Massage Therapy and People with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
By Betsy Webb, B.A., R.M.T.

Research, Posttraumatic Stress and Massage Therapy
by Betsy Webb, B.A., R.M.T.

What is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? It is an emotional condition that can happen after direct or indirect exposure to a terrifying physical event in which physical harm was threatened, witnessed, or actually experienced.* PTSD can be caused by many events, including, but not limited to, natural disasters, and human-caused harm – see below. Massage therapy can help people with PTSD by lowering their anxiety, lowering symptoms of depression, and increasing happiness.

Some symptoms of PTSD

• Sleeplessness and/or nightmares
• Paranoia and distrust
• Numbing of responsiveness
• Numbing of the body
• Being “on edge”
• Conduct problems in children
• Anxiety
• Re-enactment/ discussion of the event
• Unwillingness to revisit the trauma
• Physical symptoms such as headaches, gastrointestinal distress, dizziness
• Clinging behaviour –in children
• Decreased desire for physical contact – especially in adults

Upon entering the field of massage therapy one expects to treat survivors of sexual abuse, many of whom have PTSD. Of course, most survivors don't discuss this with their massage therapist.While estimates are controversial, approximately 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men have been sexually abused. Therefore, many of the clients who come in to Be. are most likely survovors.

However, there is another category of people with PTSD I did not expect to treat - combat veterans from the armed services. One client in particular came in with many symptoms of PTSD. He would not make eye contact; and he had severe pain in one area of his body but numbness in most of the rest. I treated him 1 to 2 times weekly for several months. He started making sustained eye contact, his one area of severe pain decreased, and his areas of numbness gradually become first painful, and then less painfull.

A big issue for people with PTSD is numbness - physically or emotionally. I have treated clients that were not exactly numb, but couldn't tell me that any massage felt good, bad, or painful. Gradually, over several treatments,they began to interpret touch as positive or painful.

• Natural events
• Hurricanes
• Tsunamis
• Flooding
• Human-caused traumas
• Sexual abuse
• Physical abuse
• Verbal abuse
• Racism
• School or neighbourhood shootings
• Combat situations
• Motor vehicle accident
• Diagnosis of life-threatening illness

*from www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/ptsd....

**Moberg, Kerstin Uvnas, The Oxytocin Factor, Da Capo Press, Cambridge, 2003.

One researcher, Tiffany Field at the Touch Research Institute in Miami, has done extensive research into the effects of massage therapy on people with anxiety, depression, stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Her research has included children, adolescents and adults. Across the board her research shows that massage therapy can help people with these conditions.

In one study school-age children who experienced hurricane Andrew were either massaged or watched relaxing videos.* These children all tested positive to having severe posttraumatic stress (PTS) according to the PTSD Reaction Index. That index has questions about anxiety levels, bad cognitions including bad dreams, fears, etc. The children were in grades 1 to 5, with an average age of 7.5 years. They all had behaviour problems.

The children were randomly divided into the 2 groups to either have massage therapy or watch a relaxing video while in physical contact with an adult. The groups were tested to make sure there were no significant differences between the 2 groups. The groups had treatments on 8 days, approximately one month after the hurricane.

Results showed that following the treatments the massage therapy group were happier, less anxious, and had lower salivary cortisol levels (a stress hormone present in saliva). The massage therapy group showed sustained changes as well as changes right after the treatments. They had lower anxiety, fewer symptoms of depression, more positive self-image as expressed by self-drawings, and were observed to be more relaxed. The changes in the video group were not as significant in any of the categories.

*Field, T.; Seligman, S.; Scafidi, F.; and Schanberg, S.; (1996) Alleviating Posttraumatic Stress in Children Following Hurricane Andrew, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 17, pp 37-50.

< back to News