June 5, 2007 – Massage therapy is said to be a good way for the elderly to prevent the distress that often manifests itself in stress, anxiety and depression. At least, that’s the conclusion of a preliminary trial conducted by researchers at the University of South Carolina.
They compared the effects of massage therapy to those of relaxation in 54 people aged 60 and over. Eight massage therapy or relaxation sessions of 50 minutes each, spread over a period of four weeks, were randomly assigned to participants.
At the end of the trial, the subjects in the massage therapy group said they were less stressed than those in the relaxation group. They also had fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, had a more positive psychic attitude, greater vitality and better general health compared to others.
The researchers wanted to see if massage had physical and mental health effects that go beyond relaxation. They also wanted to assess whether the mere fact of entering into a relationship with a massage therapist could have an impact on the subject’s condition. The therapists who offered the sessions therefore granted the same quality of presence to all participants.
Although this is a preliminary trial involving a small number of people, the authors believe that massage has more marked effects on mental and physical health than relaxation.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
1. Sharpe PA, et al. A randomized study of the effects of massage therapy compared to guided relaxation on well-being and stress perception among older adults, Complement Ther Med (2007), [Sous-presse, pas encore répertorié dans Medline au 3 juin 2007]
