Treatment effects of massage therapy in depressed people

Treatment effects of massage therapy in depressed people: a meta-analysis

Coburg massage centre Victoria: Theses  studies help show how massage can have psychological benefits

Review published: 2010.

Bibliographic details: Hou WH, Chiang PT, Hsu TY, Chiu SY, Yen YC.

Treatment effects of massage therapy in depressed people: a meta-

analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 2010; 71 (7) : 894-901.

[PubMed]
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To systematically investigate the treatment effects of massage therapy in depressed people by incorporating data from recent studies.

DATA SOURCES: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of massage therapy in depressed people was conducted using published studies from PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL electronic database from inception until July 2008. The terms used for the search were derived from medical subheading term (MeSH) massage combined with MeSH depression. Hand searching was also checked for bibliographies of relevant articles. Retrieval articles were constrained to RCTs/clinical trials and human subjects. No language restrictions were imposed.STUDY SELECTION: We included 17 studies containing 786 persons from 246 retrieved references. Trials with other intervention, combined therapy, and massage on infants or pregnant women were excluded.

DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers independently performed initial screen and assessed quality indicators by Jadad scale. Data were extracted on publication year, participant characteristics, and outcomes by another single reviewer.

DATA SYNTHESIS: All trials showed positive effect of massage therapy on depressed people. Seventeen RCTs were of moderate quality, with a mean quality score of 6.4 (SD = 0.85). The pooled standardized mean difference in fixed- and random-effects models were 0.76 (95% CI, 0.61

-0.91) and 0.73 (95% CI, 0.52-0.93), respectively.
Both indicated significant effectiveness in the treatment group compared with the control group. The variance between these studies revealed possible heterogeneity (tau(2) = 0.06, Cochran chi-squared(16) = 25.77, P = .06).

CONCLUSIONS: Massage therapy is significantly associated with alleviated depressive symptoms. However, standardized protocols of massage therapy, various depression rating scales, and target populations in further studies are suggested.

(c) Copyright 2010 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.
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CRD has determined that this article meets the DARE scientific quality

criteria for a systematic review.
Copyright © 2012 University of York.
 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0029454/

The True Benefits of Massage Therapy

The True Benefits of Remedial Massage Therapy

By Editors at The Massage Source

Have you ever thought what a treat and luxury it would be to get a massage? You’re not alone. Only 18% of Americans had a massage last year. That means 1 in 5 people had one massage all year. Most people understand that massage therapy has proven health benefits, so why aren’t we taking advantage of this pleasurable and beneficial form of therapy?

Massage can save you money.

Times have been admittedly tough and, historically, when the economy is down, we give up our luxury items first. If you consider massage therapy a luxury, then it’s something you’re probably avoiding, no matter how much you wish you could have one. Well, think again. Massage therapy has benefits that could actually save you money in the long run by helping you avoid chiropractors, medical visits, medications, and even mental health therapy.

Massage can improve your outlook on life.

With a down economy and the daily pressures we experience, stress, anxiety and depression have adversely affected many of us. We can do many things to combat these negative feelings, invest in expensive counseling, or we can turn to massage therapy. Through a massage, we can reduce the stress hormone, cortisol, which will raise our moods and, at the same time, help lower our blood pressure. Massage is also known to increase serotonin and dopamine levels, both of which reduce feelings of depression and anxiety.

Massage can reduce your pain.

Pain is something too many of us have accepted and learned to live with and work around. That is just plain sad and unnecessary. In many ways, massage therapy can reduce or eliminate pain. You see, our bodies react to pain by constricting muscles around injury areas. This tension is meant to decrease the injury to the area by protecting it, but it actually increases pain and inflammation. And it can become chronic. Massage can release this tension and allow better blood flow, so that areas of pain have a better chance of healing. In addition, massage therapy can increase range of motion and flexibility, which leads to better healing ability and relief from pain.

Massage can relieve your migraines.

Pain relief through massage is not limited to injuries to the body. Massage therapy has been proven to provide natural relief from migraine headaches. Regular massages for periods as short as 30 minutes reduce both the number of migraines a person experiences and the severity of migraine episodes. Massage therapy also decreases the stress, anxiety, and anger that accompany migraines.

Massage can help you sleep better and boost your immune system.

Lack of sleep or inability to fall to sleep is a major complaint for many people. Massage therapy can re-teach our bodies to naturally fall asleep by activating the delta waves that lead to deep sleep. In addition, massage therapy can help us avoid sickness by boosting our immune systems. This is not just by reducing stress; massage actually increases our white blood cells, which act as our little warriors to fight against disease and illness.

Massage can make you beautiful.

With the increase in blood flow that massage therapy provides, our hair and complexion become more radiant, and our skin plumped. Massage also boosts our lymphatic activity, which flushes toxins and allows nutrients to be better absorbed – leading to a healthier, more radiant, overall appearance.

Massage can tame your hormones.

Massage therapy has been proven to reduce or eliminate symptoms of PMS, such as bloating and severe mood swings. Massage therapy is also noted to reduce the severity of the symptoms of menopause.

The truth is: Massage therapy is not just a rich man’s luxury. It’s an investment in your health and well-being. Give yourself permission to enjoy massage therapy on a regular basis. You’ll enjoy not just the experience of the moment, but also the added health benefits that make you feel better, both mentally and physically.




http://www.themassagesource.com/articles/2013/02/the-true-benefits-of-massage-therapy/

Aromatherapy Massage Benefits

Aromatherapy massage confers immunological and psychological benefits

Massage that includes the application of fragrant essential oils reduces anxiety and stress and is beneficial to the immune system, according to recent research.

“Immunological and Psychological Benefits of Aromatherapy Massage” was conducted by staff at the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan.

The study group comprised 11 volunteers who were healthy and did not take any daily medication. To establish baselines, the subjects first completed psychological assessment forms and gave blood and saliva samples. Physiological conditions were measured through palmar Galvanic skin response (GSR), finger skin temperature and finger plethysmogram amplitude using a biofeedback system.

With baselines established, subjects were then placed in reclining seats and allowed to rest for two minutes. Then they performed a serial subtraction task for two minutes, and rested again for two minutes while experimenters monitored their physiological response.

After that, the subjects took a footbath at 42 C (107.6 F) for 5 minutes with one drop of tea tree oil and received a 30-minute aromatherapy massage or control massage. The psychological and physiological conditions were then remeasured. Blood was drawn and saliva was collected again.

All subjects received both an aromatherapy massage and a carrier-oil control massage at an interval of at least two weeks. The first five subjects received the aromatherapy massage before the carrier oil massage. The other six subjects received the carrier oil massage first.

Each subject received the same standardized massage of the back, shoulders, arms, hands, lower legs and feet with or without essential oils for 30 minutes by the same therapist. For the aromatherapy massage, 10–15 ml of sweet almond oil containing 0.15 ml of lavender oil, 0.1 ml of sweet marjoram oil and 0.05 ml of cypress oil was used. For the control massage, only sweet almond oil was used.

Psychological responses to treatment were assessed as changes in anxiety and depression according to State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) results. State anxiety scores from the STAI were significantly reduced after both aromatherapy massage and control massage compared with the baseline obtained before the massage. Although both STAI and SDS showed a significant reduction after treatment with aromatherapy and carrier massage, no difference between the aromatherapy and control massage was observed for STAI and SDS.

Peripheral blood-cell counts were compared.

Aromatherapy, in contrast to control massage, did not significantly reduce red blood cell count or hematocrit. However, aromatherapy massage showed a significant increase in peripheral blood lymphocytes.

“In our preliminary study, both aromatherapy massage and control massage decreased state anxiety significantly, and only aromatherapy massage increased peripheral blood lymphocytes,” state the study’s authors. “These results suggest that aromatherapy massage is a valuable relaxation technique for reducing anxiety and stress, and beneficial to the immune system.”

— Source: Department of Microbiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Japan, Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Japan, Department of Epidemiology for Community Health and Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Japan, Graduate School of Science for Human Services, Ritsumeikan University Japan, and Department of Research and Development, Hyper Plants Co., Ltd Japan. Originally published in Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2005 Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 179–184.