THERAPIES & TRADITIONS · BENEFITS
Massage Benefits: What Is and Is Not Established
An evidence-labelled summary of what reviews and trials report for massage, from short-term pain and anxiety to cancer symptoms and infants, and what is not established.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Back to Massage TherapyHow Strong Is the Evidence Overall?
A 2024 systematic review in JAMA Network Open mapped 129 systematic reviews of massage for painful adult conditions. Only 41 rated the certainty of their conclusions, and 17 were mapped, covering 13 conditions. [2] Across them, no conclusion was rated high certainty, and 7 were rated moderate certainty, all of which favored massage for pain. [2] Moderate or high certainty evidence that massage beats other active therapies was rare. [2] That review left out sports massage and self-massage such as foam rolling. [2]Two limits apply to almost every massage study. Participants and therapists usually cannot be blinded, so expectation and attention can shape results. [3] And many trials compare massage with doing nothing, which tells you little about whether touch itself adds anything. See how massage is studied.
Evidence by Use
| Use | What the sources report | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term anxiety, blood pressure, heart rate | A 2004 meta-analysis of 37 randomized studies found single sessions reduced state anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate. [4] | Promising but limited |
| Ongoing anxiety and depression | The same review found reductions in trait anxiety and depression were the largest effects. [4] A 2026 review of 88 trials of massage, reflexology and joint mobilization found lower anxiety scores and suggested manual therapy only as an adjunct. [5] | Promising but limited |
| Low back pain | A Cochrane review of 25 trials (3,096 people) found short-term pain improvement but very little confidence in the result. [3] NCCIH says the 2017 American College of Physicians guideline listed massage for acute or subacute, but not chronic, low-back pain. [1] | Low to very low certainty |
| Neck and shoulder pain | Massage may help, but benefits may only last a short time. [1] | Promising but limited |
| Knee osteoarthritis | Of 6 studies (408 people), 5 found short-term pain relief. [1] | Promising but limited (small) |
| Headache | Few studies, and results are not consistent. [1] | Mixed |
| Fibromyalgia | A 2014 evaluation of 9 studies found that massage continued for at least 5 weeks improved pain, anxiety and depression but not sleep disturbance. [1] | Promising but limited |
| Cancer symptoms | A 2016 evaluation of 19 studies found some evidence for pain and anxiety, but the quality was very low. [1] | Insufficient evidence |
| Treating cancer itself | Cancer Research UK says there is no scientific evidence that massage can treat cancer. [6] | No good evidence of benefit |
| Cortisol (stress hormone) | A review found the effect on cortisol small and, in most cases, not distinguishable from zero. [7] | No good evidence of benefit |
| Premature babies' weight gain | Premature babies who are massaged may have improved weight gain. [1] | Promising but limited |
| Healthy full-term babies | No clear evidence of benefit in low-risk infants. [1] | Insufficient evidence |
Each row has its own page: see massage evidence by goal, massage for low back pain, massage for neck and shoulder pain, massage for fibromyalgia and massage for anxiety and depression.
What Is Not Established
- Curing or preventing disease. We found no source showing this; for cancer, the source says no scientific evidence. [6]
- Lasting effects. The Cochrane review found low back pain improvements only in the short term for most comparisons. [3] NCCIH likewise reports short-term benefits for shoulder pain and knee pain. [1]
- One style beating another. NCCIH, citing a 2016 US agency review, says evidence was insufficient to show whether any massage type is more effective than others for low-back pain. [1]
- A hormone explanation. Cortisol does not explain the benefits, according to the 2011 review. [7] See proposed mechanisms of massage.
Proper evidence not found for lasting prevention of illness; we looked at NCCIH, Cancer Research UK, the 2024 JAMA Network Open map and a Cochrane review.
Reading Claims Wisely
Be wary of "flushes toxins," "breaks up scar tissue" or "cures" claims. See our claim check on massage curing disease and red flags in massage marketing.Frequently asked questions
Does massage have proven benefits?
Some short-term benefits are reported, but the 2024 JAMA Network Open map found no pain conclusions rated high certainty. [2] Treat results as promising but limited.
Does massage help back pain?
Cochrane authors found short-term improvements in pain but had very little confidence in massage as an effective treatment. [3]
Does massage lower stress hormones?
A quantitative review found the effect on cortisol very small and in most cases not distinguishable from zero. [7]
Can massage cure or prevent disease?
No source we read says so. Cancer Research UK says no scientific evidence shows massage can treat cancer. [6]
Is massage safe?
NCCIH says harm appears low, with rare serious reports. [1] Ask your clinician first if you have a health condition.
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Risks and Who Should Check First
Check with a clinician first if you have blood clots or a clot history, take blood thinners or have a bleeding disorder, have cancer or are in treatment, have fragile bones, are pregnant, have had recent surgery or injury, have an infection or fever, have skin problems, or have numbness. Stop the session and call a clinician for concerning symptoms; in a US emergency call 911. Read massage safety and contraindications.
References
- NCCIH, Massage Therapy: What You Need To Know (page last updated May 2019). Read 2026-10-22.
- Use of massage therapy for pain, 2018-2023: a systematic review. JAMA Network Open 2024. Abstract read 2026-10-22.
- Furlan AD, Giraldo M, Baskwill A, et al. Massage for low-back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015. Abstract read 2026-10-22.
- Moyer CA, Rounds J, Hannum JW. A meta-analysis of massage therapy research. Psychological Bulletin 2004. Abstract read 2026-10-22.
- Effectiveness of manual therapy on physical and mental health promotion in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology 2026. Abstract read 2026-10-22.
- Cancer Research UK, Massage therapy (last reviewed 6 September 2022; marked due for review). Read 2026-10-22.
- Moyer CA et al. Does massage therapy reduce cortisol? A comprehensive quantitative review. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 2011. Abstract read 2026-10-22.