Massage therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder
Prof. Ernst and colleagues have reviewed the evidence.
First, the details.
- Of 132 articles, only 6 studies met the authors’ inclusion criteria.
And, the results.
- 1 study found that massage plus conventional language therapy was significantly better than conventional language therapy alone for symptom severity and communication attitude.
- 2 studies reported a significant benefit of massage for sensory profile, adaptive behavior, and language and social abilities compared with a special education program.
- 1 study showed significantly beneficial effects of massage for social communication.
- 2 studies suggested that massage therapy is effective.
- All of these studies had a high risk of bias due to small sample sizes, predefined primary outcome measures, inadequate control for nonspecific effects, and a lack of power calculations or adequate follow-up.
The bottom line?
The authors concluded, “Limited evidence exists for the effectiveness of massage as a symptomatic treatment of autism. Because the risk of bias was high, firm conclusions cannot be drawn.”
4/3/11 21:23 JR