Twenty patients with burn injuries were randomly assigned to a massage ther
apy or a standard treatment control group during the remodeling phase of wo
und healing. The massage therapy group received a 30-minute massage with co
coa butter to a closed, moderate-sized scar tissue area twice a week for 5
weeks. The massage therapy group reported reduced itching, pain, and anxiet
y and improved mood immediately after the first and last therapy sessions,
and their ratings on these measures improved from the first day to the last
day of the study.