As many people may have experienced, trying to quit smoking can come with severe withdrawal symptoms including intense cigarette cravings and anxiety. In a controlled study by Hernandez-Reif, Field & Hart (1999), smokers were taught self-massage techniques to use during three cravings a day for one month. Those who practiced the treatment had lower levels of anxiety and improved mood with fewer withdrawal symptoms, and also smoked fewer cigarettes per day by the end of the study than the control group. These results suggest that self-massage techniques may help to ease smoking cessation and reduce the anxiety and cravings associated with smoking withdrawal.
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Jaime Coy, RMT
Victory Health & Wellness
References
Lawler, S. & Cameron, L. (2006). A randomized, controlled trial of massage therapy as a treatment for migraine. Annual Behavior and Medicine, 32, 50-59.