Single Dose Effects Associated methods Massage Health Spa Treatments Spa Review Home

Single Dose Effects

Mechanical massage chairs at VivoCity in Singapore.

Pain relief: Relief from pain due to musculoskeletal injuries and other causes is cited as a major benefit of massage. In one study, cancer patients self-reported symptomatic relief of pain.  This study, however, did not include a placebo control group so these effects may be due to the placebo effect or regression towards the mean. Acupressure or pressure point massage may be more beneficial than classic Swedish massage in relieving back pain. However, a meta-study conducted by scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign failed to find a statistically significant reduction in pain immediately following treatment.

State anxiety: Massage has been shown to reduce state anxiety, a transient measure of anxiety in a given situation.

Blood pressure and heart rate: Massage has been shown to reduce blood pressure and heart rate as temporary effects.

Attention: After massage, EEG patterns indicate enhanced performance and alertness on mathematical computations, with the effects perhaps being mediated by decreased stress hormones.

Other: Massage also stimulates the immune system by increasing peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). However, this immune system effect is only observed in aromatherapy massage, which includes sweet almond oil, lavender oil, cypress oil, and sweet marjoram oil. It is unclear whether this effect persists over the long term.

See also -> Multiple Dose Effects