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Abstract
A study was carried out to update knowledge about massage in managing chronic stress at the international level through a documentary and literature review of scientific articles published until December 2015. The databases consulted were Medline, Scopus and Scielo. The keywords 'estrés', 'stress', 'masaje' and 'massage' were used in Spanish and English. 32 studies were found, 1 of them meta-analysis, 1 review and 30 for application at the various levels of experimentation (pre, quasi, and experimental) in determining the effectiveness of massage in coping with stress at the international level. These were analyzed in three stages: studies carried out in the 20th century; and of the 21st century, in the periods from 2000 to 2009 and from 2010 to 2015. The studies found suggest that massage applied in different ways is effective in managing chronic stress and its negative effects.
Keywords: massage, stress, health
Introduction
Stress is the body's reaction to a challenge or demand. In small episodes it can be positive, such as when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline, but when stress lasts a long time it can harm your health (Larzelere, 2008).
The American Psychological Association (APA, 2014) says the two main types of stress we encounter are:
Acute stress. This is short-term stress that goes away quickly. You feel it when you slam on the brakes, have a fight with your partner, or ski down a steep slope. It helps you manage dangerous situations. It also occurs when you do something new or exciting. Everyone has acute stress at one time or another.
Chronic stress. This is stress that lasts for a longer period of time. You may have chronic stress if you have money problems, an unhappy marriage or trouble at work. Any type of stress that goes on for weeks or months is chronic stress. You can become so used to chronic stress that you do not realise it is a problem. If you do not find ways to manage stress, it may lead to health problems (APA, 2014). Tziner et al. (2015) argue that it is the overwhelming stress which wears people out day after day, year after year. Chronic stress destroys the body, mind and life and wreaks havoc through long-term wear. It...