Youth With Hematologic, Oncologic Conditions Benefit From Massage

Benefits seen across all patient conditions for pain, stress, and anxiety

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Feb. 10, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Clinical massage therapy benefits youth with hematologic and oncologic conditions, according to a study published online Feb. 1 in Pediatric Blood & Cancer.

Samuel N. Rodgers-Melnick, M.P.H., from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, and colleagues assessed the effectiveness of clinical delivery of massage therapy provided by a certified pediatric massage therapist on patients with sickle cell disease (SCD; 72 patients) or hematologic and/or oncologic conditions excluding SCD (HemOnc; 171 patients).

The researchers found that patients in the SCD group reported significantly higher pretreatment pain, stress, and anxiety compared with patients in the HemOnc group. Posttreatment, both SCD and HemOnc patients reported clinically and statistically significant mean reductions in pain, stress, and anxiety. However, patients in the HemOnc group reported greater mean pain change than patients in the SCD group.

“What makes this research unique is the meaningful integration of massage therapy within clinical hematology/oncology care and our ability to collect all our data within the electronic health record, extract it, and analyze it to understand the real-world impact of massage therapy,” Rodgers-Melnick said in a statement. “This research highlights the increased symptom burden that youth with SCD face in the hospital and the significant impact that a single session of massage therapy can have on their symptoms.”