel syndrome
  • acute low back pain (as an adjunct to usual care)
  • pain and disability in chronic low back pain
  • pregnancy-related low back pain
  • pain and function in diastasis recti abdominis

Taping has also been successful as an adjunct to conservative interventions for range of motion and disability in persons with shoulder pain.20 It has been effective, either alone or combined with physical therapies, for pain and activities of daily living in people with chronic, non-specific low back pain.21

For children with cerebral palsy, it can be used to complement physiotherapy for improving gross motor function, particularly sitting postural control.22

Massage Therapy Safety

Numerous systematic reviews demonstrate that massage therapy is a relatively safe intervention with few adverse events when used by a trained professional.23 The existing studies on adverse events/effects for massage therapy make a good case for appropriate training.24

Adverse Events and Effects

Adverse events for massage therapy are rare, however evidence suggests that massage therapy may occasionally lead to moderately severe adverse events.25 The majority of adverse events require medical attention, but leave little or no lasting damage.26

Adverse events may more often be related to vigorous or forceful massage or deep tissue massage,27 and many adverse events were related to massage of the neck.28

Adverse effects are more common than adverse events, but they are minor and transient, for example minor discomfort, increased pain, muscle soreness, stiffness, bruising, nausea, or allergic reactions to massage oil or lotion.29

Contraindications, Cautions, and Adaptations to Treatment

Adaptations to massage therapy treatment are necessary with some populations. Caution should be exercised with more vulnerable populations like the elderly, those living with serious medical conditions such as cancer, and infants.30

Fact Sheets

Massage Therapy for Pain Management (PDF)
Massage Therapy for Specific Conditions (PDF)
Positional Release Therapy (PDF)
Kinesiology for Musculoskeletal Conditions (PDF)
Massage Therapy Safety (PDF)

References

  1. Boyd, C. Crawford, C. F. Paat, A. Price, L. Xenakis, W. Zhang, and Evidence for Massage Therapy (EMT) Working Group, "The Impact of Massage Therapy on Function in Pain Populations-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: Part III, Surgical Pain Populations," Pain Medicine (Malden, Mass.) (2016), 17(9), 1757–1772, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/pm/pnw101.
  2. Kukimoto, N. Ooe, and N. Ideguchi, "The Effects of Massage Therapy on Pain and Anxiety after Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," Pain Management Nursing: Official Journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses (2017), 18(6), 378–390, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2017.09.001.
  3. Miri, S. J. Hosseini, P. Ghorbani Vajargah, M. Firooz, P. Takasi, A. Mollaei, S. Ramezani, M. Tolouei, A. Emami Zeydi, J. Osuji, R. Farzan, and S. Karkhah, "Effects of massage therapy on pain and anxiety intensity in patients with burns: A systematic review and meta-analysis," International Wound Journal (2023), 10.1111/iwj.14089, Advance online publication, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/iwj.14089.
  4. Kumar, K. Beaton, and T. Hughes, "The effectiveness of massage therapy for the treatment of nonspecific low back pain: a systematic review of systematic reviews," International journal of general medicine (2013), 6, 733–741, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.2147/IJGM.S50243.
  5. Field, "Knee osteoarthritis pain in the elderly can be reduced by massage therapy, yoga and tai chi: A review," Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice (2016), 22, 87–92, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.01.001.
  6. Crawford, C. Boyd, C. F. Paat, A. Price, L. Xenakis, E. Yang, W. Zhang, and Evidence for Massage Therapy (EMT) Working Group, "The Impact of Massage Therapy on Function in Pain Populations-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: Part I, Patients Experiencing Pain in the General Population," Pain Medicine (Malden, Mass.) (2016), 17(7), 1353–1375, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/pm/pnw099.
  7. L. Yuan, L. A. Matsutani, and A. P. Marques, "Effectiveness of different styles of massage therapy in fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis," Manual Therapy (2015), 20(2), 257–264. https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.math.2014.09.003.
  8. Wu, J. Zhao, and W. Guo, "Efficacy of massage therapy in improving outcomes in knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis," Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice (2022), 46, 101522, https://doiorg.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101522.
  9. Field, "Knee osteoarthritis pain."
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  11. Mohammadi Kojidi, F. Okhovatian, A. Rahimi, A. A. Baghban, and H. Azimi, "The influence of Positional Release Therapy on the myofascial trigger points of the upper trapezius muscle in computer users," Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (2016), 20(4), 767–773, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2016.04.006; A. H. Bethers, D. C. Swanson, J. K. Sponbeck, U. H. Mitchell, D. O. Draper, J. B. Feland, and A. W. Johnson, "Positional release therapy and therapeutic massage reduce muscle trigger and tender points," Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (2021), 28, 264–270, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2021.07.005.
  12. Ghanbari, A. Rahimijaberi, M. Mohamadi, L. Abbasi, and F. K. Sarvestani, "The effect of trigger point management by positional release therapy on tension type headache," NeuroRehabilitation (2012), 30(4), 333–339, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.3233/NRE-2012-0764.
  13. M. Pathan, S. Thakur, K. Kadam, S. Lohade, and N. Chandak, "Immediate effects of positional release therapy and manual trigger point release on neck pain and range of motion in computer users with upper trapezitis," Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care (2021), 10(8), 2839–2844, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1608_20.
  14. S. Alexandre de Assis, G. J. Luvizutto, A. C. M. Bruno, and L. A. P. Sande de Souza, "The Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Concept in Parkinson Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," Journal of Chiropractic Medicine (2020), 19(3), 181–187, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2020.07.003.
  15. T. Nguyen, L. W. Chou, and Y. L. Hsieh, "Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation-Based Physical Therapy on the Improvement of Balance and Gait in Patients with Chronic Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," Life (Basel, Switzerland) (2022), 12(6), 882, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.3390/life12060882; E. Gunning and M. K. Uszynski, "Effectiveness of the Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Method on Gait Parameters in Patients With Stroke: A Systematic Review," Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (2019), 100(5), 980–986, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2018.11.020.
  16. Pourahmadi, M. Sahebalam, and R. Bagheri, "Effectiveness of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation on Pain Intensity and Functional Disability in Patients with Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," The Archives of Bone and Joint Surgery (2020), 8(4), 479–501, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.22038/abjs.2020.45455.2245.
  17. L. Arcanjo, J. V. P. Martins, P. Moté, G. Leporace, D. A., Oliveira, C. S. Sousa, M. B. Saquetto, and M. Gomes-Neto, "Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation training reduces pain and disability in individuals with chronic low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis," Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice (2022), 46, 101505, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101505; P. Gao, F. Tang, W. Liu, and Y. Mo, "The effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation in treating chronic low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis," Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation (2022), 35(1), 21–33, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.3233/BMR-200306.
  18. S. Tedla and D. R. Sangadala, "Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques in adhesive capsulitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis," Journal of Musculoskeletal and Neuronal Interactions (2019), 19(4), 482–491, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31789299/.
  19. A. Cupler, M. Alrwaily, E. Polakowski, K. S. Mathers, and M. J. Schneider, "Taping for conditions of the musculoskeletal system: an evidence map review," Chiropractic and Manual Therapies (2020), 28(1), 52, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.1186/s12998-020-00337-2.
  20. A. Salamh, W. J. Hanney, C. S. Cory, H. E. Condon, X. Liu, and M. J. Kolber, "The Efficacy and Treatment Fidelity of Kinesiology Taping in Conjunction With Conservative Treatment Interventions to Among Individuals With Shoulder Pain: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis," International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy (2021), 16(3), 606–619, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.26603/001c.24251.
  21. Sheng, Z. Duan, Q. Qu, W. Chen, and B. Yu, "Kinesio taping in treatment of chronic non-specific low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis," Journal of rehabilitation medicine (2019), 51(10), 734–740, https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.2340/16501977-2605.
  22. Unger, M., Carstens, J. P., Fernandes, N., Pretorius, R., Pronk, S., Robinson, A. C., and Scheepers, K. (2018) "The efficacy of kinesiology taping for improving gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy: A systematic review," The South African journal of physiotherapy, 74(1), 459. https://doi-org.uhn.idm.oclc.org/10.4102/sajp.v74i1.459.
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