Hand pain is reduced by massage therapy.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether massage therapy could reduce hand pain, improve grip strength, and alleviate anxiety and depressed mood compared to standard treatment.
Results Summary
The massage therapy group showed significant reductions in pain and improvements in grip strength after each session and over the four-week period, along with lower anxiety, depressed mood, and sleep disturbance scores compared to the control group.
Population
Forty-six adults with hand pain.
Effective Dosage
Therapist-administered massage once weekly and self-massage once daily.
Duration
4 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
massage therapy | decrease | pain | adults with hand pain | - | had less pain | #1 |
massage therapy | increase | grip strength | adults with hand pain | - | had greater grip strength | #2 |
massage therapy | decrease | anxiety scores | adults with hand pain | - | decreased more than the control group | #3 |
massage therapy | decrease | depressed mood scores | adults with hand pain | - | decreased more than the control group | #4 |
massage therapy | decrease | pain | adults with hand pain | - | had a greater decrease in pain | #5 |
massage therapy | increase | grip strength | adults with hand pain | - | had a greater increase in grip strength | #6 |
massage therapy | decrease | anxiety | adults with hand pain | - | had lower scores | #7 |
massage therapy | decrease | depressed mood | adults with hand pain | - | had lower scores | #8 |
massage therapy | decrease | sleep disturbance | adults with hand pain | - | had lower scores | #9 |
METHODS: Forty-six adults with hand pain were randomly assigned to a massage therapy or a standard treatment control group. Those assigned to the massage therapy group were massaged by a therapist on the affected hand once a week for a 4-week period and were also taught self-massage on the hand that was to be done by the individual participant once daily. RESULTS: 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.