A team of doctors from Ann Arbor, Michigan, reporting in the Archives of Surgery , describe how a 20-minute back massage can help reduce the pain and anxiety that can follow major surgery.

Over 600 veterans having chest or abdominal surgery were allocated randomly to one of 3 groups: the first received standard post-surgical care, the second got a daily 20-minute back massage, and the third got 20 minutes of individual attention, but no massage. They had to quantify their pain and anxiety, using a scale of 1 to 10.

The patients in the massage group had decreases in pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, and anxiety, as well as a faster rate of decrease in pain during the first 4 days post-op. However, in the long-term (beyond 4 days) there was little or no difference between the three groups.

This approach to post-surgical care is not new. At the Mayo Clinic, for example, cardiac surgery patients can have massages if they are experiencing back, shoulder, or neck pain; this program has been available for 5 years. However, you don't have to have surgery to enjoy a good massage...

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