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Massage Therapy: Is Its Evidence-Base Getting Stronger

Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, 25 Victoria Park Road, Exeter EX2 4NT, UK, edzard.ernst{at}pms.ac.uk

M.H. Pittler, MD, PhD

B. Wider, MA

K. Boddy, MA

The aim of this article is to evaluate trends in the development of the evidence-base for the effectiveness of massage therapy. For this purpose, a comparison of two systematic reviews was conducted. The first related to the evidence-base in 2000, the second to 2005. Both employed the same methodology and criteria for evaluation. The results indicate that, in several areas, the evidence has become more solid and, for anxiety and back pain, it has become more positive. For a host of other indications, the evidence seems encouraging, but more studies are required to test the effectiveness of massage therapy as well as its use for specific conditions.

Key Words: massage • systematic reviews • effectiveness

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Complementary Health Practice Review, Vol. 12, No. 3, 179-183 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1533210107306090


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Ernst, E. Articles by Boddy, K. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?