Effect of massage in postmenopausal women with insomnia – A pilot study

Nearly 80% of women going through menopause experience some kind of clinical symptom and in 40% of cases the symptoms are sufficiently intense to lead the patient to seek medical assistance. The most common symptoms are vasomotor instability, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, depression and insomnia, all significantly detrimental to well-being. Insomnia is highly prevalent and affects between 28% and 63% of postmenopausal women. The search for complementary therapies is increasing, massage therapy being among these. The effects of massage on the activation of arterial and venous blood flow, the lymphatic system, in addition to impacting oedema, the conjunctive tissue and muscles, are well known. Through acting on the somatic, autonomic and central nervous system, massage promotes improved visceral functioning and re-establishes homeostasis. Through cutaneo-muscle stimulation on the surface of the body, the receptors of touch, pressure, heat, vibration and pain are activated and these stimuli are transported to the autonomous and central nervous systems, unleashing neuro-chemical reactions. A recent study showed that women with complaints of insomnia principally chose corporal therapies, whereas another one concluded that massage promotes relaxation and sleep and is identified as an agreeable intervention by the elderly. Although the benefits of massage were described in a study, no objective parameters of sleep were evaluated. Furthermore, there are thus far no studies which evaluate the effects of massage specifically on postmenopausal women. Other studies observed that yoga improved climacteric symptons in women in peri-and post-menopause. The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of therapeutic massage on insomnia, depression, and anxiety through subjective and objective parameters in postmenopausal patients with insomnia.