A review of manual therapy modalities and anxiety

A systematic review pubished in Journal of Osteopathic Medicine in June 2024 evaluated the efficacy of manual therapy modalities in treating anxiety symptoms.

The review involved a thorough literature search using PubMed and Google Scholar, adhering to PRISMA guidelines. Out of 8,979 articles initially identified, 34 met the rigorous inclusion criteria and were thoroughly analyzed.

The findings showed notable efficacy in reducing anxiety symptoms across several manual therapy modalities. Specifically, 83% of the studies on massage therapy reported significant benefits, making it the most effective treatment among those evaluated. Foot reflexology and acupressure each showed a high success rate in the limited number of studies. Orthopedic Manual Therapy showed a lower efficacy rate (33%), and healing touch did not demonstrate any significant impact on anxiety symptoms.

This pattern of results underscores a broad but varied potential for manual therapies in the management of anxiety. The positive outcomes, particularly for massage therapy, foot reflexology, and acupressure, support the integration of these therapies into broader anxiety treatment protocols.

Despite the promising results, the review also highlighted the need for further studies, especially those exploring long-term effects and expanding the body of research on less studied modalities.