Massage therapy improves mood and behavior of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Author: Khilnani S//Field T//Hernandez-Reif M//Schanberg S
Affiliation:
Touch Research Institutes, University of Miami School of Medicine, Florida 33101, USA
Conference/Journal: Adolescence
Date published: 2003
Other: Volume ID: 38 , Issue ID: 152 , Pages: 623-38 , Word Count: 67


In the present study, 30 students between the ages of 7 and 18 years (M = 13 years) diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were randomly assigned to a massage group or a wait-list control group. The massage group received massage therapy for 20 minutes twice per week over the course of one month. The results revealed that massage therapy benefited students with ADHD by improving short-term mood state and longer-term classroom behavior.

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