Postburn itching, pain, and psychological symptoms are reduced with massage therapy

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.