Massage Therapy Research

1. Massage Therapy Research Methods

2. Reducing Prematurity

Study 1 Pregnant women benefit from massage therapy

Study 2 Massage therapy effects on depressed pregnant women

Study 3 Fetal activity following stimulation of the mother’s abdomen, feet and hands

3. Enhancing Growth and Development

Study 1 Stable preterm infants gain more weight and sleep less after five days of massage therapy

Study 2 Vagal activity, gastric motility and weight gain in massaged preterm neonates

Study 3 Massage therapy by parents improves early growth and development

Study 4 Sleep problems in infants decrease following massage therapy

4. Increasing Attentiveness

Study 1 Massage enhances congnitive performance in normal infants

Study 2 Preschooler’s cognitive performance improves following massage

Study 3 Autism symptoms decrease following massage therapy

Study 4 Massage therapy improves mood and behaviour of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Study 5 Massage therapy of moderate and light pressure and vibrator effects on EEG and heart rate

Study 6 Aromatherapy positively affects mood, EEG patterns of alertness and math computations

5. Decreasing Depression and Aggression

Study 1 EEG during lavender and rosemary exposure in infants of depressed and non-depressed mothers

Study 2 Massage and music therapies attenuate frontal EEG asymmetry in depressed adolescents

Study 3 Aggressive adolescents benefit from massage therapy

6. Improving Neuromuscular Function

Study 1 Massage therapy and relaxation effects on university dance students

Study 2 Spinal cord patients benefit from massage therapy

Study 3 Cerebral palsy in children decreased after massage therapy

Study 4 Children with Down Syndrome improved in motor function and muscle tone following massage therapy

Study 5 Parkinson’s symptoms are reduced by massage therapy

7. Movement Studies

Study 1 Creative movement therapy benefits children with autism

Study 2 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: benefits from Tai Chi

Study 3 Movement and massage therapy reduce fibromyalgia pain

Study 4 Senior citizens benefit from movement therapy

8. Pain Reduction

Study 1 Children’s distress during burn treatment is reduced by massage therapy

Study 2 Lower back pain is reduced and range of motion increased after massage therapy

Study 3 Fibromyalgia pain and substance P decrease and sleep improves after massage therapy

Study 4 Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms are lessened following massage therapy

9. Enhancing Immune Function

Study 1 HIV adolescents show improved immune function following massage therapy

Study 2 Leukaemia immune changes following massage therapy

Study 3 Breast cancer patients have improved immune and neoroendocrine functions following massage therapy

Study 4 Natural killer cells and lymphocytes are increased in women with breast cancer following massage therapy

Appendix I: Sleep States and Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale

Appendix II: Massage Therapy Abstracts
Index