Therapeutic Benefits of Massage

Massage relieves back pain: A study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (June 27, 2000) showed that 63 per cent of patients with subacute low back pain reported no pain after six treatments in one month of massage therapy. (Subacute is defined as having back pain between one and eight months and an absence of a specific condition such as pregnancy, bone fracture, nerve damage or severe psychiatric condition.)

A survey by Consumer Reports magazine says massage therapy is more effective than drugs when treating back pain. More than 40 per cent of patients said deep-tissue massage helped them feel much better, while only 35 per cent said that prescription drugs were effective.

Massage enhances immune function, fights infections: The American Massage Therapy Association found that massage therapy boosts the immune system, strengthening resistance to disease. The study, done by the Center for Research in Complementary and Alternative Medicine in New Jersey, found that after one full-body massage treatment, 56 per cent of the healthy female subjects experienced a significant increase in white blood cells and natural killer cell activity--key elements of disease resistance. Studies also show that massage therapy can relieve stress, which helps boost immunity as well (Psychosomatic Medicine, January/February 2000).

Massage helps moms and babies: Pregnant women who received 20-minute massages every hour for five hours during labour said they felt better and experienced less stress and labour pain than those who did not receive massage, according to a 1997 study by the Touch Research Institute in Florida. Post-birth, many women find massage therapy effective in correcting muscle imbalance and relieving neck and shoulder pain caused by breastfeeding.

Babies also benefit. Premature babies who received daily massages gained 47 per cent more weight than babies who did not receive daily massages, according to the Touch Research Institute. The study also found that babies from the massage group left the hospital an average of six days sooner, saving about $3,000 US in medical costs. Preemies massaged three times a day for as few as five days are more alert, and can sleep better and gain weight faster (Time, July 27, 1998).