Curcumin and massage therapy as adjuvant therapies: effects on clinical and patient-reported outcomes in type 2 diabetes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v81.118094Keywords:
C-reactive protein, curcumin, diabetes mellitus type 2, massage, quality of lifeAbstract
Introduction: Managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) requires lifelong pharmacological therapy and lifestyle modification to maintain metabolic control and quality of life. Complementary strategies such as herbal and physical therapies have gained attention. Curcumin, a bioactive component of Curcuma longa, exhibits antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. Meanwhile, massage therapy enhances circulation, lessens stress, and reduces diabetes-related symptoms.
Objective : This study investigates the effects of curcumin supplementation and massage therapy as adjuvant therapies. focusing on inflammatory markers, metabolic control, and quality of life.
Methodology: This quasi-experimental study used a three-arm pretest-posttest design involving 30 participants with T2DM, divided equally into three groups: massage therapy, curcumin (100 mg/day), and a combined intervention. All participants continued their routine antidiabetic medications. Pre- and post-intervention outcomes included C-reactive protein (CRP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and quality of life (Asian DQOL questionnaire). Data were analyzed using paired tests and Kruskal-Wallis comparisons.
Results: All groups showed improvements in inflammatory, metabolic, and quality-of-life outcomes. The combination group demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in FBG (−7.4 mg/dL) and the highest improvement in DQOL score (+2.2 points). CRP levels decreased by −0.4 mg/L in the combination group, −0.9 mg/L in the massage group, and −1.2 mg/L in the curcumin group, though these changes were not statistically significant.
Conclusions: Curcumin supplementation and massage therapy are well-tolerated adjuvant interventions that enhance metabolic control and patient-reported outcomes in T2DM. Their integration into the therapeutic approach is promising and warrants further evaluation in larger studies.
References
Adi, S. (2019). Pengelolaan dan pencegahan diabetes melitus tipe 2 dewasa di Indonesia. PB Perkeni.
Adibian, M., Hodaei, H., Nikpayam, O., Sohrab, G., Hekmatdoost, A., & Hedayati, M. (2019). The effects of curcumin supplementation on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, serum adiponectin, and li-pid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Phytotherapy Research, 33(5), 1374–1383. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6328
Alanazi, A. F. R., AL-Omari, E., Naser, A. Y., Algahtani, N. M., & McFarlane, J. (2022). Investigating anti-diabetic effects of autoclaved Curcuma longa Linn (turmeric) extracts using mouse tissues in vitro. Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research, 7(2), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.15416/pcpr.v7i2.38706
Anugrah, S. M., Kusnanik, N. W., Wahjuni, E. S., Muhammad, H. N., Sulistyarto, S., Purwanto, B., Resmana, D., Juniarsyah, A. D., Ayubi, N., & Sari, E. (2024). Herbal supplements that have the potential to accelerate recovery of exercise-induced muscle damage: Systematic review. Retos, 51, 840–848. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v51.100616
Arias Padilla, I., Moya Ortega, M., Ramírez Herrera, S., León Vasco, L. M., Gómez Sánchez, W., Parra Fernández, X., López Cuervo, J., & Arenas Granada, J. (2026). Effectiveness of massage on mus-cle recovery: A randomized controlled trial. Retos, 74, 781–795. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v74.118033
Bafirman, B., Yulfadinata, A., Agus, A., & Ayubi, N. (2024). Curcumin: Compound in turmeric that has the potential to increase serum interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels after high-intensity exercise. Re-tos, 52, 37–41. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v52.101895
Bayat, D. (2019). The effect of massage on diabetes and its complications: A systematic review. Cres-cent Journal of Medical and Biological Sciences, 7(1), 22–28.
Goh, S. G. K., Rusli, B. N., & Khalid, B. A. K. (2015). Development and validation of the Asian Diabetes Quality of Life (AsianDQOL) questionnaire. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 108(3), 489–498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2015.02.009
Harding, J. L., Pavkov, M. E., Magliano, D. J., Shaw, J. E., & Gregg, E. W. (2019). Global trends in diabetes complications: A review of current evidence. Diabetologia, 62(1), 3–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-018-4711-2
Kementerian Kesehatan Republik Indonesia. (2020). Tetap produktif, cegah dan atasi diabetes melli-tus. Pusat Data dan Informasi Kementerian Kesehatan RI.
Lau, S. H. A., & Sunarti. (2018). Study tingkat pengetahuan penggunaan daun sendok (Plantago mayor L.) sebagai obat diare di Desa Salukanan Kecamatan Baraka Kabupaten Enrekang. Jurnal Far-masi Sandi Karsa, 4(6), 23–30.
Made, I. A. (2021). Pedoman pemantauan glukosa darah mandiri. PB Perkeni.
Magliano, D. J., Boyko, E. J., & IDF Diabetes Atlas 10th Edition Scientific Committee. (2021). IDF diabe-tes atlas (10th ed.). International Diabetes Federation. https://diabetesatlas.org/idfawp/resource-files/2021/07/IDF_Atlas_10th_Edition_2021.pdf
Marton, L. T., Pescinini-e-Salzedas, L. M., Camargo, M. E. C., Barbalho, S. M., Haber, J. F. do S., Sinatora, R. V., Detregiachi, C. R. P., Girio, R. J. S., Buchaim, D. V., & Cincotto dos Santos Bueno, P. (2021). The effects of curcumin on diabetes mellitus: A systematic review. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 12, Article 669448. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2021.669448
Novianto, F., Tamtomo, D. G., & Prasetya, H. (2022). Effect of Zingiber officinale rhizome powder on fasting blood sugar levels and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: A meta-analysis. In-donesian Journal of Medicine, 7(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.26911/theijmed.v7i1.507
Pang, G. M., Li, F. X., Yan, Y., Zhang, Y., Kong, L. L., Zhu, P., Wang, K. F., Zhang, F., Liu, B., & Lu, C. (2019). Herbal medicine in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Chinese Medical Journal, 132(1), 78–85. https://doi.org/10.1097/CM9.0000000000000006
Permana, H., Liem, M. V., & Soetedjo, N. N. M. (2021). Validation of the Indonesian version of the Asian Diabetes Quality of Life questionnaire. Acta Medica Indonesiana, 53(2), 143–148.
Sharifi-Rad, J., Rayess, Y. El, Rizk, A. A., Sadaka, C., Zgheib, R., Zam, W., Sestito, S., Rapposelli, S., Neffe-Skocińska, K., Zielińska, D., Salehi, B., Setzer, W. N., Dosoky, N. S., Taheri, Y., El Beyrouthy, M., Martorell, M., Ostrander, E. A., Suleria, H. A. R., Cho, W. C., … Martins, N. (2020). Turmeric and its major compound curcumin on health: Bioactive effects and safety profiles for food, pharma-ceutical, biotechnological and medicinal applications. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 11, Article 01021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.01021
Utomo, A. W., Annisaa, E., Antari, A. L., & Armalina, D. (2022). The use of herbal medicines in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus in Indonesia. Sains Medika: Jurnal Kedokteran dan Kesehatan, 13(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.30659/sainsmed.v13i1.13487
Waters-Banker, C., Dupont-Versteegden, E. E., Kitzman, P. H., & Butterfield, T. A. (2014). Investigating the mechanisms of massage efficacy: The role of mechanical immunomodulation. Journal of Athletic Training, 49(2), 266–273. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-49.2.25
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Taufiq Hidayah, Arif Setiawan, Anik Setyo Wahyuningsih, Fiki Itsna Amalia, Nurhasan Nurhasan, Nur Shanti Retno Pembayun, Nur Luthfiatus Nur Luthfiatus, Wara Kushartanti, Dewangga Yudhistira
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and ensure the magazine the right to be the first publication of the work as licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of authorship of the work and the initial publication in this magazine.
- Authors can establish separate additional agreements for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal (eg, to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Is allowed and authors are encouraged to disseminate their work electronically (eg, in institutional repositories or on their own website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as to a subpoena more Early and more of published work (See The Effect of Open Access) (in English).
This journal provides immediate open access to its content (BOAI, http://legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/boaifaq.htm#openaccess) on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. The authors may download the papers from the journal website, or will be provided with the PDF version of the article via e-mail.
