What Is Massage Therapy?

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

(Continued from this page)

What the Science Says About the Safety and Side Effects of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy appears to have few risks when performed by a trained practitioner. However, massage therapists should take some precautions in people with certain health conditions.

In some cases, pregnant women should avoid massage therapy. Talk with your health care provider before getting a massage if you're pregnant.

People with some conditions such as bleeding disorders or low blood platelet counts should avoid having forceful and deep tissue massage. People who take anticoagulants (also known as blood thinners) also should avoid them. Massage should not be done in any potentially weak area of the skin, such as wounds.

Deep or intense pressure should not be used over an area where the patient has a tumor or cancer, unless approved by the patient's health care provider.

NCCIH-Funded Research

NCCIH-sponsored studies have investigated the effects of massage on a variety of conditions including:

• The effects of an 8-week course of Swedish massage compared to usual care on pain and function in adults with osteoarthritis of the knee
• Whether massage helps with generalized anxiety disorder
• The effect of massage therapy on cancer-related fatigue
• How massage therapy and progressive muscle relaxation compare for reducing chronic low-back pain in patients referred from primary care practices
• The frequency and length of massages needed to address neck pain.

For more information, see the massage introduction on the NIH website.