Dr. Tiffany Field and colleagues (Miami, Florida) have shown that subjects with cervical level (C5-7) spinal cord injuries (SCI) benefited from a five-week program of twice weekly, 40-minute massage sessions (Diego MA et al, Intern J Neuroscience 112, 2002). After stratification by range of motion, 20 subjects were randomly assigned to either a massage therapy or exercise group. Fifteen were males; average age was 39, and all had been injured for at least a year – i.e., chronic injuries. Results indicated that the massage-therapy group compared to the exercise group had less depression and anxiety and increased muscle strength and range of motion.