NATURAL KILLER CELLS AND LYMPHOCYTES INCREASE IN WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER FOLLOWING MASSAGE THERAPY A randomized controlled trial of aromatherapy massage in a hospice setting A novel clinical-trial design for the study of massage therapy. Massage relieves nausea in women with breast cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy. The effect of massage on pain in cancer patients. Therapeutic Massage and Healing Touch Improve Symptoms in Cancer Breast cancer patients have improved immune and neuroendocrine functions following massage therapy. Massage therapy for symptom control: outcome study at a major cancer center. Changes in cerebral blood flow under the prone condition with and without massage Massage Therapy versus Simple Touch to Improve Pain and Mood in Patients with Advanced Cancer Effects of Swedish massage on blood pressure. Impact of massage therapy on anxiety levels in patients undergoing radiation therapy: randomized controlled trial. Effects of Massage on Pain Intensity, Analgesics and Quality of Life in Patients with Cancer Pain: A Pilot Study of a Randomized Clinical Trial Conducted Within Hospice Care Delivery Massage therapy for patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation. Massage reduces pain perception and hyperalgesia in experimental muscle pain: a randomized, controlled trial.
Women diagnosed with breast cancer received massage therapy or practice d progressive muscle relaxation ( PMR ) for 30-min sessions 3 times a week for 5 weeks or received st and ard treatment . The massage therapy and relaxation groups reported less depressed mood , anxiety , and pain immediately after their first and last sessions . By the end of the study , however , only the massage therapy group reported being less depressed and less angry and having more vigor . Dopamine levels , Natural Killer cells , and lymphocytes also increased from the first to the last day of the study for the massage therapy group . These findings highlight the benefit of these complementary therapies , most particularly massage therapy , for women with breast cancer Research suggests that patients with cancer , particularly in the palliative care setting , are increasingly using aromatherapy and massage . There is good evidence that these therapies may be helpful for anxiety reduction for short periods , but few studies have looked at the longer term effects . This study was design ed to compare the effects of four-week courses of aromatherapy massage and massage alone on physical and psychological symptoms in patients with advanced cancer . Forty-two patients were r and omly allocated to receive weekly massages with lavender essential oil and an inert carrier oil ( aromatherapy group ) , an inert carrier oil only ( massage group ) or no intervention . Outcome measures included a Visual Analogue Scale ( VAS ) of pain intensity , the Verran and Snyder-Halpern ( VSH ) sleep scale , the Hospital Anxiety and Depression ( HAD ) scale and the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist ( RSCL ) . We were unable to demonstrate any significant long-term benefits of aromatherapy or massage in terms of improving pain control , anxiety or quality of life . However , sleep scores improved significantly in both the massage and the combined massage ( aromatherapy and massage ) groups . There were also statistically significant reductions in depression scores in the massage group . In this study of patients with advanced cancer , the addition of lavender essential oil did not appear to increase the beneficial effects of massage . Our results do suggest , however , that patients with high levels of psychological distress  respond best to these therapies OBJECTIVES To develop and test the feasibility and acceptability of a structured design for a massage therapy clinical trial that included a treatment arm design ed to control for the non-specific effects of a massage therapy intervention . DESIGN Pilot r and omized controlled clinical trial . SETTING University-integrated medicine research clinic . INTERVENTIONS Participants were r and omized to a structured Swedish-style massage therapy intervention , a light-touch bodywork control intervention , or usual medical care .  Details of the interventions are provided . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome measures were the adherence of the participants to the study protocol and the perception of the intervention experience . RESULTS Forty-four participants were r and omized . Participants often found adherence to the twice-weekly outpatient bodywork interventions to be somewhat difficult ; while , overall , 84 % of participants completed the study , only 76 % of those in an intervention arm successfully completed the trial . Participants r and omized to the massage arm expressed uniformly positive attitudes both before and after the intervention . While some participants r and omized to the light-touch bodywork arm initially expressed some reservations about their r and omization assignment , all participants available for interview were pleased with their experience after the intervention period . CONCLUSIONS The proposed design was found to be relatively straightforward to implement and acceptable to participants . Early disappointment with not receiving massage therapy expressed by the light-touch intervention participants dissipated quickly . Twice-weekly outpatient intervention appointments were found to be highly burdensome for many patients actively undergoing chemotherapy , thus reducing adherence OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of massage on nausea , anxiety , and depression in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy . DESIGN This work was a single-center , prospect i ve , r and omized , controlled trial . SETTING S/LOCATION This study was conducted in an oncology clinic , in a hospital in southwestern Sweden . SUBJECTS Thirty-nine ( 39 ) women ( mean age = 51.8 ) with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy were enrolled . INTERVENTIONS The patients were r and omly assigned to a massage therapy group ( 20 minutes of massage on five occasions ) or a control group ( five 20-minute visits ) . OUTCOME MEASURES All patients recorded nausea and anxiety on the Visual Analogue Scale before and after each intervention . They also completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale . RESULTS Massage treatment significantly reduced nausea compared with control treatment ( p = 0.025 ) when improvement was measured as a percentage of the five treatment periods . Differences in anxiety and depression between the two treatment regimes could not be statistically demonstrated . CONCLUSIONS This study complements previous studies on the effect of massage and supports the conclusion that massage reduces nausea in these patients Evaluating the effectiveness of nursing interventions in decreasing pain is a top priority for clinical research . Unfortunately , most of the research on cancer pain relief has been limited to treatment studies involving the administration of analgesics . Research is needed to determine which nonanalgesic methods of pain control are effective and under what conditions . Consequently , an experimental study was design ed to test the effectiveness of massage as an intervention for cancer pain . Twenty-eight patients were r and omly assigned to a  massage or control group .  The patients in the massage group were given a 10 minute massage to the back ; the patients in the control group were visited for 10 minutes . For males , there was a significant decrease in pain level immediately after the massage . For females , there was not a significant decrease in pain level immediately after the massage . There were no significant differences between pain 1 hour and 2 hours after the massage in comparison with the initial pain for males or females . Massage was shown to be an effective short-term nursing intervention for pain in males in this sample Complementary therapies are increasingly used to reduce side effects of cancer treatment , without evidence for their effectiveness . In a r and omized , prospect i ve , 2-period , crossover intervention study , the authors tested the effects of therapeutic massage ( MT ) and healing touch ( HT ) , in comparison to presence alone or st and ard care , in inducing relaxation and reducing symptoms in 230 subjects . MT and HT lowered blood pressure , respiratory rate ( RR ) , and heart rate ( HR ) . MT lowered anxiety and HT lowered fatigue , and both lowered totalmooddisturbance . Pain ratings were lower after MT and HT , with 4-week nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug use less during MT . There were no effects on nausea . Presence reduced RR and HR but did not differ from st and ard care on any measure of pain , nausea , mood states , anxiety , or fatigue . MT and HT are more effective than presence alone or st and ard care in reducing pain , mood disturbance , and fatigue in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy OBJECTIVES Women with breast cancer are at risk for elevated depression , anxiety , and decreased natural killer ( NK ) cell number . Stress has been linked to increased tumor development by decreasing NK cell activity . The objectives of this study included examining massage therapy for women with breast cancer for ( 1 ) improving mood and biological measures associated with mood enhancement ( serotonin , dopamine ) , ( 2 ) reducing stress and stress hormone levels , and ( 3 ) boosting immune measures . METHODS Thirty-four women ( M age=53 ) diagnosed with Stage 1 or 2 breast cancer were r and omly assigned postsurgery to a massage therapy group ( to receive 30-min massages three times per week for 5 weeks ) or a control group . The massage consisted of stroking , squeezing , and stretching techniques to the head , arms , legs/feet , and back . On the first and last day of the study , the women were assessed on ( 1 ) immediate effects measures of anxiety , depressed mood , and vigor and ( 2 ) longer term effects on depression , anxiety and hostility , functioning , body image , and avoidant versus intrusive coping style , in addition to urinary catecholamines ( norepinephrine , epinephrine , and dopamine ) and serotonin levels . A subset of 27 women ( n=15 massage ) had blood drawn to assay immune measures . RESULTS The immediate massage therapy effects included reduced anxiety , depressed mood , and anger . The longer term massage effects included reduced depression and hostility and increased urinary dopamine , serotonin values , NK cell number , and lymphocytes . CONCLUSIONS Women with Stage 1 and 2 breast cancer may benefit from thrice-weekly massage therapy for reducing depressed mood , anxiety , and anger and for enhancing dopamine , serotonin , and NK cell number and lymphocytes Massage is increasingly applied to relieve symptoms in patients with cancer . This practice is supported by evidence from small r and omized trials . No study has examined massage therapy outcome in a large group of patients . At Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center , patients report symptom severity pre- and post-massage therapy using 0 - 10 rating scales of pain , fatigue , stress/anxiety , nausea , depression and " other . " Changes in symptom scores and the modifying effects of patient status ( in- or outpatient ) and type of massage were analyzed . Over a three-year period , 1,290 patients were treated .  Symptom scores were reduced by approximately 50 % , even for patients reporting high baseline scores . Out patients improved about 10 % more than in patients . Benefits persisted , with out patients experiencing no return toward baseline scores throughout the duration of 48-hour follow-up . These data indicate that massage therapy is associated with substantive improvement in cancer patients ' symptom scores To investigate changes in regional cerebral blood flow ( rCBF ) under the prone condition with and without light massage on the back , we measured rCBF quantitatively in healthy human subjects using positron emission tomography with H(2)15O . Biochemical tests showed that the light massage ( palm-pressure ) reduced levels of stress-related serum cortisol and salivary stress protein chromogranin-A measured after the PET examination . Absolute rCBF significantly increased in the parietal cortex ( precuneus ) under the prone condition compared with the supine condition , and this rCBF increase was in parallel with comfortable sensation and slowing heart rate during the massage . Correlation analysis in statistical parametric mapping showed that the amygdalar and basal forebrain rCBF correlated with parasympathetic function ( heart rate reduction ) , indicating involvement of the forebrain-amygdala system in mediating activities in the autonomic nervous system in the presence of comfortable sensation . To conclude , prone posture itself can stimulate the precuneus region to raise awareness , and the light massage on the back may help accommo date the brain to comfortable stimulation Context Some patients nearing death seek pain relief with massage , but little is known about the effectiveness of massage in managing pain in palliative care setting s. Contribution In this r and omized trial in 380 patients with advanced cancer , improvement in  pain and mood immediately after treatment was greater with massage than with simple touch . Unfortunately , there were no sustained differences in pain , quality of life , or analgesic use during 3 weeks . Adverse effects were infrequent and similar in both groups . Implication Massage may offer some immediate relief for patients with advanced cancer , but the absence of sustained effects demonstrates the need for more effective strategies to manage pain at the end of life . The Editors Symptom relief is central to end-of-life care ; however , many terminally ill individuals experience serious pain and other physical and emotional symptoms ( 14 ) . Studies examining the efficacy of therapies that may mediate these symptoms deserve the highest priority . The Institute of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health recommend research directed at improving end-of-life care ( 5 , 6 ) . Pain associated with advanced cancer can cause physical and emotional distress , leading to decreased functional ability and quality of life . Massage may interrupt the cycle of distress through the therapist 's intention ( presence , communication , and desire to produce a therapeutic response ) , induction of a relaxation response , increased blood and lymphatic circulation , potentiation of analgesic effects , decreased inflammation and edema , manual release of muscle spasms , increased endogenous endorphin release , and competing sensory stimuli that override pain signals ( 711 ) . Despite theoretical bases supporting the use and growing acceptance of massage therapy , few r and omized clinical trials have assessed its efficacy . Large trials have been difficult to design and carry out ; challenges include frailty of patients with late-stage cancer and reluctance of health care providers to refer patients because of the possibility of r and omization to nonmassage therapy control ( 12 ) . Therapeutic massage can reduce pain and improve symptom distress and quality of life for patients with cancer at the end of life . The purpose of the REST ( Reducing End-of-Life Symptoms with Touch ) study was to evaluate the efficacy of massage compared with an exposure controlling for time , attention , and touch . We hypothesized that massage would decrease pain and explored effects on quality of life , physical and emotional symptom distress , and analgesic medicine use . Methods Design Overview We conducted this prospect i ve , 2-group , r and omized , single-blind trial between November 2003 and October 2006 . After we evaluated patients for inclusion and exclusion criteria , patients provided written informed consent . Then we r and omly assigned patients to a treatment group ( massage ) or control exposure ( simple touch ) . Figure 1 depicts the timing of the study procedures for a hypothetical participant . We collected individual characteristics , disease , pain characteristics , symptom distress , quality of life , functional status ( Karnofsky Performance Scale score ) ( 13 ) , expected helpfulness of massage for pain , and concurrent interventions ( pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic ) at baseline ( within 72 hours of study enrollment ) and at 3 subsequent weekly visits over the 3 to 4 weeks of participation ( sustained outcomes ) . Final data collection occurred approximately 1 week after the final treatment . Data collectors were blinded to treatment assignment . Participants received up to six 30-minute treatments over 2 weeks , with at least 24 hours between treatment sessions . The initial treatment session occurred within 48 hours of baseline data collection . The treatment provider and patient determined the scheduling of treatment sessions . Treatment providers who were not blinded to treatment assignment obtained the immediate outcomes just before and after every treatment session . All participants received routine care in addition to the specified interventions . The Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board and , where applicable , site-specific institutional review boards approved the study . Figure 1 . Study overview : timing of study procedures . Setting and Participants Study sites included 15 U.S. hospices that are members of the Population -based Palliative Care Research Network ( PoPCRN ) ( 14 ) and the University of Colorado Cancer Center , Aurora , Colorado . Eligible participants were English-speaking adults with advanced cancer ( stage III or IV , all cancer types , any care setting ) who had at least moderate pain ( score 4 on a 0- to 10-point scale ) in the week before enrollment , an anticipated life expectancy of at least 3 weeks , and the ability to consent . Exclusion criteria included receipt of professional massage within 1 month of enrollment , anticoagulant therapy , known platelet count less than 10109 cells/L , or known unstable spine . R and omization and Interventions Verification of eligibility was forwarded by a study coordinator from each study site to the University of Colorado research ers . Two design ated investigators r and omly assigned patients ; assignments were transmitted back to the requesting site . All study personnel other than the on-site study coordinators and these 2 design ated investigators were blinded to the r and omization sequence . An SAS software program ( SAS Institute , Cary , North Carolina ) generated the r and omization sequence by producing a r and omized block design stratified by study site . Block size r and omly varied among 2 , 4 , and 6 so that it was not possible to predict the next assignment . To minimize the likelihood that potential participants would decline enrollment because of reluctance to be r and omly assigned , we offered massage after study completion to those assigned to the control group . Experimental Treatment : Massage Therapy The massage intervention included gentle effleurage , petrissage , and myofascial trigger point release . Effleurage is a smooth , gliding stroke ; petrissage is squeezing , rolling , and kneading the muscles ; and trigger point release provides concentrated finger pressure to painful localized areas in muscles to break cycles of spasm and pain ( 15 ) . Individual therapist judgment dictated the frequency of rhythm , rate , or stroke ; sequence or mix of strokes ; time spent in each stroke ; stroke length ; and body area massaged ( 16 ) . Massage therapists spent 65 % of the time in effleurage and 35 % in petrissage . The most frequently massaged areas of the body were the neck and upper back ( about 80 % of the time ) and arms , h and s , lower legs , and feet ( about 75 % of the time ) . Other areas , such as the chest , abdomen , buttocks , back of the thighs , and forehead were massaged less than 50 % of the time . Therapists appropriately modified massage in persons with skin fragility , postural limitations , edema , osteoporosis , or bone metastasis . Therapists avoided sites of inflammation or infection , hyperesthesias , injury , surgery , ports , catheters , deep venous thrombosis , and tumors . Therapists identified and treated up to 3 myofascial trigger points per session ( located 15 % to 25 % of the time in the neck , upper trapezius , and lower trapezius regions ) . One half of the sessions were provided with the patient supine , 25 % seated , and the remainder split between side-lying and prone positions . Temperature and level of privacy varied with setting . Fewer than 25 % of participants were unclothed during treatments . Massage was performed by licensed massage therapists who had at least 6 months of experience treating patients with advanced cancer or hospice patients and completed a minimum 500-hour program of study in massage from an institution recognized by their state as a vocational school . Control Exposure We design ed the control exposure , simple touch , to control for the time , attention , touch , and healing intent components of the intervention ( 17 ) . The control consisted of placement of both h and s on the participant for 3 minutes at each of the following locations bilaterally : base of neck , shoulder blades , lower back , calves , heels , clavicles , lower arms , h and s , patellae , and feet . Pressure was light and consistent , with no side-to-side h and movement . Control therapy providers interrupted conscious healing intention by silently counting backward from 100 by 7 , reciting nursery rhymes , or planning their day 's activities ( 18 , 19 ) . The control treatments were provided by individuals with no past body or energy work experience . All treatment providers participated in st and ardized h and s-on training , received a study manual and training video , and were evaluated for competency in study procedures . We monitored adherence to study protocol s during twice-yearly site visits . Treatment providers in both groups used Biotone hypoallergenic unscented massage cream ( Biotone , San Diego , California ) . For the purpose s of st and ardization and to mediate the presence of intervening variables , we did not permit music , essential oils , or energy work and instructed treatment providers to limit their communication to providing instructions or responding to therapy-related questions . To minimize variation by treatment provider , 1 primary massage therapist or simple-touch provider per participant at each study site administered study treatments . Outcomes and Follow-up We used face-to-face , interviewer-administered question naires to collect all study data . We measured neuropathic pain at baseline only by the Neuropathy Pain Scale ( 0- to 10-point scale ) , which is sensitive to pain qualities most common to neuropathic pain syndromes ( 20 , 21 ) . Presence of neuropathic pain was defined as a Neuropathy Pain Scale summary score greater than 3 . Primary Outcomes : Immediate and Sustained Change in Pain The immediate effect was measured by the pain intensity scale of the Memorial Pain Assessment Card ( MPAC ) ( 0 to 10 points ; 10 = worst pain ) ( 22 ) . The sustained effect was measured Swedish massage technique includes mechanically activated muscular tissue and also skin , tendons , fascias , and connected tissue , which indirectly regulates the tonus of the autonomous nervous system . This study set out to examine the effects of  Swedish massage on blood pressure . Healthy males were given massage treatment at the Karolinska Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden . Treatment was over a 12-week period divided into three parts , each consisting of 4 weeks . Two treatment periods contained massage treatment either on back , neck and chest ( BNC ) , or leg , arm and face ( LAF ) , with an in between washout period . The first treatment period with massage decreased systolic blood pressure directly after treatment ( BNC : P<0.005 , LAF : P<0.01 ) , but no significant changes were seen in diastolic blood pressure . In the second period , BNC massage decreased systolic ( P<0.005 ) and diastolic ( P<0.005 ) blood pressure whereas LAF massage ( P<0.05 ) increased systolic blood pressure .  Swedish massage on the BNC result ed in a minor decrease in blood pressure possibly due to sympathetic inhibition . It may be suggested that massage may be tried as a complementary therapy in patients suffering from increased  blood pressure  due to stress Anxiety is a major issue in the cancer patient population . This r and omized phase III trial evaluated the effects of massage therapy on anxiety levels in patients undergoing radiation therapy . Patients undergoing radiation therapy  were r and omly assigned to either 10 massage sessions or control sessions .  Anxiety levels were evaluated throughout the course of treatment using both the visual analogue scale ( VAS ) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory ( STAI ) . The immediate effect of massage therapy on anxiety scores was measured via pre- and postmassage VAS scores . The intermediate-term effect of massage was assessed through the VAS scores over the 10 sessions and STAI scores at the last session . The trial 's primary outcome was the difference in intermediate-term anxiety scores , whereas the secondary outcome was the difference in immediate anxiety scores .  Between January 2006 and June 2006 , 100 patients were r and omized . After their massage , the patients ' immediate postmassage anxiety score according to the VAS was reduced by an average of 45 % compared with their premassage score ( p < .001 ) . No impact of massage therapy on intermediate-term anxiety scores was observed . Both groups showed a similar decline in VAS anxiety scores from the first to the last session , that is , 15 % and 19 % in the massage therapy and control groups , respectively ( p = .73 ) . Furthermore , no difference was observed between the groups ' respective state-anxiety scores after the 10 sessions . Massage therapy is associated with a significant , immediate decrease in anxiety scores . However , massage therapy appears to have no major impact on intermediate-term anxiety in patients undergoing radiation therapy ABSTRACT Aims : In a r and omized controlled clinical trial ( RCCT ) , we examined the effects of four massages on pain intensity , prescribed IM morphine equivalent doses ( IMMSEQ ) , hospital admissions , and quality of life ( QoL ) . Methods : Of 173 referred patients , 29 ( 14 control , 15 massage ) completed this pilot study . Subjects were 69 % male and aged 63 years on average . Licensed therapists administered four , twice-weekly massages . Baseline and outcome measurements were obtained by other team members before the first and after the fourth massages . Results : Pain intensity , pulse rate , and respiratory rate were significantly reduced immediately after the massages . At study entry , the massage group reported higher pain intensity ( 2.4 ± 2.8 vs. 1.6 ± 2.1 ) which decreased by 42 % ( 1.4 ± 1.5 ) compared to a 25 % reduction in the control group ( 1.2 ± 1.3 ) ( p > .05 ) . IMMSEQ doses were stable or decreased for eight patients in each group and increased for seven massage and six control group patients . One massage group and two control group patients were hospitalized . All initial QoL scores were higher in the massage group than in the control group , but only current QoL was statistically significant . Both groups reported improved global QoL. The control group reported slight improvement in current QoL and satisfaction with QoL whereas these two aspects of QoL declined in the massage group even though their average QoL scores were higher than the control group at the end of the study . Conclusions : We demonstrated feasibility of conducting an RCCT in which we systematic ally implemented massage as a nonpharmacologic comfort therapy along with our usual hospice care . The massage intervention produced immediate relaxation and pain relief effects . A power analysis based on trends in the longer-term effects indicate that a study with 80 subjects per group is likely to detect statistically significant effects of usual hospice care with twice-weekly massage therapy sessions on pain intensity , analgesic dosages , and quality of life . Lessons we learned from conducting this pilot study are being used to improve documentation of our hospice program outcomes and to plan a definitive study . [ Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service : 1 - 800 - 342 - 9678 . E-mail address : getinfo@haworthpressinc.com The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of massage therapy on psychological , physical , and psychophysiological measures in patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation ( BMT ) . Patients scheduled to undergo BMT were r and omly assigned to receive either ( a ) massage therapy , consisting of 20-minute sessions of shoulder , neck , head , and facial massage , or ( b ) st and ard treatment . Overall effects of massage therapy on anxiety , depression , and mood were assessed pretreatment , midtreatment , and prior to discharge using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory , Beck Depression Inventory , and Brief Profile of Mood States , respectively . The immediate effects of massage were measured via the State Anxiety Inventory , Numerical Scales of Distress , Fatigue , Nausea , and Pain and indices of psychophysiological arousal ( heart rate , blood pressure , and respiration rate ) , collected prior to and following patients ' first , fifth , and final massage ( on Days--7 , midtreatment , and predischarge ) . Analysis of the data evaluating the immediate effects of massage showed that patients in the massage therapy group demonstrated significantly larger reductions in distress , fatigue , nausea , and State Anxiety than the st and ard treatment group at Day-7 , in State Anxiety at midtreatment , and in fatigue at the predischarge assessment . The overall measures of psychological symptoms measured at pretreatment , midtreatment , and prior to discharge showed no overall group differences , although the massage group scored significantly lower on the State Anxiety Inventory than the st and ard care group at the midtreatment assessment . The two groups together showed significant declines through time on scores from the Profile of Mood States and State and Trait Anxiety Inventories UNLABELLED Massage is a common conservative intervention used to treat myalgia . Although subjective reports have supported the premise that massage decreases pain , few studies have systematic ally investigated the dose response characteristics of massage relative to a control group . The purpose of this study was to perform a double-blinded , r and omized controlled trial of the effects of massage on mechanical hyperalgesia ( pressure pain thresholds , PPT ) and perceived pain using delayed onset muscle soreness ( DOMS ) as an endogenous model of myalgia . Participants were r and omly assigned to a no-treatment control , superficial touch , or deep-tissue massage group . Eccentric wrist extension exercises were performed at visit 1 to induce DOMS 48 hours later at visit 2 . Pain , assessed using visual analog scales ( VAS ) , and PPTs were measured at baseline , after exercise , before treatment , and after treatment . Deep massage decreased pain ( 48.4 % DOMS reversal ) during muscle stretch . Mechanical hyperalgesia was reduced ( 27.5 % reversal ) after both the deep massage and superficial touch groups relative to control ( increased hyperalgesia by 38.4 % ) . Resting pain did not vary between treatment groups . PERSPECTIVE This r and omized , controlled trial suggests that massage is capable of reducing myalgia symptoms by approximately 25 % to 50 % , varying with assessment technique . Thus , potential analgesia may depend on the pain assessment used . This information may assist clinicians in determining conservative treatment options for patients with myalgia
Introduction Massage is a popular adjunct to cancer palliation .
This systematic review is aim ed at critically evaluating all available r and omised clinical trials of massage in cancer palliation .