Massage Research
Massage and Performance
Massage and Mental Health
Massage and Mental Health
Several studies have found that massage can be beneficial to performance, recovery and injury prevention. The benefits include increased blood flow, reduced muscle tension, neurological excitability, and a general sense of well-being (Weerapong, Hume, and Kolt., 2005) . The biomechanical mechanisms include increased range of motion in joints and decreased stiffness. Physiological mechanisms include the increase of parasympathetic activity, which includes changes in heart rate, blood pressure, heart rate variability, hormonal levels (cortisol) to produce a relaxation response. Over time, massage therapy has been found to decrease pain, improve mood, provide muscle relaxation, improve immune function and sleep quality(Jane et al., 2011). A study by Ironson et al. (1996), on the effect of massage on the immune system's cytotoxic capacity on HIV+ men found significant increases in natural killer cell numbers, natural killer cell cytotoxicity, soluble CD8, and cytotoxic subset of CD8 cells in participants after one month of regular massage. With increasing research on the benefits of massage, massage therapy has become a popular and effective practice to help manage health conditions or enhance wellness.
- Ironson G, Field T, Scafidi F, Hashimoto M, Kumar M, Kumar A, Price A, Goncalves A, Burman I, Tetenman C, Patarca R, Fletcher MA. Massage therapy is associated with enhancement of the immune system's cytotoxic capacity. Int J Neurosci. 1996 Feb;84(1-4):205-17. doi: 10.3109/00207459608987266. PMID: 8707483.
- Jane SW, Chen SL, Wilkie DJ, Lin YC, Foreman SW, Beaton RD, Fan JY, Lu MY, Wang YY, Lin YH, Liao MN. Effects of massage on pain, mood status, relaxation, and sleep in Taiwanese patients with metastatic bone pain: a randomized clinical trial. Pain. 2011 Oct;152(10):2432-2442. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2011.06.021. Epub 2011 Jul 29. PMID: 21802850.
- Weerapong P, Hume PA, Kolt GS. The mechanisms of massage and effects on performance, muscle recovery and injury prevention. Sports Med. 2005;35(3):235-56. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200535030-00004. PMID: 15730338.
Massage and Mental Health
Massage and Mental Health
Massage and Mental Health
Research has found that massage therapy reduces stress, pain, and muscle tension. Increasing research on the body and mind connection explores the effects of touch on the skin and its effects on the nervous system (Winzer, 2021) . The skin, a highly innervated sensory system, receives stimulus from the environment which transmits to the brain influencing neurological processes, including brain development and function, hormones regulation, mood and behavior. Therapeutic touch has been shown to have positive effects on hormonal balance by increasing oxytocin levels (bonding hormone) and decreasing cortisol and adrenal corticotropin (stress hormone) levels. Aside from the physiological effects from human touch, the massage environment also plays a role in the calming and relaxing of the mind (Mayo Clinic, 2021). Massage treatments usually occur within a quiet, safe, and soothing space.
Research supports the use of massage therapy for the relief from stress, anxiety and depression (AMTA, 2021). An article by Rapaport et al. (2018), summarizes several studies that found positive effects from massage therapy on psychiatric disorders and symptoms, along with the neurobiology and biology of massage. The research concluded that massage therapy is an effective complementary therapy to psychosocial therapies.
- Rapaport MH, Schettler PJ, Larson ER, Carroll D, Sharenko M, Nettles J, Kinkead B. (2018) Massage Therapy for Psychiatric Disorders. Focus (1):24-31. doi: 10.1176/appi.focus.20170043. Epub 2018 Jan 24. PMID: 31975897; PMCID: PMC6519566.
- American Massage Therapy Associtaion. (n.d.). Massage for mental health: Amta. American Massage Therapy Association. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://www.amtamassage.org/resources/massage-and-health/mental-health/
- Winzer, A. (2020). New Massage Research Is Uncovering The "Why" Behind Touch Benefits. Massage Magazine. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://www.massagemag.com/new-massage-research-is-uncovering-the-why-behind-touch-benefits-124862/.
- Mayo Clinic Press Editor. (2022). Mayo Clinic explores: The role of massage therapy for mental health. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/emotional-health/mayo-clinic-explores-the-role-of-massage-therapy-for-mental-health/