Massage therapy reduces pain and improves quality of life for people with fibromyalgia says new research

People with fibromyalgia will be delighted to hear that massage therapy seems to reduce levels of stress and pain and improve quality of life, according to a small study in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.

A research group looked at the effects of a massage therapy programme on cortisol concentration (a hormone released during stress), intensity of pain, quality of life and perceived stress in 24 people with fibromyalgia.

The participants were given massage therapy twice a week for three months.

Data collected from questionnaires indicates that they had improved quality of life and reduced stress levels after the second and third months of massage and reduced pain after the third month. But cortisol levels as measured in the saliva were not affected by the programme. The team concludes:

“This pilot suggests that this treatment improved quality of life, reduced perceived stress index and pain in these volunteers.”

Click here to read the original research.

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