Evidence standard
This article summarises research indexed by PubMed in plain language. It provides general information, not personal medical advice.
What the massage review found
A Cochrane review included 25 randomised trials with 3,096 participants. Nearly all trials involved people with subacute or chronic nonspecific low-back pain, while only one trial examined acute low-back pain.1
The review found short-term pain improvement when massage was compared with inactive controls. For subacute and chronic pain, it also found short-term improvement in function against inactive controls.1
The review did not establish a lasting functional benefit. Pain findings against active treatments were smaller, and the long-term estimate was imprecise.1
Why expectations should remain cautious
The authors rated the evidence as low or very low certainty because of bias and imprecision. They stated that they had very little confidence that massage was an effective treatment for low-back pain.1
No serious adverse events were reported in the included trials. Increased pain was the most common reported adverse event, with proportions varying substantially between studies.1
What newer evidence adds
A 2025 overview examined 31 Cochrane reviews covering 644 trials and 97,183 adults with low-back pain. It did not provide a new estimate showing that massage reduces low-back pain.2
For massage safety, the overview found low-certainty evidence from one trial with 51 participants. That evidence found no clear difference between massage and usual care, but the sample was too limited for a firm conclusion.2
A realistic summary
Massage may provide short-term comfort for some people with nonspecific low-back pain. Current evidence does not establish reliable long-term pain or functional improvement.12
Research sources
References
Furlan Andrea D; Giraldo Mario; Baskwill Amanda; Irvin Emma; Imamura Marta. Massage for low-back pain.. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2015.
What it supports: Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis of 25 randomised trials involving 3,096 adults with nonspecific low-back pain.
Important limitation: Evidence certainty was low or very low, bias was common, only one acute-pain trial was included, and benefits were mainly short term.
View PubMed record 26329399Rizzo Rodrigo Rn; Cashin Aidan G; Wand Benedict M; Ferraro Michael C; Sharma Saurab; Lee Hopin; O'Hagan Edel; Maher Christopher G; Furlan Andrea D; van Tulder Maurits W; McAuley James H. Non-pharmacological and non-surgical treatments for low back pain in adults: an overview of Cochrane reviews.. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2025.
What it supports: Overview of 31 Cochrane reviews covering 644 trials and 97,183 adults receiving nonsurgical or nonpharmacological care for low-back pain.
Important limitation: Massage-specific safety evidence came from one trial with 51 participants, and the overview did not provide a new massage efficacy estimate.
View PubMed record 40139265