A review of the impact of massage therapy on the rehabilitation of MS patients

Aim and objective: MS is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system. Due to the many problems and side effects of medication, a significant number of patients with MS also use non-pharmacological complementary medicine. Massage therapy is one of the most common and safe complementary and alternative therapies around the world.Material and methods: The present study is a review study conducted using authentic Persian and English scientific sites, reviewing texts and summarizing numerous empirical articles of other authors.Result: Studies show that massage therapy in MS patients has a positive effect on reducing pain, balance, quality of life, physical health and mental health. It can also help significantly improve sleep problems, reduce anxiety, reduce fatigue and depression in patients with multiple sclerosis. Study results indicating that massage therapy increases the self-efficacy of clients with multiple sclerosis, potentially resulting in a better overall adjustment to the disease and an improvement in psycho-emotional state. Studies show that abdominal massage in people with MS is effective in improving neurogenic bladder dysfunction and constipation symptoms.Conclusion: Massage therapy for patients with MS lacks any serious side effects and drug interactions. The procedure is simple and well accepted by the patient. It is recommended to use this method along with other common methods in rehabilitation programs to reduce the symptoms.

Keywords:

Multiple Sclerosis , Massage Therapy , Rehabilitation , Complementary Medicine.