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Despite the popularity and long history of massage therapy as a pain treatment, a recent study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open has found “no high-certainty evidence” to support its effectiveness. This conclusion comes after an extensive analysis of hundreds of clinical trials and dozens of previous scientific reviews.
The researchers, including those from the University of California, examined 129 reviews published since 2018. Among these, only 41 employed a formal method to rate the strength of the evidence regarding the efficacy of massage therapy in alleviating pain in adults. Out of these 41 reviews, the researchers focused on 17 that pertained to 13 different health conditions, such as back pain and cancer-related pain.
“Across these reviews, no conclusions were rated as high certainty of evidence,” the authors noted. While seven of the 17 reviews were rated as “moderate-certainty,” the majority were classified as “low- or very low-certainty.”
Massage therapy involves the manipulation of soft tissues such as skin, muscles, and ligaments by certified therapists. Despite its widespread use and the belief in its pain-relieving benefits, the researchers found that strong, reliable evidence remains elusive. Reviews that provided moderate-certainty evidence indicated some beneficial associations between massage therapy and pain relief, but these instances were rare.
The authors emphasized the need for more high-quality randomized clinical trials to build a stronger evidence base. “More high-quality randomised clinical trials are needed to provide a stronger evidence base to assess the effect of massage therapy on pain,” they wrote.
This study highlights the necessity for continued research in the field of pain management and calls into question the current reliance on massage therapy as a primary treatment option for pain. As the medical community seeks more effective pain management strategies, the need for rigorous scientific evaluation remains critical.
