ATOPIC-DERMATITIS SYMPTOMS DECREASED IN CHILDREN FOLLOWING MASSAGE THERAPY

Young children with atopic dermatitis were treated with standard topic al care and massaged by their parents for 20 minutes daily for a 1 mon th period. A control group received standard topical care only. The ch ildren's affect and activity level significantly improved, and their p arent's anxiety decreased immediately after the massage therapy sessio ns. Over the 1 month period, parents of massaged children reported low er anxiety levels in their children, and the children improved signifi cantly on all clinical measures including redness, scaling, lichenific ation, excoriation, and pruritus. The control group only improved sign ificantly on the scaling measure. These data suggest that massage ther apy may be a cost-effective adjunct treatment for atopic dermatitis, s ince there is a one-time expense of $30 for the child to receive the m assage and the parent to learn the technique.