Massage & Bodywork

What This Category Covers

Massage and bodywork are hands-on approaches in which a practitioner presses, rubs, stretches or otherwise manipulates the body's soft tissues, usually to help manage a health condition or to promote wellness. [1] Massage has been practiced in most cultures and was one of the earliest tools people used to try to relieve pain. [1] In the United States, 10.9 percent of adults used massage therapy in 2022. [1]

The guides here describe each approach in its own terms, then separate what it is believed to do from what studies have tested.

How the Pages Are Organized

• Foundations: what massage therapy and bodywork are, including pressure, comfort, consent and what to expect.
• Massage approaches: Swedish, deep tissue, sports, myofascial, trigger-point, hot-stone and prenatal massage, and Thai massage and shiatsu. Chinese therapeutic massage has its own guide, Tui Na.
• Related practices, each judged separately: reflexology, craniosacral therapy and manual lymphatic drainage.
• Evidence: massage evidence by goal, covering relaxation, pain, recovery and mobility.
• Safety and choosing a practitioner: massage safety and qualifications, consent and boundaries.
• Comparison: Swedish vs deep tissue massage.

Traditions and Evidence

Some approaches here come with traditional explanations: Thai massage with energy lines called "sen" [2], shiatsu with meridians borrowed from Traditional Chinese Medicine [3], and reflexology with maps linking points on the feet to other body parts, which has not been proven [4]. We describe these as traditional or proposed frameworks, not as established anatomy. What research can test is whether people benefit, compared with something else, and by how much. For back pain, a Cochrane review had "very little confidence" that massage is effective, with short-term benefits only. [5] For neck pain, a 2024 Cochrane review found little or no difference from placebo at up to 12 weeks. [6] For exercise recovery, massage may ease soreness but has not been shown to improve performance. [7] Craniosacral therapy has two recent reviews that disagree. [8][9]

Massage is also hard to study fairly: it is difficult to blind participants and therapists, which makes expectation a major source of bias. [5]

Safety Pointers

The risk of harm appears low, but rare serious problems such as a blood clot, nerve injury or fracture have been reported, some after vigorous massage or in higher-risk people such as older adults. [1] Extra care and a clinician's advice are sensible with possible blood clots, blood thinners, osteoporosis, cancer care and pregnancy. Do not use massage to postpone seeing a health care provider about a medical problem. [1] Lymphatic drainage has a defined clinical role in lymphedema care, while "detox" claims for healthy people lack evidence. [10]

Choosing a Practitioner

Most US states regulate massage therapists with a license, certification or registration, and requirements vary. [11] Ask about training and credentials, and check them with the issuing body. Good practice includes clear consent, appropriate draping and the freedom to stop at any time. [12] For general guidance, see choosing a qualified practitioner and the Therapies and Traditions overview.