SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Pressed for Relief: Can Inpatient Massage Therapy Improve Symptoms and Mobility?

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This retrospective cohort study examined whether a single 30-minute bedside massage therapy session could improve symptoms and mobility in hospitalized adults. The study included 382 patients at an academic hospital between September 2024 and October 2025.<br /><br />Researchers measured pain, anxiety, fatigue, and nausea immediately before and after massage using 10-point rating scales. They also compared nursing-recorded average daily pain and mobility scores (AMPAC) from the day before to the day after treatment. Patients with missing data or unchanged baseline scores of zero were excluded from specific analyses.<br /><br />The average patient was 58 years old, 52% were female, and the most common diagnoses were oncology, infection, and cardiology. The most frequent reason for massage consultation was pain, followed by anxiety.<br /><br />The results showed that a single massage therapy session was associated with significant improvement in all four symptom domains: pain, anxiety, fatigue, and nausea. It was also linked to lower nursing-recorded daily pain. In addition, patients with low baseline mobility showed greater improvement in functional recovery, suggesting massage may be especially helpful for those starting with poorer mobility.<br /><br />The authors conclude that inpatient massage therapy may be a useful, scalable adjunct to standard symptom management in the hospital. However, because this was an observational study, randomized controlled trials are needed to determine causality and to assess whether repeated sessions produce larger or longer-lasting benefits.

Asset Subtitle

George Simchun Yeung

Meta Tag

Author List Aksharananda Rambachan, Brieze Bell, Carolyn Tague, Colin Hubbard, George Simchun Yeung, Keerthana Radhakrishnan, Maham Awan, Sanjay Reddy

Category Research

Concept Massage Therapy

Concept Functional Mobility

Concept Pain

Concept AM-PAC Mobility Score

Concept Retrospective Cohort Study

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Ucsf

Presenting Author George Simchun Yeung

Track Outcomes Research

Keywords

massage therapy

retrospective cohort study

hospitalized adults

symptom relief

pain reduction

anxiety

fatigue

nausea

mobility improvement

inpatient care

Massage Therapy

Functional Mobility

Pain

AM-PAC Mobility Score

Retrospective Cohort Study