Muscle injury studies have typically involved exertion-induced muscle injury (weight lifting or leg pressing) This study done on muscle injury showed that muscle soreness was significantly reduced for the massage group versus the standard treatment control group. Range of motion was also significantly increased for the massage versus the other groups. (See here)

A study comparing 52 hospitalized depressed and adjustment disorder children and adolescents with a control group that viewed relaxation videotapes, found massage therapy subjects were less depressed and anxious, and had lower saliva Cortisol levels (an indicator of less depression). (See here)

Massage therapy has been used in individuals with knee arthritis pain in at least 3 recent randomized controlled studies In this study, massage therapy and an exercise program were combined and compared to an exercise program alone. The combined exercise/massage therapy led to greater improvement than the group that received exercise alone. (See here)

Premature infants treated with daily massage therapy gain more weight and have shorter hospital stays than infants who are not massaged. A study of 40 low-birth-weight babies found that the 20 massaged babies had a 47% greater weight gain per day and stayed in the hospital an average of six days less than 20 infants who did not receive massage, resulting a cost savings of approximately $3,000 per infant. (See here)

Cocaine-exposed, preterm infants given massage three times daily for a 10 day period showed significant improvement. Results indicated that massaged infants had fewer postnatal complications and exhibited fewer stress behaviours during the 10 day period, had a 28% greater daily weight gain, and demonstrated more mature motor behaviours. (See here)

A combination of massage techniques for 52 subjects with traumatically induced spinal pain led to significant improvements in acute and chronic pain and increased muscle flexibility and tone. This study also found massage therapy to be extremely cost effective, with cost savings ranging from 15-50%. (See here)

Massage may enhance the immune system. This study shows an increase in cytotoxic capacity (increase in the number of natural killer cells) of the immune system associated with massage. “There were also significant decreases in anxiety and increases in relaxation which were significantly correlated with increases in NK cell number” (See here) 

Massage has also been shown to stimulate the body’s ability to naturally control pain by stimulating the brain to produce endorphins. Fibromyalgia is an example of a condition that may be favourably affected by this effect. (See here)

Infants with GERD have significant reflux problems. In one study a massage therapist taught mothers to massage their GERD infants. By the end of the study the Cortisol levels of the massage group had significantly decreased while the Cortisol levels in the non-massage control group had increased. These researchers also observed the mother-infant feeding interactions. Both the massaging mothers and their infants had higher feeding interaction scores, with the mothers showing more sensitivity to the infants’ cues. (See here) 

Lymph drainage massage has been shown to be more effective than mechanized methods or diuretic drugs to control lymphedema secondary to radical mastectomy, consequently using massage to control lymphedema would significantly lower treatment costs. (See here)

A study found that massage therapy can have a powerful effect upon psycho-emotional distress in persons suffering from chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Massage therapy was effective in reducing the frequency of episodes of pain and disability in these patients. “The authors found that patients found relief from sleep disturbance, decreased awareness of moderately severe pain and a partial relief of depression..” (See here)

A study of chronic fatigue syndrome subjects found that a group receiving massage therapy had lower depression, emotional distress, and somatic symptom scores, more hours of sleep, and lower epinephrine and cortisol levels than the control group. (See here)