Therapeutic Massage

Therapeutic Massage

Home Health Information Massage Therapy: What You Need To Know
Massage Therapy: What You Need To Know
What are the different types of massage?
Can massage be helpful for fibromyalgia symptoms?
Can massage therapy be helpful for people with HIV/AIDS?
What are the risks of massage therapy?
What are the requirements to become a massage therapist?

Don’t use massage therapy to postpone seeing a health care provider about a medical problem.
If you’re unsure whether massage therapy would be appropriate for you, discuss your concerns with your health care provider, who may also be able to help you select a massage therapist.
Ask about the training, experience, and credentials of the massage therapist you are considering. Also ask about the number of treatments that might be needed, the cost, and insurance coverage.
For more tips on finding a massage therapist or other complementary health practitioner, see NCCIH’s webpage How To Find a Complementary Health Practitioner .

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Noninvasive Treatments for Low Back Pain . AHRQ Publication No. 16-EHC004-EF. February 2016.
Bennett C, Underdown A, Barlow J. Massage for promoting mental and physical health in typically developing infants under the age of six months . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2013;(4):CD005038. Accessed at http://www.cochranelibrary.com on January 21, 2017.
Cortés Godoy V, Gallego Izquierdo T, Lázaro Navas I, et al. Effectiveness of massage therapy as co-adjuvant treatment to exercise in osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized controlled trial . Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation . 2014;27(4):521-529.
Furlan AD, Giraldo M, Baskwill A, et al. Massage for low-back pain . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . 2015;(9):CD001929. Accessed at www.cochranelibrary.com on January 26, 2017.
Happe S, Peikert A, Siegert R, et al. The efficacy of lymphatic drainage and traditional massage in the prophylaxis of migraine: a randomized, controlled parallel group study . Neurological Sciences . 2016;37(10):1627-1632.
Hillier SL, Louw Q, Morris L, et al. Massage therapy for people with HIV/AIDS . Cochrane Database of Systematic Review s. 2010;(1):CD007502. Accessed at www.cochranelibrary.com on August 18, 2017.
Niemi A-K. Review of randomized controlled trials of massage in preterm infants . Children . 2017;4(4):pii:E21
Qaseem A, Wilt TJ, McLean RM, et al. Noninvasive treatments for acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians . Annals of Internal Medicine . 2017;166(7):514-530.
Shin ES, Seo KH, Lee SH, et al. Massage with or without aromatherapy for symptom relief in people with cancer . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . 2016;(6):CD009873. Accessed at www.cochranelibrary.com on January 26, 2017.
Yin P, Gao N, Wu J, et al. Adverse events of massage therapy in pain-related conditions: a systematic review . Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine . 2014;2014;480956.

Bao Y, Kong X, Yang L, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine for cancer pain: an overview of systematic reviews. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2014;2014;170396.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Massage Therapists. Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site. Accessed at www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Massage-therapists.htm on July 28, 2017.
Chang CY, Wu YT, Chen LC, et al. Massage-induced brachial plexus injury. Physical Therapy . 2015;95(1):109-116.
Collinge W, MacDonald G, Walton T. Massage in supportive cancer care. Seminars in Oncology Nursing. 2012;28(1):45-54.
Crump C, Paluska SA. Venous thromboembolism following vigorous deep tissue massage. The Physician and Sportsmedicine . 2010;38(4):136-139.
Deng GE, Rausch SM, Jones LW, et al. Complementary therapies and integrative medicine in lung cancer: Diagnosis and management of lung cancer, 3rd ed: American College of Chest Physicians evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Chest . 2013;143(5 Suppl):e420S-e436S.
Field T, Diego M, Gonzalez G, et al. Knee arthritis pain is reduced and range of motion is increased following moderate pressure massage therapy. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice . 2015;21(4):233-237.
Greenlee H, Balneaves LG, Carlson LE, et al. Clinical practice guidelines on the use of integrative therapies as supportive care in patients treated for breast cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Institute Monographs . 2014;2014(50):346-358.
Guo Z, Chen W, Su Y, et al. Isolated unilateral vertebral pedicle fracture caused by a back massage in an elderly patient: a case report and literature review. European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology . 2013;23 Suppl 2:S149-S153.
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Massage therapy is used to help manage a health condition or enhance wellness. It involves manipulating the soft tissues of the body. Massage has been practiced in most cultures, both Eastern and Western, throughout human history, and was one of the earliest tools that people used to try to relieve pain.
The term “massage therapy” includes many techniques. The most common form of massage therapy in Western countries is called Swedish or classical massage; it is the core of most massage training programs. Other styles include sports massage, clinical massage to accomplish specific goals such as releasing muscle spasms, and massage traditions derived from Eastern cultures, such as Shiatsu and Tuina.
Massage therapy has been studied for several types of pain, including low-back pain, neck and shoulder pain, pain from osteoarthritis of the knee, and headaches. Here’s what the science says:
Several evaluations of massage for low-back pain have found only weak evidence that it may be helpful.
Massage therapy may be helpful for neck or shoulder pain, but the benefits may only last for a short time.
The small amount of research that’s been done on massage therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee suggests that it may have short-term benefits in relieving knee pain.
Only a small number of studies of massage for headache have been completed. These studies looked at different types of massage and different types of headache, and their results are not consistent.
With appropriate precautions, massage therapy can be part of supportive care for cancer patients who would like to try it; however, the evidence that it can relieve pain and anxiety is not strong.
For more information, see NCCIH’s fact sheet on cancer .
Massage therapy may be helpful for some fibromyalgia symptoms if it’s continued for long enough.
There’s some evidence that massage therapy may have benefits for anxiety, depression, and quality of life in people with HIV/AIDS, but the amount of research and number of people studied are small.
There’s evidence that premature babies who are massaged may have improved weight gain. No benefits of massage for normal full-term infants have been clearly demonstrated.
The risk of harmful effects from massage therapy appears to be low. However, there have been rare reports of serious side effects, such as a blood clot, nerve injury, or bone fracture. Some of the reported cases have involved vigorous types of massage, such as deep tissue massage, or patients who might be at increased risk of injury, such as elderly people.
In states that regulate massage therapy (45 states and the District of Columbia), therapists must get a license or certification before practicing massage. State regulations typically require graduation from an approved program and passing an examination.
Some massage therapists obtain certification from the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork. To do this, they must meet specific educational requirements, undergo a background check, and pass an examination.
NCCIH-sponsored studies have investigated various aspects of massage therapy, including
The NCCIH Clearinghouse provides information on NCCIH and complementary and integrative health approaches, including publications and searches of Federal databases of scientific and medical literature. The Clearinghouse does not provide medical advice, treatment recommendations, or referrals to practitioners.
Toll-free in the U.S.: 1-888-644-6226
Telecommunications relay service (TRS): 7-1-1
Email: info@nccih.nih.gov (link sends email)
NCCIH and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provide tools to help you understand the basics and terminology of scientific research so you can make well-informed decisions about your health. Know the Science features a variety of materials, including interactive modules, quizzes, and videos, as well as links to informative content from Federal resources designed to help consumers make sense of health information.
A service of the National Library of Medicine, PubMed® contains publication information and (in most cases) brief summaries of articles from scientific and medical journals. For guidance from NCCIH on using PubMed, see How To Find Information About Complementary Health Approaches on PubMed .
To provide resources that help answer health questions, MedlinePlus (a service of the National Library of Medicine) brings together authoritative information from the National Institutes of Health as well as other Government agencies and health-related organizations.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has created a website, NIH Clinical Research Trials and You, to help people learn about clinical trials, why they matter, and how to participate. The site includes questions and answers about clinical trials, guidance on how to find clinical trials through ClinicalTrials.gov and other resources, and stories about the personal experiences of clinical trial participants. Clinical trials are necessary to find better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews is a collection of evidence-based reviews produced by the Cochrane Library, an international nonprofit organization. The reviews summarize the results of clinical trials on health care interventions. Summaries are free; full-text reviews are by subscription only.
NCCIH thanks Lanay Mudd, Ph.D., and David Shurtleff, Ph.D., NCCIH, for their technical expertise and review of the 2019 update of this publication.
This publication is not copyrighted and is in the public domain. Duplication is encouraged.
NCCIH has provided this material for your information. It is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider(s). We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with your health care provider. The mention of any product, service, or therapy is not an endorsement by NCCIH.
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Therapeutic massage may relieve pain by way of several mechanisms, including relaxing painful muscles, tendons, and joints; relieving stress and anxiety; and possibly helping to “close the pain gate” by stimulating competing nerve fibers and impeding pain messages to and from the brain.
Therapeutic massage is an active area of research. In particular, it has been studied for its effect on pain in the back, hands, neck, and knees, among other areas. A study published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice showed a reduction in hand pain and an improvement in grip strength among people who had four weekly hand massage sessions and did self-massage at home. They also slept better and had less anxiety and depression than people in the control group who didn’t receive hand massage.
A study published in Annals of Family Medicine in 2014 found that 60-minute therapeutic massage sessions two or three times a week for four weeks relieved chronic neck pain better than no massage or fewer or shorter massage sessions.
Massage therapy can involve varying degrees of pressure. Some people find certain forms of massage, such as deep tissue massage, to be painful. Massage doesn’t have to be painful to be therapeutic, so be sure to tell your therapist the type of touch you prefer (light touch, firm pressure, hard pressure). Lighter may be more relaxing and therefore more beneficial, depending on your situation. People with certain pain conditions such as fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome may only be able to tolerate light pressure.
There are no data to suggest that massage is harmful, but there are some specific situations where it is not recommended: massaging an inflamed area of skin, for example, can make it worse by causing irritation. One should not have massage to an area of infection, as it might spread the infection. The American Massage Therapy Association lists heart problems, infectious disease, phlebitis, and some skin conditions as reasons to avoid massage. Choose a licensed therapist; your PT may be able to make a recommendation.

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No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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10 Types of Therapeutic Massage and the Health Benefits of Massage Therapy
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