Effects of Massage Therapy on Anxiety, Depression, Stress, Pain, Quality of Life, and Immune Aspects in People Living With HIV: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Massage therapy has been explored as a complementary intervention for people living with HIV, with potential effects on emotional, physical, and immune system parameters. This systematic review, conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines, included a meta-analysis to synthesize data. After removing duplicates and independently screening titles, abstracts, and full texts, 11 experimental studies were selected. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool (RoB 2), and data analysis was performed with Review Manager 5 (RevMan 5.4). The studies examined various massage techniques, frequencies, and durations, revealing beneficial effects in reducing anxiety, depression, stress, and pain, along with improvements in quality of life. However, the meta-analysis indicated no significant impact of massage therapy on CD4 + T-cell counts. Although these findings highlight the emotional and physical benefits of massage for people living with HIV, further research with larger sample sizes and lower risk of bias is needed to strengthen the evidence.