Abstract
To investigate the efficacy of classical massage on stress perception and mood disturbances, 34 women diagnosed with primary breast cancer were randomized into an intervention or control group. For a period of 5 weeks, the intervention group (n = 17) received biweekly 30-min classical massages. The control group (n = 17) received no additional treatment to their routine health care. The Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) and the Berlin Mood Questionnaire (BSF) were used and the patients’ blood was collected at baseline (T1), at the end of the intervention period (T2), and 6 weeks after T2 (T3). Compared with control group, women in the intervention group reported significantly lower mood disturbances, especially for anger (p = 0.048), anxious depression (p = 0.03) at T2, and tiredness at T3 (p = 0.01). No group differences were found in PSQ scales, cortisol and serotonin concentrations at T2 and T3. However, perceived stress and cortisol serum levels (p = 0.03) were significantly reduced after massage therapy (T2) compared with baseline in the intervention group. Further research is needed to validate our findings.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahles TA, Tope DM, Pinkson B, Walch S, Hann D, Whedon M, Dain B, Weiss JE, Mills L, Silberfarb PM (1999) Massage therapy for patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation. J Pain Symptom Manage 18:157–163
Alder J, Bitzer J (2003) Retrospective evaluation of the treatment for breast cancer: how does the patient’s personal experience of the treatment affect later adjustment to the illness? Arch Womens Ment Health 6:91–97
Bost N, Wallis M (2006) The effectiveness of a 15 minute weekly massage in reducing physical and psychological stress in nurses. Aust J Adv Nurs 23:28–33
Burgess C, Cornelius V, Love S, Graham J, Richards M, Ramirez A (2005) Depression and anxiety in women with early breast cancer: five year observational cohort study. BMJ 330:702
Cambron JA, Dexheimer J, Coe P, Swenson R (2007) Side-effects of massage therapy: a cross-sectional study of 100 clients. J Altern Complement Med 13:793–796
Chida Y, Steptoe A (2009) Cortisol awakening response and psychosocial factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Psychol 80:265–278
Corbin L (2005) Safety and efficacy of massage therapy for patients with cancer. Cancer Control 12:158–164
Corner J, Cawley N, Hildebrand S (1995) An evaluation of the use of massage and essential oils on the wellbeing of cancer patients. Int J Palliat Nurs 1:67–73
Diego MA, Field T, Sanders C, Hernandez-Reif M (2004) Massage therapy of moderate and light pressure and vibrator effects on EEG and heart rate. Int J Neurosci 114:31–44
Diego MA, Field T, Hernandez-Reif M (2005) Vagal activity, gastric motility, and weight gain in massaged preterm neonates. J Pediatr 147:50–55
Ernst E (2003) The safety of massage therapy. Rheumatology (Oxford) 42:1101–1106
Field T, Henteleff T, Hernandez-Reif M, Martinez E, Mavunda K, Kuhn C, Schanberg S (1998) Children with asthma have improved pulmonary functions after massage therapy. J Pediatr 132:854–858
Field T, Diego MA, Hernandez-Reif M, Schanberg S, Kuhn C (2004) Massage therapy effects on depressed pregnant women. J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol 25:115–122
Fliege H, Rose M, Arck P, Walter OB, Kocalevent RD, Weber C, Klapp BF (2005) The Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) reconsidered: validation and reference values from different clinical and healthy adult samples. Psychosom Med 67:78–88
Fobair P, Stewart SL, Chang S, D'Onofrio C, Banks PJ, Bloom JR (2006) Body image and sexual problems in young women with breast cancer. Psychooncology 15:579–594
Gold PW, Chrousos GP (2002) Organization of the stress system and its dysregulation in melancholic and atypical depression: high vs low CRH/NE states. Mol Psychiatry 7:254–275
Grealish L, Lomasney A, Whiteman B (2000) Foot massage. A nursing intervention to modify the distressing symptoms of pain and nausea in patients hospitalized with cancer. Cancer Nurs 23:237–243
Hart S, Field T, Hernandez-Reif M, Nearing G, Shaw S, Schanberg S, Kuhn C (2001) Anorexia nervosa symptoms are reduced by massage therapy. Eat Disord 9:289–299
Hecheltjen K-G, Mertesdorf F (1973) Entwicklung eines mehrdimensionalen Stimmungsfragebogen. Gruppendynamik 40:110–122
Heinrichs M, Baumgartner T, Kirschbaum C, Ehlert U (2003) Social support and oxytocin interact to suppress cortisol and subjective responses to psychosocial stress. Biol Psychiatry 54:1389–1398
Hernandez-Reif M, Ironson G, Field T, Hurley J, Katz G, Diego M, Weiss S, Fletcher MA, Schanberg S, Kuhn C, Burman I (2004) Breast cancer patients have improved immune and neuroendocrine functions following massage therapy. J Psychosom Res 57:45–52
Hernandez-Reif M, Field T, Ironson G, Beutler J, Vera Y, Hurley J, Fletcher MA, Schanberg S, Kuhn C, Fraser M (2005) Natural killer cells and lymphocytes increase in women with breast cancer following massage therapy. Int J Neurosci 115:495–510
Hörhold M, Klapp BF (1993) Testing the invariance and hierarchy of a multidimensional model of mood by means of repeated measurement with student and patient sample. Z Med Psychol 1:27–35
Ironson G, Field T, Scafidi F, Hashimoto M, Kumar M, Kumar A, Price A, Goncalves A, Burman I, Tetenman C, Patarca R, Fletcher MA (1996) Massage therapy is associated with enhancement of the immune system’s cytotoxic capacity. Int J Neurosci 84:205–217
Leonard BE (2005) The HPA and immune axes in stress: the involvement of the serotonergic system. Eur Psychiatry 20(Suppl 3):S302–S306
Levenstein S, Prantera C, Varvo V, Scribano ML, Berto E, Luzi C, Andreoli A (1993) Development of the Perceived Stress Questionnaire: a new tool for psychosomatic research. J Psychosom Res 37:19–32
Listing M, Voigt B, Neumann M, Klapp BF, Rauchfuss M (2007) Massage for breast cancer patients. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 67:182
Listing M, Reisshauer A, Krohn M, Voigt B, Tjahono G, Becker J, Klapp BF, Rauchfuss M (2009) Massage therapy reduces physical discomfort and improves mood disturbances in women with breast cancer. Psychooncology 18(12):1290–1299
Lorr M, McNair DM, Fisher SU (1982) Evidence for bipolar mood states. J Pers Assess 46:432–436
Mehnert A, Koch U (2007) Prevalence of acute and post-traumatic stress disorder and comorbid mental disorders in breast cancer patients during primary cancer care: a prospective study. Psychooncology 16:181–188
Moyer CA, Rounds J, Hannum JW (2004) A meta-analysis of massage therapy research. Psychol Bull 130:3–18
Nowlis V (1965) Research with the mood adjective list. In: Tomkins SS, Jzard CE (eds) Affect, Cognition and Personality. Springer, New York
Ouchi Y, Kanno T, Okada H, Yoshikawa E, Shinke T, Nagasawa S, Minoda K, Doi H (2006) Changes in cerebral blood flow under the prone condition with and without massage. Neurosci Lett 407:131–135
Palesh OG, Collie K, Batiuchok D, Tilston J, Koopman C, Perlis ML, Butler LD, Carlson R, Spiegel D (2007) A longitudinal study of depression, pain, and stress as predictors of sleep disturbance among women with metastatic breast cancer. Biol Psychol 75:37–44
Pariante CM, Miller AH (2001) Glucocorticoid receptors in major depression: relevance to pathophysiology and treatment. Biol Psychiatry 49:391–404
Post-White J, Kinney ME, Savik K, Gau JB, Wilcox C, Lerner I (2003) Therapeutic massage and healing touch improve symptoms in cancer. Integr Cancer Ther 2:332–344
Reiche EM, Nunes SO, Morimoto HK (2004) Stress, depression, the immune system, and cancer. Lancet Oncol 5:617–625
Rose M, Burkert U, Scholler G, Schirop T, Danzer G, Klapp BF (1998) Determinants of the quality of life of patients with diabetes under intensified insulin therapy. Diabetes Care 21:1876–1885
Sehlen S, Hollenhorst H, Schymura B, Herschbach P, Aydemir U, Firsching M, Duhmke E (2003) Psychosocial stress in cancer patients during and after radiotherapy. Strahlenther Onkol 179:175–180
Smith MC, Kemp J, Hemphill L, Vojir CP (2002) Outcomes of therapeutic massage for hospitalized cancer patients. J Nurs Scholarsh 34:257–262
Soden K, Vincent K, Craske S, Lucas C, Ashley S (2004) A randomized controlled trial of aromatherapy massage in a hospice setting. Palliat Med 18:87–92
Song RH, Kim DH (2006) The effects of foot reflexion massage on sleep disturbance, depression disorder, and the physiological index of the elderly. Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi 36:15–24
Stringer J, Swindell R, Dennis M (2008) Massage in patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy reduces serum cortisol and prolactin. Psychooncology 17(10):1024–1031
Swaab DF, Bao AM, Lucassen PJ (2005) The stress system in the human brain in depression and neurodegeneration. Ageing Res Rev 4:141–194
Taylor AG, Galper DI, Taylor P, Rice LW, Andersen W, Irvin W, Wang XQ, Harrell FE Jr (2003) Effects of adjunctive Swedish massage and vibration therapy on short-term postoperative outcomes: a randomized, controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med 9:77–89
Uvnas-Moberg K, Petersson M (2005) Oxytocin, a mediator of anti-stress, well-being, social interaction, growth and healing. Z Psychosom Med Psychother 51:57–80
Wikstrom S, Gunnarsson T, Nordin C (2003) Tactile stimulus and neurohormonal response: a pilot study. Int J Neurosci 113:787–793
Yau JL, Hibberd C, Noble J, Seckl JR (2002) The effect of chronic fluoxetine treatment on brain corticosteroid receptor mRNA expression and spatial memory in young and aged rats. Brain Res Mol Brain Res 106:117–123
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Listing, M., Krohn, M., Liezmann, C. et al. The efficacy of classical massage on stress perception and cortisol following primary treatment of breast cancer. Arch Womens Ment Health 13, 165–173 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-009-0143-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-009-0143-9