Massage Therapy for Relieving Fatigue in Cancer Patients

A review published in Support Cate Cancer Journal has shown that massage therapy significantly alleviates fatigue in cancer patients..

The meta-analysis study aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of massage therapy in combating cancer-related fatigue (CRF), a prevalent and distressing side effect faced by many cancer patients.

The research team looked at scientific databases for randomized controlled trials. From the sea of information, a total of 11 studies comprising 789 patients were found to be suitable for the meta-analysis. Patients were divided into two groups: a massage therapy group of 389 patients, and a control group of 400.

The results clearly show that massage therapy had a marked effect on fatigue in cancer patients, significantly more than any other method tested. Moreover, the beneficial effects were particularly prominent in patients with breast cancer.

Interestingly, reflexology and Chinese massage emerged as particularly effective techniques for fatigue relief. The best results were achieved when massages lasted 20 to 40 minutes and were performed twice a week over a 3-5 week period.

In addition to its effectiveness, massage therapy also shone in terms of safety. Out of the five studies that reported on adverse events, only two had any to report. This supports the safety of massage therapy as a beneficial complementary method for cancer patients.

However, like any study, this too has its limitations, and further research is needed to solidify the findings.