A randomized controlled trial of meditation and massage effects on quality of life in people with late-stage disease: a pilot study.
Journal of Palliative Medicine October 1, 2005 Anna-Leila Williams, Peter A Selwyn, Lauren Liberti et al.
A combination of meditation and massage improved overall and spiritual quality of life more than either intervention alone or standard care among people with late-stage AIDS. Fifty-eight residents of an AIDS-dedicated nursing facility were randomly assigned to one month of meditation, massage, both, or standard care. The combined group showed significantly greater improvement in overall and transcendent (spiritual) quality-of-life scores at eight weeks compared with the other groups. The results suggest that pairing a meditation practice with physical touch may address both spiritual and physical needs near end of life.