www.massagetherapy.com—your resource for all things bodywork 5
B O D Y T A L K
C O M P I L E D B Y B R A N D O N T W Y F O R D
Back Massage Improves Conditions in Family Caregivers
A randomized controlled trial, published in Asian Pacifi c Journal of Cancer Prevention,
concludes that 44 family caregivers of oncology patients benefi tted from 15-minute daily
back massage over the period of one week. The caregivers reported improved blood
pressure, cortisol levels, heart rates, and
sleep quality, as well as reduced anxiety.
The study concluded that
oncology nurses can take
advantage of back massage—a
nonpharmacologic and easily
implemented method—as an
independent nursing action to
support these caregivers.
Learn more at www.ncbi.
nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26745049.
New Study
Suggests Reiki's
Effectiveness for
Pain Reduction
In a pilot study published in
Nursing that aimed to determine
the impact of reiki therapy on
pain perception, reiki was shown
to have a statistically signifi cant
effect on pain reduction.
The study sample included 43
patients undergoing total knee
arthoplasty (TKA). All subjects
had unilateral TKA at the same
hospital and were randomized
into reiki and nonreiki groups.
Pain was assessed before
and after reiki therapy using
a numeric rating scale.
While several study limitations
were noted, the fi ndings are
promising and provide valid
groundwork for future studies.
As a result of the positive
feedback from patients and
decreased pain ratings following
reiki sessions, a reiki program
was established at the hospital,
and 10 nurses became trained
and certifi ed in reiki.
Read the abstract at www.ncbi.
nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26760383.
For more information about
reiki, read "Reiki and PTSD"
in the November/December
2014 issue of Massage &
Bodywork magazine at
www.massageandbodyworkdigital.
com/i/398416-november-
december-2014/66.
Mindfulness Training
Proves Effective for
Postpartum Depression
A new study led by University of
Colorado at Boulder researchers
found pregnant and postpartum
women at risk of depression are less
likely to suffer from the condition
when they meditate or practice yoga
than when they are treated with
psychotherapy and antidepressants.
The study focused on pregnant
women with histories of depression.
Forty-three subjects were randomized
to a group that underwent mindfulness-
based cognitive therapy, and 43 subjects were
assigned to a conventional treatment group.
Only 18 percent of the women in the mindfulness
group experienced depression during pregnancy or after they gave birth, while 50
percent of the women in the conventional treatment group experienced depression.
Lead researcher Sona Dimidjian, associate professor of psychology and
neuroscience at the University of Colorado at Boulder, writes, "The choice between
antidepressants and having untreated depression is not the only option."
Read more at www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2016/01/11/mindfulness-training-more-
effective-against-postpartum-depression-conventional.
For more information on mindfulness meditation, read "3 Steps to Mindfulness
Meditation" in the Autumn 2015 issue of Body Sense magazine at www.bodysensemagazine
digital.com/i/574078-autumn-2015/14.
