Abstract:  Massage therapy has been observed to be helpful in some patients with
fibromyalgia. This study was designed to examine the effects of massage therapy
versus relaxation therapy on sleep, substance P, and pain in fibromyalgia
patients. Twenty-four adult fibromyalgia patients were assigned randomly to a
massage therapy or relaxation therapy group. They received 30-minute treatments
twice weekly for 5 weeks. Both groups showed a decrease in anxiety and depressed
mood immediately after the first and last therapy sessions. However, across the
course of the study, only the massage therapy group reported an increase in the
number of sleep hours and a decrease in their sleep movements. In addition,
substance P levels decreased, and the patients' physicians assigned lower disease
and pain ratings and rated fewer tender points in the massage therapy group.

Field, T., Diego, M., Cullen, C., Hernandez-Reif, M., Sunshine, W. & Douglas, S., 2002.  Fibromyalgia pain and substance P decrease and sleep improves after massage
therapy, Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, Vol.8, No.2, pp72-76.