Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies
Volume 11, Issue 1 , Pages 21-24, January 2007

Hand arthritis pain is reduced by massage therapy

  • Tiffany Field

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics (D-820), Touch Research Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, P.O. Box 016820, Miami, FL 33101, USA
    • Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Pediatrics (D-820), Touch Research Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, P.O. Box 016820, Miami, FL 33101, USA.
    • ,
  • Miguel Diego

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics (D-820), Touch Research Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, P.O. Box 016820, Miami, FL 33101, USA
    • ,
  • Maria Hernandez-Reif

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics (D-820), Touch Research Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, P.O. Box 016820, Miami, FL 33101, USA
    • ,
  • Jean Shea

      Affiliations

    • Biotone, San Diego, CA, USA

Received 7 June 2006; received in revised form 28 July 2006; accepted 6 September 2006.

Summary 

Twenty-two adults with wrist/hand arthritis were randomly assigned to a massage therapy or a standard treatment control group. The massage therapy group was massaged on the affected wrist/hand once a week for a 4-week period and were also taught self-massage on the wrist/hand that was to be done daily at home. The massage therapy group versus the control group had lower anxiety and depressed mood scores after the first and last sessions, and that group reported less pain and greater grip strength after their sessions. The massage therapy group showed greater improvement than the control group on all of these measures across the study period.

Keywords: Wrist/hand arthritis, Arthritis, Massage, Grip strength, Mood, Pain

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PII: S1360-8592(06)00108-2

doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2006.09.002

Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies
Volume 11, Issue 1 , Pages 21-24, January 2007

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