The Effects of Massage Therapy on Immune Functioning of Inner-City Adults Living with HIV/AIDS

Abstract

Background/Objective: Massage therapy has moderate empirical support for enhancing immunological functioning. This study examined the effects of massage on 144 inner-city HIV/AIDS-positive men/women. It was hypothesized that adults electing massage would have greater improvement in immune functioning compared to adults declining massage. This study has Temple IRB approval. Methods: 48 HIV/AIDS-positive adults who elected to receive one or more massage sessions from the licensed massage therapist at Congreso were compared to 96 sex-matched HIV/AIDS-positive adults who declined massage over one year. Pre/Post massage CD4+ counts were measured as proxies for immune functioning. Mean immune functioning change was compared between the massage and control group to identify differences Pre/Post the massage/control window and within the massage group to test for dose-dependent effects. Results: No significant differences in age, education, race/ethnicity, language, income, mental health or substance-abuse history were found between the massage and control group. The massage group had lower immune functioning at baseline (394.5±279.7) compared to control group (467.3±283.8); however, this 16.9% difference in baseline mean CD4+ counts between the two groups was non-significant (p=0.23). ANOVA analyses found no difference in CD4+ change (Post-Pre) between the groups (p=0.70). Further ANCOVA analyses found the effects of massage on mean CD4+ counts non-significant after adjusting for baseline differences (p=0.75). However, the trends were in the hypothesized direction with an increase of 36.9 (±148.6) in CD4+ counts for the massage group compared to an increase of 22.5 (±183.4) in the control group. The presence of a dose-dependent effect within the massage group was also non-significant (p=0.95). Pre/Post differences among subjects who received only one massage were found significant (p=0.04), but not for subjects receiving more than one massage (p=0.51). Conclusion: These trends highlight that massage therapy effects may be an important non-pharmacological modality to complement standard-of-care to improve or sustain immune functioning.