A new study shows that patients who received a series of 10 massages over a period of three months cut their anxiety symptoms almost in half.  The same study, published in the journal of Depression and Anxiety, also found that simple relaxation was equally effective.  So was wrapping the subject’s arms and legs with heating pads and warm towels.  All three treatments took place on a massage table in a room with soft lighting and quiet music.  All three groups reported similar decreases in anxiety of more than 40 percent.