Positive Effects of Massage Therapy on a Patient with Narcolepsy

PURPOSE: The purpose of this case report was to investigate the effects of massage therapy on the sleep patterns of a woman with narcolepsy. PARTICIPANT: The 23-year-old woman’s primary symptoms included excessive daytime sleepiness and periodic leg movements (PLM), which were associated with her diagnoses of both narcolepsy and cataplexy. INTERVENTION: Five 45-minute massage therapy treatments were administered over a five-week period. The patient’s sleep patterns were recorded each week before the treatment. A final measurement was recorded in the sixth week. The sleep patterns were monitored using the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire, which included ten visual analogue scales. RESULTS: The results of this case report included an improvement in getting to sleep by 148%, an improvement in quality of sleep by 1100%, an improvement in awake following sleep by 121%, and an improvement in behaviour following wakening by 28% using the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire. CONCLUSION: This case report suggests that massage therapy had a positive effect on this patient with narcolepsy. Further research is needed to investigate the effects of massage therapy on narcolepsy and sleep patterns.