Premature newborns who are massaged have been shown to acquire weight more quickly, and massage has not been shown to have any apparent advantages for normal full-term newborns.
The outcomes of 34 trials of massage treatment for preterm newborns were examined in a 2017 literature review. Twenty of the research (1,250 total newborns) looked at the effect of massage on weight growth, and most of them found it beneficial. Massage therapy’s method for increasing weight gain is not fully known. Other prospective benefits of massage have been mentioned in certain research, but due to the little quantity of evidence, no conclusions can be drawn concerning effects other than weight gain.
An analysis of 34 research of healthy full-term newborns published in 2013 found no strong evidence of massage’s therapeutic benefits in these low-risk babies.
What are the possible side effects of massage therapy?
Massage treatment appears to have a minimal risk of side effects. However, major adverse effects such as a blood clot, nerve damage, or bone fracture have been reported seldom. Some of the reported occurrences involved aggressive massage techniques, such as deep tissue massage, or patients at a higher risk of harm, such as the elderly.
What are the prerequisites for working as a massage therapist?
Massage therapists must get a licence or certification before working in states that regulate the profession (45 states and the District of Columbia). State requirements usually require graduation from a recognised programme and passing a test.
The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork certifies certain massage therapists. They must satisfy specified educational standards, pass a background check, and pass a test to do so.
Research Supported by the National Center for Chronic Illness and Hypertension (NCCIH)
Various components of massage treatment have been explored in NCCIH-sponsored studies, including
Is massage therapy effective in the prevention and treatment of repetitive motion disorders?
If massage may be used as part of a non-drug pain treatment strategy for veterans,
Suppose massage treatment may assist persons with ankle sprains avoiding persistent ankle instability. It could be beneficial (which can affect as many as 40 per cent of people who experience this type of injury).