Contributions

Name: Dr. Tiffany Field, Miguel Diego, Jeannette Delgado, Daniel Garcia, C.G. Funk
Date: July 1, 2010
Country: USA
Spa: Massage Envy Franchising
Profession: Corporate Executive Member
Email: cgfunk@massageenvy.com

Title

Hand pain is reduced by massage therapy

Results

Massage therapy reduces pain, increases grip strength and reduces anxiety, depressed moods and sleep disturbances with those suffering from hand pain. Hand pain result of various conditions including arthritis, carpal tunnel, overuse syndromes and injuries.

Summary

The purpose of the proposed study was to assess the effects of massage therapy on hand pain in general as well as grip strength. Forty-six adults were recruited and participants included anyone with hand pain irrespective of the cause including arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain syndrome or unknown etiology. The massage therapy group participants were massaged on the affected hand by a massage therapist once a week for a 4-week period, and they were also taught the hand massage. The massage therapy group versus the control group had less pain and greater grip strength after the first and last sessions, and their anxiety and depressed mood scores decreased more than the control group. Over the four-week period the massage group had a greater decrease in pain and a greater increase in grip strength as well as lower scores on anxiety, depressed mood and sleep disturbance scales.

Comments

These findings are consistent with data on massage therapy with pain syndromes and especially with results from our carpal tunnel syndrome study in which pain was also decreased and grip strength increased by massage therapy. The psychological changes f

Published Information

Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice - 2011

Citations

Field T, et al., Hand pain is reduced by massage therapy, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice (2011), doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2011.02.006

Links

http://www.elsevier.com