With a renewed interest in natural forms of treatment, research activity in massage has gained momentum. The following are a few examples of recent studies:

• Denise Matt Tope, Ph.D., of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire studied how massage therapy can reduce anxiety and depression in bone marrow transplant patients.
• Frank Scafidi, Ph.D., at the University of Miami's Touch Research Institute is studying the effects of daily massage on growth, cognitive development, and immune function in premature infants born to HIV infected mothers.
• Melodie Olson of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston is using a controlled experiment to examine the effects of Therapeutic Touch on the immune functioning of highly stressed students preparing for professional board exams. Positive findings would have implications for other highly stressed populations including cancer and AIDS patients.