The Use of Massage Therapy in the Treatment of Anxiety According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Text Revision (DSM IV-TR) (APA, 2000 ), Anxiety disorders can manifest themselves in a variety of ways including panic attacks, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and generalized anxiety. Common symptoms of these disorders include an elevated autonomic response, shortness of breath, excessive worry, and of course, anxiety. Treatment of anxiety disorders has included cognitive behavioral therapy (Saavedra, Silverman, Morgan-Lopez, & Kurtines, 2010; White, Ollendick, Scahill, Oswald, & Albano, 2009), rational emotional behavior therapy (Wilde, 2008), and drug therapy. treatments such as benzodiazepines (Sher, 2009). Based on empirical support, many consider these treatments to be the first line of treatment for anxiety-related disorders. However, there is a growing line of research into the effectiveness of alternative treatments such as massage therapy (MT). What follows is a brief review of the history of TM, an investigation into the physiology of how or why TM works, and finally an examination of the application of various massage therapies in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Brief History of Massage TherapyThe application of massage to promote comfort and healing is not a new concept. According to Moyer, Rounds and Hannum (2004) the practice of TM can be traced back to ancient Greek and Chinese cultures, as well as Hindu, Japanese and Roman cultures. As early as 400 BC Hippocrates used rubbing to treat patience with rigidity and even before that; the use of TM is documented in Chinese tradition as early as the 2nd century (Field, 1998). Although it is considered a part of... middle of the paper... and the treatment of anxiety disorders in patients with comorbid alcohol and/or drug abuse. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 42(2), 170–171. Sherman, K.J., Ludman, E.J., Cook, A.J., Hawkes, R.J., Roy-Byrne, P.P., Bentley, S., Brooks, M.Z., et al. (2010). Effectiveness of therapeutic massage for generalized anxiety disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Depression and Anxiety, 27(5), 441–450. White, S. W., Ollendick, T., Scahill, L., Oswald, D., & Albano, A. M. (2009). Preliminary effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral treatment program for anxious youth with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39(12), 1652–1662. doi:10.1007/s10803-009-0801-9Wilde, J. (2008). Rational-emotional behavioral interventions for children with anxiety problems. Journal of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies, 8(1), 133–141.