Abdominal massage was found to decrease severity of
gastrointestinal symptoms, especially symptoms associated
with constipation and pain syndrome. There was
also an increase in bowel movements. The massage,
however, did not lead to a decrease in laxative intake,
which indicates that massage could be seen as a
complement to laxative use rather than a replacement.
There was no immediate effect after 15 min of light
pressure abdominal massage. The 8-week study period
was essential to finding significant differences between the
intervention and control group.