Objective. To systematically evaluate the evidence of whether
massage therapy (MT) is effective for
neck pain. Methods. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified through searches of 5 English and Chinese databases (to December 2012). The search terms included
neck pain, neck disorders, cervical vertebrae,
massage,
manual therapy, Tuina, and random. In addition, we performed hand searches at the library of Nanjing University of
Traditional Chinese Medicine. Two reviewers independently abstracted data and assessed the methodological quality of RCTs by PEDro scale. And the meta-analyses of improvements on
pain and neck-related function were conducted. Results. Fifteen RCTs met inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis showed that MT experienced better immediate effects on
pain relief compared with inactive
therapies (n = 153; standardised mean difference (SMD), 1.30; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.09 to 2.50; P = 0.03) and
traditional Chinese medicine (n = 125; SMD, 0.73; 95% CI 0.13 to 1.33; P = 0.02). There was no valid evidence of MT on improving dysfunction. With regard to follow-up effects, there was not enough evidence of MT for
neck pain. Conclusions. This systematic review found moderate evidence of MT on improving
pain in patients with
neck pain compared with inactive
therapies and limited evidence compared with
traditional Chinese medicine. There were no valid lines of evidence of MT on improving dysfunction. High quality RCTs are urgently needed to confirm these results and continue to compare MT with other active
therapies for
neck pain.