Part I: Patients Experiencing Pain in the General Population
This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to rigorously assess the quality of massage therapy research and evidence for its efficacy in treating pain, function-related and health-related quality of life outcomes across all pain populations.
Part I found that massage therapy may be beneficial, with minimal safety concerns, for treating various pain and function-related outcomes in pain populations. Specifically, results demonstrate the efficacy of massage therapy compared to sham, no treatment and active comparators. Compared to active comparators, massage therapy was also beneficial for treating anxiety and health-related quality of life.
Part II: Cancer Patient Populations
This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to rigorously assess the quality of massage therapy research and evidence for its efficacy in treating pain, function-related and health-related quality of life in cancer populations.
Massage therapy appears to be promising for reducing pain intensity/severity, fatigue, and anxiety in cancer populations compared to the active comparators evaluated in this systematic review. Patients should consider massage therapy as a therapeutic option to help manage their cancer pain.
Part III: Surgical Pain Populations
This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to rigorously assess the quality of the evidence for massage therapy’s efficacy in treating pain, function-related, and health-related quality of life outcomes in surgical pain populations.
Massage therapy appears to be efficacious for reducing pain and anxiety in patients who are either about to undergo or are recovering from surgical procedures.