By: Sarah Steward, MS*
HPRC staff get many Ask the Expert questions from Military
Service Members, and the answers often include vital information to help you
stay mission-ready, so you can perform well.
Asked & Answered
I’m curious about the
use of alternative medicine for mental health issues. Is massage therapy an
effective way to treat stress, manage depression, and even reduce thoughts of
suicide in Warfighters?
Massage is one of many
therapeutic methods available to reduce stress and address stress-related
issues. The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)—treatments
outside of the conventional biomedical model of care—is becoming more and more
common to treat a variety of conditions, including chronic pain, sleep problems,
stress, and anxiety. CAM categories include alternative medicine (things such
as acupuncture and homeopathic treatments), biological-based practices (such as
herbal products and dietary supplements), energy therapies (such as tai chi and
Reiki), mind-body medicine (including meditation, hypnosis, and yoga), and
manipulative and body-based methods (which include things such as chiropractic
and massage therapy).
CAM is growing in popularity in
both civilian and military populations. In fact, some estimates suggest that
Military Service Members use CAM at a much higher rate than their civilian
counterparts—especially for stress management. The vast majority of military treatment
facilities (MTFs) also offer CAM, although only about 20% specifically provide massage
therapy. Of those that offer massage therapy, it’s more commonly used for pain
and physical conditions, with less than 5% using massage to treat stress,
anxiety, or depression. In addition, TRICARE doesn’t generally cover massage therapy,
although it sometimes covers other types of CAM treatment.
The reason for this might be
that the research on the effectiveness of massage therapy to treat stress,
depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress shows mixed results. For
example, it isn’t clear whether massage therapy will consistently show
long-term effects on some of the physiological markers of stress (such as
cortisol levels, epinephrine, norepinephrine, blood pressure, and heart rate).
However, short-term effects, self-reports, and other behavioral measures
suggest that massage therapy (and touch in general) can reduce stress, anxiety,
and depression. So, further research is certainly needed.
As to whether massage therapy
helps reduce suicide rates and thoughts of suicide, the limited research
available shows no direct link between the two. Stress is often a contributing
factor, but suicide is a complex issue that involves many other factors. And
because of that, the most effective approach involves personalized and
integrated treatment. It’s possible that massage therapy is an effective option
in conjunction with other treatments for some people, but not all.
In fact, this is true for most
of the CAM options, which is why there’s such a variety of categories, used in
various combinations, for many different conditions. However, those seeking
treatment might not know whether massage therapy would benefit them if it’s not
offered. Almost 75% of MTFs that plan to offer CAM are doing so based on the
preferences expressed by their patients. Consider requesting massage therapy in
order to encourage its availability in the future.
Ask the expert
To learn more about mental fitness or ask an HPRC expert
about other issues that affect performance, visit hprc-online.org.
About the author
Sarah Steward, of the
Henry M. Jackson Foundation, is a Social Health Scientist for the Consortium
for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP) at the Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences (USUHS).
Disclosure: *The opinions
and assertions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the official policy or position of USUHS or DoD. The contents of this
publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily
reflect the views, opinions, or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for
the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial
products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
The author has no financial interests or relationships to disclose.
