Yoga and massage therapy reduce prenatal depression and prematurity.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the effects of massage therapy and yoga on prenatal depression and neonatal outcomes against standard prenatal care.
Results Summary
Massage therapy significantly reduced depression, anxiety, and pain while improving relationship scores compared to the control group. Neonatal outcomes (gestational age and birthweight) were better in the massage group than the control but similar to the yoga group.
Population
Prenatally depressed women (n=84).
Effective Dosage
Twice weekly 20-minute sessions.
Duration
12 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
yoga | decrease | depression | prenatally depressed women | - | had a greater decrease | #1 |
massage therapy | decrease | depression | prenatally depressed women | - | had a greater decrease | #2 |
yoga | decrease | anxiety | prenatally depressed women | - | had a greater decrease | #3 |
massage therapy | decrease | anxiety | prenatally depressed women | - | had a greater decrease | #4 |
yoga | decrease | back and leg pain scales | prenatally depressed women | - | had a greater decrease | #5 |
massage therapy | decrease | back and leg pain scales | prenatally depressed women | - | had a greater decrease | #6 |
yoga | increase | relationship scale | prenatally depressed women | - | had a greater increase | #7 |
massage therapy | increase | relationship scale | prenatally depressed women | - | had a greater increase | #8 |
yoga | no change | gestational age | - | - | did not differ | #9 |
massage therapy | no change | gestational age | - | - | did not differ | #10 |
yoga | no change | birthweight | - | - | did not differ | #11 |
massage therapy | no change | birthweight | - | - | did not differ | #12 |
yoga | increase | gestational age | - | - | had greater | #13 |
massage therapy | increase | gestational age | - | - | had greater | #14 |
yoga | increase | birthweight | - | - | had greater | #15 |
massage therapy | increase | birthweight | - | - | had greater | #16 |
Eighty-four prenatally depressed women were randomly assigned to yoga, massage therapy or standard prenatal care control groups to determine the relative effects of yoga and massage therapy on prenatal depression and neonatal outcomes. Following 12 weeks of twice weekly yoga or massage therapy sessions (20 min each) both therapy groups versus the control group had a greater decrease on depression, anxiety and back and leg pain scales and a greater increase on a relationship scale. In addition, the yoga and massage therapy groups did not differ on neonatal outcomes including gestational age and birthweight, and those groups, in turn, had greater gestational age and birthweight than the control group.