Does massage help back pain, soreness and stress?

Massage eased back pain in the short term and reduced soreness after hard training. Evidence for anxiety and work stress is weaker.

Published October 2026

Short answer

Massage may ease back pain and muscle soreness for a short time, and may ease anxiety and stress, but the evidence is mostly low certainty. Evidence grade C (Limited). Cochrane and other meta-analyses plus small trials; downgraded for risk of bias (massage cannot be blinded), short follow-up and low-certainty ratings.

Key takeaways

For low back pain, massage eased pain in the short term, compared with no treatment and with other active treatments [1].
After hard strength training, a calf massage eased soreness and limited strength loss in a trial of 78 older adults [2].
A 2025 review of 36 trials found massage reduced anxiety in people with cancer, though the evidence is very low certainty [3].
In a network meta-analysis, massage alone reduced work stress in healthcare workers, while yoga ranked best [4].
Side effects were mostly mild; increased pain during or after massage was the most common [1].

The short version

Massage may ease low back pain for a short time [1]. It may also reduce muscle soreness after hard exercise [2], and it may lower anxiety and work stress [3][4]. Most of this evidence is low certainty, so the gains are modest [1][3].

What the studies show

A Cochrane review of 25 trials with 3,096 people found that massage eased low back pain in the short term, both compared with no treatment and compared with other active treatments [1]. Against no treatment, function also improved in the short term, but not against other active treatments [1].

In a 2021 trial of 78 older adults, a 15-minute calf massage, repeated at 24, 48 and 72 hours after strength training, eased muscle pain and limited strength loss [2]. An umbrella review of physiotherapy for muscle soreness listed massage among treatments that reduced pain 24 to 72 hours after exercise, but most of the reviews it drew on were of critically low quality [5].

A 2025 meta-analysis of 36 trials with 3,671 people with cancer found that massage reduced anxiety after treatment, with a small effect [3]. In a 2014 review of nine trials in fibromyalgia, massage lasting at least 5 weeks reduced anxiety and depression straight after treatment [6]. In a network meta-analysis of 15 trials with 688 healthcare workers, massage alone lowered occupational stress more than no intervention, though yoga ranked best [4].

The nuances

Therapists and patients cannot be blinded to massage, which raises the risk of bias in these trials [1]. The control groups in back pain trials included sham therapy, waiting lists and no treatment [1]. The cancer review rated all its outcomes as very low certainty [3].

What this means for you

Massage may be worth trying alongside other care for back pain or soreness after hard exercise [1][2]. It is not a substitute for medical care. Talk to a doctor about back pain that is severe, lasts a long time or follows an injury.

Go deeper

Massage — Massage may ease low back pain in the short term and reduce muscle soreness after hard exercise, with some signs of lower anxiety and work stress.

References

Massage for low-back pain.. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2015.
Massage enhances recovery following exercise-induced muscle damage in older adults.. Scand J Med Sci Sports, 2021.
Effectiveness of Massage Therapy for Cancer Pain, Quality of Life and Anxiety Levels: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.. J Clin Nurs, 2025.
Physical relaxation for occupational stress in healthcare workers: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.. J Occup Health, 2021.
Physical Therapies for Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness: An Umbrella and Mapping Systematic Review with Meta-meta-analysis.. Sports Med, 2025.
Massage therapy for fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.. PLoS One, 2014.