Massage therapy alone and in combination with meditation for breast cancer patients undergoing autologous tissue reconstruction: A randomized pilot study

Liza J. Dion, Deborah J. Engen, Valerie Lemaine, Donna K. Lawson, Charise G. Brock, Barbara S. Thomley, Stephen S. Cha, Amit Sood, Brent A. Bauer, Dietlind L. Wahner-Roedler

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study explored whether massage combined with meditation is more helpful than massage alone for women recovering from autologous tissue reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer. Forty patients were randomly assigned to either massage therapy or massage plus meditation on postoperative days 1 through 3. Outcome measures were 1) visual analog scale (VAS) scores for stress, anxiety, relaxation, insomnia, alertness, fatigue, tension, pain, mood, and energy, and 2) Perceived Stress Scale-14 scores. Nineteen patients in each group finished the study. Preintervention and postintervention mean total VAS scores improved significantly in both groups (P < .001), but no significant difference occurred between groups.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)82-87
Number of pages6
JournalComplementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
Volume23
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1 2016

Keywords

  • Breast cancer reconstruction
  • Massage
  • Meditation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Complementary and alternative medicine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Massage therapy alone and in combination with meditation for breast cancer patients undergoing autologous tissue reconstruction: A randomized pilot study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this