High blood pressure
High blood pressure
Clinical study: High blood pressure and accompanying symptoms were reduced by massage therapy.
Research:
High blood pressure is often associated with increased anxiety, stress, elevated stress hormones, hostility, depression and elevated catecholamine levels. In this study, massage therapy and progressive muscle relaxation were investigated as possible forms of treatment.
- Adults diagnosed with high blood pressure received either:
- 10 massage sessions of 30 minutes each over five weeks
- or instructions for progressive muscle relaxation (control group).
- The results showed:
- The sitting diastolic blood pressure dropped after the first and last massage session.
- The lying diastolic blood pressure decreased continuously from the first to the last day of the study.
Results:
While both groups reported less anxiety, only the massage therapy group showed:
- Significantly less depression
- Less hostility
- A decrease in the stress hormone cortisol
Read full study
Hernandez-Reif, M., Field, T., Krasnegor, J. & Theakston, H.(2000). High blood pressure and associated symptoms were reduced by massage therapy. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 4, 31-38.
