Efficacy and Safety of Massage Therapy for Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Could Massage Therapy Help Children With Autism Think More Clearly?

A new research initiative is taking a closer look at whether massage therapy — including traditional Chinese techniques like tuina and acupressure — can help improve thinking and cognitive skills in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

ASD is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that affects how people communicate, interact socially, and process information. Many families turn to complementary approaches like massage therapy because standard medications and behavioral therapies don't always work consistently for everyone.

What Is Being Studied? Researchers are conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis, which means they are gathering and analyzing all available high-quality studies on this topic in one place. They are specifically looking at how massage therapy affects attention, memory, and executive function — the mental skills that help us plan, focus, and get things done — in individuals with ASD.

They will review studies published in both English and Chinese medical databases, focusing only on the most rigorous type of research: randomized controlled trials.

What Might This Mean for Patients? While this study is a research protocol — meaning results aren't in yet — the goal is to provide families and clinicians with clear, evidence-based guidance on whether massage therapies are safe and effective for ASD-related cognitive challenges. The researchers plan to complete their analysis by mid-2026 and publish findings by the end of that year.

For families already exploring complementary care, this research acknowledges that hands-on therapies like tuina and acupressure are widely used and deserve rigorous scientific evaluation.

If you are considering massage therapy or acupressure for yourself or a loved one with ASD, speak with a licensed and experienced practitioner who specializes in traditional Chinese medicine and has experience working with neurodevelopmental conditions.

This registered systematic review and meta-analysis protocol aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of massage therapy — encompassing both TCM-based modalities (tuina, acupressure) and Western manual approaches — for cognitive outcomes in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Nine English and Chinese databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, and CNKI, will be searched through September 2025. Eligible studies include RCTs and cluster RCTs. Primary outcomes include validated cognitive and behavioral instruments such as the Autism Behavior Checklist, Childhood Autism Rating Scale, and Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist. Risk of bias will be assessed using Cochrane RoB 2.0; evidence quality will be graded via GRADE. A random-effects model will be applied as the primary analytical framework given anticipated heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses will stratify by age, massage type, and intervention context. No effect size data are yet available, as this is a protocol publication. Findings, expected by December 2026, may help establish an evidence base for manual therapies as nonpharmacological adjuncts in ASD cognitive management.