Research supports such recommendations.
Several trials suggest that massage can reduce
pain in cancer patients at varying stages of disease.
10,11 In the largest study to date, 87 hospitalized
cancer patients were randomized to
massage therapy or to control on a crossover
basis. Pain and anxiety scores fell by approximately
40% during massage compared with
little or no change during control sessions.12
Massage therapy was superior to control against
anxiety, nausea, fatigue and general well-being
in a randomized study of patients awaiting bone
marrow transplantation.