Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medical Research

Massage Therapy in Naturopathic Practice: A Critical Narrative Review of Mechanistic Rationale, Clinical Evidence and Conceptual Coherence

B. V. Bhoomika — 2026-08-18

Massage is among the oldest and most widely recognised components of naturopathic physical medicine, yet its position within the discipline has become unsettled. Naturopathic philosophy justifies manual therapy through claims about circulation, elimination, nervous regulation and the stimulation of self-healing capacity, whereas the contemporary evidence base evaluates massage as an isolated modality tested against pain, anxiety and function in narrowly defined populations. This review examines that divergence. Its purpose is to assess how far the mechanistic rationale offered for massage within naturopathy survives critical scrutiny, what the clinical literature can and cannot support, and where the methodological architecture of the field constrains further progress. Literature was identified through scholarly indexes and citation registries accessible during the review, supplemented by backward and forward citation searching, with the final search conducted on 9 June 2026. Four findings dominate the synthesis. Mechanotransduction in skeletal muscle has emerged as the most biologically credible mechanism, supported by human biopsy work and animal models, although the translational distance between molecular signalling and patient-reported benefit remains large. The cortisol hypothesis, long central to naturopathic and popular accounts of massage, is not supported by rigorous between-group analysis and should be retired as a primary explanatory device. Affective touch mediated by C-tactile afferents offers a more coherent account of the affective and analgesic responses observed in practice, though it has rarely been tested using recognisable massage protocols. Clinical benefit is most defensible for short-term pain and anxiety reduction in palliative, perioperative and musculoskeletal contexts, but certainty of evidence is consistently low, effect durability is poorly characterised, and expectancy appears to contribute substantially to observed outcomes. Progress requires adequately dosed, longer trials with credible comparators, standardised intervention reporting, and mechanistic work that connects tissue-level responses to symptoms patients care about. The naturopathic claim for massage remains plausible but is presently underdetermined by evidence.

Effect of Yoga and Naturopathy Intervention on Thyroid Profile, Quality of Life and Sleep in an Overt Hyperthyroidism Patient: A Case study

Alkousar Taz Mujeebullah — 2026-08-19

Background: Hyperthyroidism is a prevalent thyroid condition characterised by excess thyroid hormone production. Low or suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), combined with elevated triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), is characteristic of overt hyperthyroidism. This condition is associated with a range of comorbidities, including gastrointestinal symptoms and insomnia. Yoga and naturopathy interventions, including yoga therapy, hydrotherapy packs, acupuncture, and reflexology, may be beneficial for improving sleep quality, quality of life, and gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with overt hyperthyroidism. This paper assesses the effect of a yoga and naturopathy intervention on the thyroid profile, quality of life, and sleep using a case-study methodology.

Case description: A 20-year-old unmarried woman presented to our outpatient department with a history of hyperthyroidism associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, including indigestion, bloating, and mild spasmodic abdominal pain, which had persisted for the previous 2 years. She had been taking allopathic medication for hyperthyroidism irregularly for the past 4 years and had not taken any medication for her gastrointestinal symptoms. The patient was prescribed a 4-week yoga and naturopathy intervention. Pre-test data were collected before the intervention, post-test data were collected at the end of the intervention, and a 1-month post-intervention follow-up was conducted for a routine check-up.

Result: Thyroid function tests (TFTs), the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were assessed before and after the intervention. Results showed an increase in the SF-12 physical health component from 21.88 to 55.91, a decrease in T3 from >32.55 pg/mL to 24.23 pg/mL, a decrease in PSQI from 17 to 4, and a decrease in GSRS from 50 to 24, together with an improvement in quality of life after 4 weeks of intervention; a 1-month post-intervention follow-up was subsequently conducted.

Conclusion: The integrated yoga and naturopathy intervention may be beneficial for improving sleep quality, quality of life, and gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with overt hyperthyroidism.