A study undertaken in partnership by US-based spa chain Massage Envy and Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine, has suggested that massage therapy reduces pain, improves sleep and relieves arthritic conditions.

Led by Tiffany Field of the Touch Research Institute, the study examined the effects of massage on hand pain and grip strength on adults. The subjects were divided into two different groups, including a control group that did not receive massage therapy and a massage therapy group, which received 15 minutes of massage for four consecutive weeks.

The 15-minute massages consisted of moderate pressure stroking and were concentrated from the fingertip to the elbow area.

Results of the study demonstrated the massage group's levels of pain, anxiety and depression decreased more than that of the control group. Additionally, the massage group's grip strength increased and sleep disturbances diminished.

C.G. Funk, vice president of product development for Massage Envy. "While massage therapy has been documented to reduce pain associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, and fibromyalgia, this study confirms its effects on pain associated with other conditions of the hands."

The study's results were published in the 2011 April edition of Complimentary Therapies in Clinical Practice Journal.