Massage Therapy Pros and Cons in Light of Research Evidence

Have you ever heard anybody saying how many benefits massage therapy can have? Has anybody recommended to you that you need to experience massage therapy? In the current era, massage therapy is not only provided by health clubs or luxury spas. Today this treatment is also being provided by businesses, hospitals and clinics.

Massage basically means to press or rub on the skin and muscles. The therapist does this with his or her hands, fingers, elbows and feet, etc. Some of the most common types of massage being offered mostly include Swedish massage, deep massage, sports massage and trigger point massage. Depending on the requirements of the patient, a therapist can offer any of the above types of massage.

Benefits of Massage Therapy

Numerous researchers have tried to explore the benefits of massage therapy. Dr. Christopher has explored the theory that massage therapy is beneficial in reducing stress and anxiety, whereas research conducted by the Touch Research Institute demonstrated that massage therapy is beneficial for treatment of many diseases like cancer and autism. Similarly, research conducted by the Annals of Internal Medicine supports the research findings of the Touch Research Institute by stating that massage does help in curing cancer patients.

Back pain is considered to be one of the most common health problems faced today, especially by women and elderly people. Evidence and research shows that massage therapy is very helpful in curing back pain.

According to one of the research studies conducted by Furlan et.al, 75% of massage therapy products are being purchased by patients for curing back pain. They also state that each year, a huge amount of money is being spent by people on massages for curing back pain. Similarly, research conducted by other medical experts such as Daniel Cherkin and Richard Deyo support the above findings.

Some other studies have also enumerated other benefits of using massage therapy. They have found that it is helpful for treating digestion disorders, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, soft tissue strains or injuries, and sports injuries. Sam Homola on the other hand, explores another benefit of using massage therapy by stating that it is very helpful in curing headaches.

When Massage Therapy can be Risky

Though many researchers have explored the benefits of using massage therapy, some other researchers have discovered that massage therapy can have potential harmful side effects. One of the research studies conducted in 2007 found that while conducting a survey of 100 patients, 10% have reported discomfort due to the use of massage therapy. Similarly, scientific research has proved that massage therapy has no role in increasing circulation, which is a myth mostly claimed by massage therapists.

Medical experts have identified situations where the use of massage is not considered appropriate. These conditions include if patient has a bleeding disorder, fracture, burned skin, open wounds, etc. If a patient is suffering from these problems, then he/she should consult the doctor before using massage therapy.

Conclusion

In short, massage therapy is considered and proved to be beneficial for many patients, but not for everybody. Many people use massage therapy for relaxation and for relief from various ailments, but there is still some dispute about whether it is actually a cure.