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01-04-2010 | Original Article

The efficacy of classical massage on stress perception and cortisol following primary treatment of breast cancer

Authors: Miriam Listing, Michaela Krohn, Christiane Liezmann, Ina Kim, Anett Reisshauer, Eva Peters, Burghard F. Klapp, Martina Rauchfuss

Published in: Archives of Women's Mental Health | Issue 2/2010

Abstract

To investigate the efficacy of classical massage on stress perception and mood disturbances, 34 women diagnosed with primary breast cancer were randomized into an intervention or control group. For a period of 5 weeks, the intervention group (n = 17) received biweekly 30-min classical massages. The control group (n = 17) received no additional treatment to their routine health care. The Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) and the Berlin Mood Questionnaire (BSF) were used and the patients’ blood was collected at baseline (T1), at the end of the intervention period (T2), and 6 weeks after T2 (T3). Compared with control group, women in the intervention group reported significantly lower mood disturbances, especially for anger (p = 0.048), anxious depression (p = 0.03) at T2, and tiredness at T3 (p = 0.01). No group differences were found in PSQ scales, cortisol and serotonin concentrations at T2 and T3. However, perceived stress and cortisol serum levels (p = 0.03) were significantly reduced after massage therapy (T2) compared with baseline in the intervention group. Further research is needed to validate our findings.

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Title: The efficacy of classical massage on stress perception and cortisol following primary treatment of breast cancer
Authors: Miriam Listing
Michaela Krohn
Christiane Liezmann
Ina Kim
Anett Reisshauer
Eva Peters
Burghard F. Klapp
Martina Rauchfuss
Publication date: 01-04-2010
Publisher: Springer Vienna
Published in: Archives of Women's Mental Health / Issue 2/2010
Print ISSN: 1434-1816
Electronic ISSN: 1435-1102
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-009-0143-9

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The efficacy of classical massage on stress perception and cortisol following primary treatment of breast cancer

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