06/09/2026
🔎 **MASSAGE BEYOND PAIN: WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH TELL THERAPISTS?**
Many clients value massage for reasons that reach beyond pain. They may sleep better, feel less fatigued, experience an improvement in mood or find it easier to cope with the wider effects of a health condition. A newly published evidence map helps us understand where these experiences are being reflected in research and how therapists can use that information in everyday practice.
The researchers examined systematic reviews of massage and related hands on approaches for non painful adult health conditions. Almost 200 potentially relevant reviews were identified, with 13 selected for the final evidence map using strict criteria, including a formal assessment of certainty.
The findings are encouraging. High certainty evidence was reported for abdominal massage improving constipation severity and quality of life in people with functional constipation. Moderate certainty evidence suggested that massage alongside usual care may reduce depressive symptoms in people living with dementia. Acupressure and auricular acupressure may improve sleep quality in people with cancer, while acupressure may slightly improve sleep latency and reduce fatigue in people with chronic kidney disease.
The wider map also included research into cancer related quality of life, fatigue during dialysis, preoperative anxiety, pregnancy related nausea and vomiting, dry eye disease and itching following burns. The available evidence for these areas was rated as low or very low certainty, which tells us about the current research rather than the value of the therapy. Participant numbers were often small, treatments varied, outcomes were measured differently and important details such as frequency and duration were not always reported consistently. These variables make firm overall conclusions difficult even when individual studies report positive results.
The paper also reflects the breadth of our profession. ‘Massage therapy’ was used as an umbrella term covering massage, acupressure, auricular acupressure, reflexology and myofascial release when these were classified as massage in the original reviews. Although these approaches differ, they all involve providing meaningful sensory input within a therapeutic interaction. The evidence map does not establish whether they share the same mechanisms, but it does remind us that the value of hands on care may extend beyond the name of the technique being used.
For clinical practice, this encourages us to ask clients about the outcomes that matter to them. A client may arrive because of discomfort, but improved sleep, energy, mood, digestive comfort or ability to cope may be equally meaningful. Including these outcomes in the consultation and reviewing them over time gives us a fuller understanding of how the person is responding.
It also gives therapists clear and useful language when discussing massage. We can explain that research is exploring its potential to support sleep, fatigue, mood, quality of life and other aspects of living with illness, with stronger evidence currently available for some specific applications than others. Massage can then be presented as thoughtful, person centred support alongside appropriate healthcare.
Whatever style of massage we practise, the most useful message is that the technique describes what we provide, while the outcome belongs to the client. By listening, recording meaningful changes and reviewing each person’s response, therapists contribute to a more accurate understanding of the value of their work. 🙌
📖 Mak, S.S. et al. (2026) ‘Use of massage therapy for non-painful health conditions: an evidence map of systematic reviews’, BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies.
Read the open access paper here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12906-026-05525-w
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