Anxiety reduction & massage?

I know that I often say that one of the benefits of massage is that it may reduce anxiety.  I think most people would agree that being in hospital or undergoing hospital procedures may makes us feel anxious.  So I was interested in a recent study that looked at the effectiveness of massage with or without guided imagery (a therapist talking you through a scene to help you relax), prior to cardiac catheterisation.  As you can imagine anxiety is very common in patients prior to cardiac catheterisation, which can lead to high blood pressure and increase the amount of sedation necessary to complete the procedure.

Fifty five patients opted to receive either a 15-minute massage (31 patients) and a 20 minute guided imagery (24 patients) in a quiet area of the hospital prior to cardiac catheterisation.  Self-report anxiety levels, blood pressure and heart rate were evaluated in the research participants as well as matched for comparison to a control group not taking part in the study.

The results indicated that massage, with or without guided imagery, produced significant reductions in self-reported anxiety, with the combined intervention having a more pronounced effect.  In addition a lower diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were found when compared to the control group.

In my experience slow, deep stokes help to reduce anxiety and as a team we often incorporate this into treatments.

References

Amstrong K, Dixon S, May S, Patricolo GE (2014).  Anxiety reduction in patients undergoing cardiac catheterisation, following massage and guided imagery.  Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 20 (4): 334 – 338.

 

 

Related Posts

  • Spending time in nature is good for you..

    I know previously I have talked about the benefits I get from spending time in nature (see >> Does nature restore you? - Part 1 & Part 2), [...]

  • Are you excessively tired?

    Fatigue and depleted energy could be addressed with weekly Swedish or Thai massages according to researchers at Teeside and Leeds Universities . One in 5 people experience excessive tiredness at any given time, while one in 10 people have chronic fatigue (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2018). They invited 20 participants with fatigue and/or depleted energy to receive trestments with a massage therapist.  The participants all agreed to commit to a six-week study and complete diaries describing how they felt after their treatments.  The participants were split into two groups and half of them received three 45-minute sweedish massage treatments and then three Thai massages in weeks 4 ot 6.  The treatment order was reversed for the other ten participants. The results showed that both Swedish and Thai massage relieved symptoms of fatigue or depleted energy by

    • reducing stress
    • promoting relaxation
    • relieving pain
    • improving energy
    Swedish massage was more effective than Thai massage in improving sleep, promoting relaxation and de-stressing.  Thai massage was more energising, rejuvenating and motivating and had longer lasting benefits than Swedish massage. Note: Vitality Therapy offer relaxing massage (which is our term for Swedish Massage) at Barclays in London. Reference https://www.bodyworkmovementtherapies.com/article/S1360-8592(17)30238-3/abstract?code=yjbmt-site  

  • Migraines – part 1

    When is a headache not a headache?  When its a migraine.  Migraine is a complex condition with a wide variety of symptoms.  Migraines are the 3rd most common illness in the world!  For many people the main feature is a painful headache, but its way more than a headache, migranes are debilitating in a way headaches aren't - migranes are the 7th most disabling illness!   While there are no typical symptoms, sufferers can get disturbed vision, sensitivity to light, sound and smells, feeling sick and vomiting. Over the next couple of weeks, I want to explore natural ways what can help migrane sufferers. Butterbur Butterbut is a herbal hay fever remedy which scientific studies show prevents migraines.  Pitted against a placebo, a standardised extract of butterbut (Petasites Hybridus) significantly reduced the frequency of migraine attacks, with either no side-effects or just the odd bit of burping. References

    Steiner TJ, Stovner LJ, Birbeck GL. Migraine: the seventh disabler. The Journal of Headache and Pain. 2013;14(1):1. doi:10.1186/1129-2377-14-1.
     Lipton RB, Göbel H, Einhäupl KM, Wilks K, Mauskop A. Petasites hybridus root (butterbur) is an effective preventive treatment for migraine. Neurology. 2004 Dec 28;63(12):2240-4. PubMed PMID: 15623680.