A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was, 'In patients undergoing cardiac surgery, is postoperative
massage therapy effective in reducing
pain, anxiety and physiological parameters?' Altogether, 287 papers were found using the reported search, of which 7 papers represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and the results of these papers are tabulated. The specific
therapy protocols widely varied between studies, with differences in frequency, specific timing in the postoperative period, techniques used and experience of
therapy provider. These variations limit the generalization and transferability of the conclusions. The effect of
massage therapy on anxiety levels was reported in 5 studies. All but one demonstrated a significant improvement in anxiety.
Pain was also reported in 5 studies, with significant improvement demonstrated in 4 studies. Importantly, a number of these studies failed to report on
analgesic requirements nor demonstrate a reduction in
opioid requirements, thus limiting the validity of the drawn conclusions. There is significant heterogeneity in randomized trials reporting on the effects of
massage therapy. Although there is evidence to suggest that
massage therapy reduces
pain and anxiety following cardiac surgery, there are often caveats to the conclusions drawn with other studies reporting no significant difference. Therefore, in light of this, it would not be logical to recommend
massage therapy as an effective
therapy. There is no current evidence to suggest that
massage therapy improves physiological parameters, including the onset of
atrial fibrillation postoperatively.