A preliminary descriptive report of the longevity of the effects of Swedish Massage therapy for subjects with Generalized Anxiety Disorder

• Published in: Journal of bodywork and movement therapies Vol. 33; pp. 176 - 181
• Main Authors: Rapaport, Mark Hyman, Schettler, Pamela J., Larson, Erika R., Edwards, Sherry A., Dunlop, Boadie W., Rakofsky, Jeffrey J., Kinkead, Becky
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2023
• Subjects: Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis; Anxiety Disorders - drug therapy; Humans; Massage - methods; Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Sweden; Treatment Outcome; Sweden
• ISSN: 1360-8592; 1532-9283; 1532-9283
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2022.11.001

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a prevalent and costly disorder, and many patients may prefer non-traditional treatment. A proof-of-concept study demonstrated the efficacy of Swedish Massage Therapy (SMT) as a monotherapy for treatment of GAD. Subjects were followed-up 6–12 months after study completion to evaluate post-treatment outcome. Subjects were enrolled into a randomized, single-masked clinical trial between March of 2012 and May of 2013. Forty-seven untreated subjects with DSM-IV diagnosis of GAD were randomly assigned to 6 weeks of twice-a-week light touch (LT) followed by 6 weeks of twice-a-week SMT, or 12 weeks of twice-a-week SMT. The primary outcome measure was reduction in Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) scores after six weeks of SMT versus LT. Qualifying participants received a follow-up survey to investigate whether the benefits of SMT for GAD were sustained. 28 of 40 subjects completed at least 12 sessions of SMT and were sent the follow-up survey. Of the 19 subjects with follow-up, nine (47%) reported no return of GAD symptoms up to 1 year after study completion. There were no differences between those randomized to 12 weeks SMT and those receiving 6 weeks LT followed by 6 weeks SMT. Of those reporting a return of some symptoms, 50% associated symptom return with a stressful life event. In this first monotherapy trial of SMT for the treatment of GAD, follow-up results suggest that the beneficial effects of SMT may last up to 1 year after end of treatment.