Massage helps Anorexia symptoms
Massage alleviates anxiety, depression, eating disorder
symptoms, poor body image and biochemical abnormalities for women
diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, according to a recent research
study.
Date: 07/30/04
Source: Touch Research Institute
"Anorexia Nervosa Symptoms are Reduced by Massage Therapy" was
conducted by researchers at the Touch Research Institute at the
University of Miami School of Medicine. It was originally published
in Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention.
Nineteen women undergoing inpatient or outpatient treatment for
anorexia nervosa were randomly assigned by researchers to either a
massage-therapy group or a standard-treatment group. In addition to
receiving standard care, the women in the massage-therapy group
received a 30-minute Swedish massage twice a week for five weeks.
Beginning in the supine position, the head and neck were
massaged, followed by the arms, torso, legs and feet. In the prone
position, the legs and back were massaged. Inpatients in the
standard-treatment only group participated in daily individual- and
group-therapy sessions, worked with a dietician and engaged in
movement therapy.
The women in the outpatient program were under the care of a
psychiatrist and attended group therapy. On the first and last days
of the study, researchers used the State Anxiety Inventory to
evaluate the womens' anxiety levels; the Profile of Mood States to
measure their moods; saliva cortisol tests to measure stress-hormone
levels; the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale to
determine depression levels; and urine samples to measure dopamine
values.
The Eating Disorder Inventory was used to measure psychological
and behavioral traits associated with anorexia nervosa, such as
perfectionism, drive for thinness, interpersonal distrust and body
dissatisfaction. After the five-week treatment period, the
massage-therapy group had lower scores on the Eating Disorder
Inventory, compared to the standard-treatment group. (Higher scores
suggest more symptoms associated with anorexia nervosa.)
Although improved mood was reported by women in the
massage-therapy group, no changes were found in depression scores
for either the massage-therapy or standard-treatment only group. The
study suggests that a longer massage treatment period may be
necessary to reduce depression for women with anorexia nervosa.
"That the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) scores were unchanged for
the participants in the control group despite receiving standard
treatment … is suggestive of the difficulty of treating eating
disorders with only traditional therapies," state the study's
authors.
Urine samples taken on the first and last days of the study
revealed an increase in dopamine values for the women who received
massage therapy in addition to standard care. "Dopamine depletion
has been associated with a decrease in food intake and has been
implicated in anorexia nervosa and feeding behaviors," state the
authors. The results of this study, according to its authors,
"suggest that massage therapy added to standard care may be
effective for healing mind and body issues for individuals with
eating disorders." - Source: The Touch Research Institute.
Authors:
Sybil Hart, Ph.D.;
Tiffany Field, Ph.D.;
Maria Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D.;
Graciela Nearing, Psy.D.;
Seana Shaw, M.D.;
Saul Schanberg, M.D., Ph.D.;
Cynthia Kuhn, Ph.D.
Originally published in Eating Disorders: The Journal of
Treatment and Prevention, 2001, Vol. 9, pp. 217-228.
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