Massage Therapy for Stress and Anxiety: What the Research Shows

Massage is often described as relaxing, but does that translate into measurable mental health benefits? In one of the most cited reviews on the topic, researchers Christopher Moyer, James Rounds, and James Hannum combined the results of 37 separate studies to look for consistent patterns across the massage therapy research available at the time.

One of their most useful distinctions was between the effects of a single massage and the effects of a full course of treatment. After a single session, people tended to show reduced state anxiety — the anxiety you feel in the moment — along with lower blood pressure and heart rate. These are the kinds of short-lived relaxation effects many people notice right after a massage.

The more striking findings came from studying multiple sessions over time. A course of massage therapy was associated with reductions in trait anxiety (a person's general tendency toward anxiousness) and in symptoms of depression. The authors noted that the size of these improvements was broadly similar to what is typically seen with psychotherapy, which is a notable comparison, though they were careful not to claim massage replaces mental health treatment.

The review also reported where massage did not show clear effects. Single sessions did not reliably improve negative mood, reduce pain measured immediately afterward, or lower cortisol, a hormone often linked to stress. This nuance matters because cortisol reduction is sometimes claimed as a key benefit of massage, and this analysis did not support that for one-off treatments. Taken together, the study suggests that the mental wellbeing benefits of massage build up most convincingly when it is received regularly over time rather than as a single treat.

Key findings

• The analysis combined 37 studies measuring nine different outcomes of massage therapy.
• A single massage session reduced state (in-the-moment) anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate.
• A series of sessions produced the largest effects, reducing trait (longer-term) anxiety and symptoms of depression.
• The reduction in ongoing anxiety and depression was comparable in size to that seen with psychotherapy.
• Single sessions did not reliably reduce negative mood, immediate pain, or the stress hormone cortisol.

Clinical relevance

Because stress and anxiety often accompany pain and injury, this evidence supports offering massage as part of a whole-person approach at a multidisciplinary clinic, especially when delivered as an ongoing part of care rather than a one-time session.

Prepared by the Volt Health team as an educational summary of the cited publication. It is not medical advice; assessment and treatment decisions should always be made with a qualified health professional.