Cancer patients

• In 2004 the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management published a 3-year study which found that massage therapy reduced pain, fatigue, stress and other symptoms by approximately 50 percent in 1,290 cancer patients who were treated over a 3-year period. [Source]

Increased serotonin and dopamine

• In 2005 The International Journal of Neuroscience published a review of various studies which measured the effects of massage on a variety of conditions including pain syndrome, asthma, fatigue, depression, HIV and cancer. On average, in patients who received massage therapy, cortisol (stress hormone) was decreased by 31 percent and serotonin and dopamine were increased by 28 and 31 percent, respectively. [Source]

DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)

• In 2005 the Journal of Athletic Training published a study in which 10 subjects who completed 10 sets of exercises which targeted the arms had 10 minutes of massage performed on only one arm 3 hours after exercise. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) was reduced by 30 percent in the arm that received massage compared to the control arm. [Source]

Lower blood pressure

• In 2008 the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published a study in which 263 volunteers with muscle strains or muscle spasms had an average blood pressure reduction of 7.0 mm Hg and a heart rate reduction of 10.8 beats per minute after a 45-60 minute massage with relaxing music played in the background. [Source]

Hypertension

• In 2014 the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing published a meta-analysis of 9 clinical trials which found that massage lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with hypertension and prehypertension compared to controls. [Source]

Depression

• In 2010 The Journal of Psychiatry published a meta-analysis of 17 studies involving 786 subjects which found that massage is significantly associated with alleviated depressive symptoms. [Source]

Pain management

• In 2010 the International Journal of Massage & Bodywork published a study of 53 hospital patients which found that on a scale of 0-10 30-minute massage sessions reduced patient reported pain levels from 5.18 to 2.33 with additional benefits including improved sleep, relaxation, and emotional well-being. [Source]

Chronic Tension headaches

• In 2002 the American Journal of Public Health published an 8-week crossover study involving 10 subjects which found that two 30-minute massage therapy session per week, directed toward the neck and shoulders, significantly reduced tension headache frequency within one week. [Source]

Fibromyalgia

• In 2014 the Public Library of Science published a meta-analysis of 9 trials involving 404 patients which found that massage therapy for 5 weeks or more significantly improved pain, anxiety and depression associated with fibromyalgia. [Source]

Increased hair thickness – Scalp massage

• In 2016 Eplasty published a study in which 9 men who received 4 minutes of daily scalp massage saw increased hair thickness after 24 weeks. In vitro analysis also showed changes in gene expression, which may account for the increased thickness. [Source]