---
title: Does massage therapy help premenstrual dysphoric disorder symptoms?
description: Massage therapy reduced anxiety, depressed mood, and pain right after sessions. Over 5 weeks, it reduced pain and water retention but did not improve mood or
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-symptoms-are-relieved-by-massage-therapy-2000/
---

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- Does massage therapy help premenstrual dysphoric disorder symptoms?

Randomised trial, 2000

# Does massage therapy help premenstrual dysphoric disorder symptoms?

Massage therapy reduced anxiety, depressed mood, and pain right after sessions. Over 5 weeks, it reduced pain and water retention but did not improve mood or activity level long-term.

 Early or limited evidence

24 women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder

## What they did

24 women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder were randomly assigned to receive either massage therapy or relaxation therapy. Symptoms were measured immediately after sessions and over 5 weeks.

## What they found

After the first and last massage sessions, women had less anxiety, depressed mood, and pain. Over 5 weeks, massage reduced pain, water retention, and overall menstrual distress. However, mood and activity level did not improve over the longer term.

## What it means for you

Massage may help with pain and water retention, especially in the short term. This was a very small study with only 24 women, so we need larger studies to be sure it works.

24

Women in study

5 weeks

Follow-up period

## About the study

Original title Premenstrual symptoms are relieved by massage therapy Authors Hernandez-Reif M, Martinez A, Field T et al. Journal Journal of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology Year 2000 Study design Randomised trial What was tested Massage therapy compared to relaxation therapy Read the paper [doi.org/10.3109/01674820009075603](https://doi.org/10.3109/01674820009075603)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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