Paediatric massage: an overview of the evidence

The use of complementary and alternative medicine in paediatric care is growing in popularity in North America; massage therapy is one of these popular modalities. Despite the increased use of massage therapy among paediatric patients, there remains a scarcity of evidence in comparison to adult populations; however, the paediatric evidence base is growing. This article provides a narrative overview of the evidence for massage therapy for infants and children, including a brief discussion of the safety of massage, potential mechanisms of action and directions for future research.