Massage Therapy: Riddled with quackery

https://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/massage.html
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PainSci notes

Scientifically unsupportable ideas are common among massage therapists, according to Dr. Stephen Barrett. He avoids a blanket condemnation of the profession, conceding that “ordinary massage and the legitimate practice of massage therapy should not be categorized as quackery.” However, “many therapists make claims that go far beyond what massage can accomplish. And even worse, massage therapy schools, publications, and professional groups are an integral part of the deception.” He provides many references to support this view.

I agree with almost every detail of the article and wrote a letter of support to Dr. Barrett, which is published as an addendum to it. That said, the article does neglect some nice things that can be said about massage therapy, and it contains a few minor errors. But I applaud the intent and embrace and welcome most of the criticism. I wish it weren’t mostly true, but I believe that it is.

~ Paul Ingraham, PainSci Publisher

Related Content

These three articles on PainScience.com cite this item as a source:

1. Does Massage Therapy Work?
2. The Complete Guide to Trigger Points & Myofascial Pain
3. How Do Your Find Good Quality Massage Therapy?