Effectiveness of Oketani Breast Massage for Reducing Pain and Depression in Perimenopausal Women with Cyclical Mastalgia: A One-group Pre-test and Post-test Study

Abstract

Background: Cyclical mastalgia is common among perimenopausal women and often coexists with depressive symptoms, significantly impairing quality of life. Pharmacological treatments offer limited relief and may cause side effects. Oketani breast massage (OBM), a non-invasive technique targeting retro-mammary tissues, has shown benefits in lactating women but remains unexplored in perimenopausal women with cyclical mastalgia. This study aimed to assess its effectiveness in reducing breast pain and depressive symptoms.

Materials and methods: A single-group pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design was used. Thirty-eight perimenopausal women aged 45–55 years with cyclical mastalgia were recruited. Participants received OBM twice weekly for 4 weeks, delivered by a trained therapist. Breast pain and depressive symptoms were measured before and after the intervention using the Breast Pain Questionnaire (BPQ) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Due to non-normal data distribution, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for analysis.

Results: Post-intervention analysis showed significant reductions in BPQ (mean difference = 5.00, p < 0.001) and HDRS scores (mean difference = 10.00, p < 0.001). Both outcomes had large effect sizes (1.00), indicating notable clinical improvements. No adverse effects were reported by any participants.

Conclusion: OBM appears to be a safe and effective non-pharmacological intervention for managing cyclical mastalgia and associated depressive symptoms in perimenopausal women. Its simplicity, non-invasive nature, and dual benefits make it a valuable component of integrative women’s health care. Further randomized controlled trials with larger samples are recommended to confirm these findings.