The magic touch: how healthy are massages actually? | Well actually

Massages can be enjoyable. But are they really good for you?

In one study, researchers observed that 8.5% of Americans reported using massage for their “overall health” in the 2022 National Health Survey. However, definitions of health tend to vary widely, says the study’s first author, Jeff Levin, an epidemiologist and distinguished professor at Baylor University. For example, does it refer to physical health, mental health, or both? That makes it difficult to study, but it may explain why it has such appeal, Levin says.

Research generally seeks to establish specific causal relationships. But the impact of massage appears to be holistic in nature, integrating physical, emotional and neurological effects, says Niki Munk, a licensed massage therapist, associate professor at Indiana University in Indianapolis and director of research at the Massage Therapy Foundation.

Although some view massage as a luxury, it has always been a part of health care, notes Munk. It is increasingly being integrated into hospital care as research and patient experience support its potential benefits.

Experts say massage can benefit anyone, regardless of their health condition.

Who can help with a massage?

Dr. Carla Kuon, associate professor of internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, was looking for an opioid-free way to relieve patients’ pain. In 2017, inspired by UCSF’s pediatric bone marrow transplant massage program, she raised money, then launched a similar service for adult patients the following year.

A 2018 A study of the adult service showed that massages were “very beneficial for distress, pain, tension, anxiety, fatigue and improved sleep,” says Kuon, who is also a faculty member at the Osher Center for Integrative Health. Participants also reported an improved sense of well-being.

According to Kuon, many studies show that pleasant touch creates a calming effect, sending signals to the brain that you are safe.

“We all thrive on caring, compassionate touch,” Kuon says. “I think anyone could benefit from it [from massage] because it releases natural endorphins which promote a feeling of well-being and happiness.

But she also notes that those who might benefit the most are “those who don’t regularly experience healthy touch.” Examples include people with chronic fatigue syndrome or long Covid, who often experience reduced social interaction.

Individuals “who have experienced more disability, pain and impairment are able to feel the greatest effects,” Munk acknowledges.

What are the physical benefits of massage?

Massage is one of the techniques that Rocco Caputo, a touch therapist at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center, uses to help patients.

“When patients come in, they always say, ‘You’re the one doing the massage, right?’” Caputo says. “So you’re everyone’s favorite person.”

Massage helps people reestablish a connection with their body, Caputo says. This puts people in a parasympathetic nervous state, which induces a state of calm. Recent research conducted in part at MSK found that massage helped patients with advanced cancer reduce pain in the long term. One outcome of this research is the Imagine Project, which aims to implement massage and acupuncture into cancer programs in the United States.

Some research shows benefits for people with chronic pain; In Munk’s latest pre-print article, veterans who received massage therapy twice a week for 12 weeks saw an improvement in pain severity compared to a control group. These benefits were maintained for a period of three months.

“A lot of pain is a symptom that needs to be managed, not something that will necessarily go away,” says Munk. The study did not examine the mechanisms behind this improvement, but Munk suggests that factors such as muscle release, relaxation and improved sleep could explain the results.

In another study, Munk found that after 10 massage sessions, patients experienced clinically significant improvement in their lower back pain. Participants aged 50 and over experienced the most significant change.

Massage therapy can probably treat many types of pain; Early intervention could even prevent some cases from becoming chronic, Munk says. But some researchers, like the authors of this 2024 systematic review, say there is a need for more randomized controlled trials — considered by some to be the gold standard for measuring effectiveness — to assess how well the treatment can treat pain.

The causes of the physical effects of massage are still being studied. For example, Shane Phillips, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, co-authored a paper showing that massage improves blood circulation and reduces muscle soreness after exercise. The study found that even people who didn’t exercise saw an improvement in their vascular function, or the ability of blood vessels to regulate blood flow and pressure, after a massage.

One group of participants exercised with a leg press machine and then received leg massages. Tests show that “blood flow in the arm was changed even though we massaged the lower extremities,” Phillips says. This suggests that massage can affect the entire body, not just a specific area.

Were the results due to manual manipulation of the body or emotional reactions to touch? “It’s not really known – it could be a bit of both,” Phillips says.

Does massage have emotional benefits?

It’s difficult to disentangle the emotional and physical reactions people feel from massage, Kuon says.

Massage therapy can increase the release of endorphins, natural painkillers produced by the body, she explains. Much research shows that positive, consensual touch can improve mental well-being and reduce anxiety and depression.

Working as a massage therapist, Anne Weisman observed benefits for people living with HIV/AIDS. In subsequent research, Weisman, associate professor and director of wellness and integrative medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, quantified these observations: Participants self-reported a new awareness of their bodies that influenced motivation and resilience. One participant said “massage therapy reminded her of her humanness,” Weisman recalls.

Weisman considers the effects of massage to be “highly transferable” to different groups of people.

How to integrate massage into your routine?

The benefits of massage are reminiscent of the general power of touch, says Weisman. Massage is a simple but effective intervention, but it is often overlooked, she explains.

Professional massage may be inaccessible to some due to cost. But “some form of therapeutic contact” is essential, Kuon says. Even a self-massage or foot massage can be beneficial.

Caputo recommends incorporating massage techniques into self-care; he created videos that people can follow at home to relieve conditions such as headaches and hand pain. (The videos’ intended audience is children, but Caputo says anyone can use them.)

Levin advocates for massage to be considered a traditional health intervention. “When massage is described as alternative medicine, whether intentional or not, there is something derogatory about it,” he says.

Massage should be more integrated into the healthcare system, covered by health plans, Munk says. Massage can thus be “accessible to as many people as possible”, she says.