Six weeks of massage therapy produces changes in balance, neurological and cardiovascular measures in older persons.

OBJECTIVES: Falls in older adults represent a primary cause of decreased mobility and independence, increased morbidity, and accidental death. Research and clinical reports indicate that therapeutic massage (TM) may positively influence suggested causative factors. The second in a two-part study, this project assessed the effects of six weeks of TM treatment on balance, nervous system, and cardiovascular measures in older adults. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial assessed the effects of six weekly 60-minute sessions of TM on balance, cardiovascular, and nervous system measures. Thirty-five volunteers (19 male and 16 female; ages 62.9 ± 4.6) were randomly assigned to relaxation control or TM groups. A 2 × 4 [treatment condition X time (week 1 and 6)] mixed factorial experimental design was utilized for cardiovascular/balance variables assessed at pretreatment baseline, immediate post-treatment, and 20- and 60-minutes post-treatment; nervous system measures were assessed only at pretreatment and at 60-minute follow-up (2 × 2 mixed design). Long-term benefits were assessed by comparing the TM and control groups on pretreatment baseline measures at week six and a follow-up assessment at week seven (2 × 3 mixed design). SETTING: Laboratory INTERVENTION: Six weekly 60-minute, full-body TM. OUTCOME MEASURES: Postural control/cardiovascular measures were assessed weeks one, six, and seven; pretreatment and immediate, 20- and 60-minutes post-treatment. Motoneuron pool excitability was assessed pretreatment and 60 minutes post-treatment. RESULTS: The TM group showed significant differences relative to controls in cardiovascular and displacement area/velocity after the week six session, with decreasing blood pressure and increasing stability over time from immediate post-TM to 60 minutes post-TM. The TM group revealed lower H-max/M-max ratios 60-minutes post-treatment. Long-term differences between the groups were detected at week seven in displacement area/velocity and systolic blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest six weeks of TM resulted in immediate and long-term improvements in postural stability and blood pressure, compared to a controlled condition.

Massage Therapy Produces Short-term Improvements in Balance, Neurological, and Cardiovascular Measures in Older Persons.

BACKGROUND: Falls are the primary cause of accidental death in older persons, producing increased morbidity, decreased independence, and billions in medical costs annually. Massage therapy (MT) may produce adaptations that decrease risk of falling. If MT can improve stability in older persons, it may provide a new intervention for this issue. PURPOSE: Determine the acute effects of a 60-minute MT treatment on static and functional balance, neurological measures, heart rate, and blood pressure in healthy, older individuals. SETTING: Laboratory RESEARCH DESIGN: A 2 by 4 (treatment by time) mixed factorial experimental design for the cardiovascular and postural control variables; independent variables were treatment with two levels (control, MT) and time with four levels (pretreatment baseline, immediate post-treatment, 20-minute post-treatment, 60-minute post-treatment). Neurological measures utilized a 2 by 2 mixed design, with testing conducted pre- and 60-minutes post-treatment. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-five healthy, older volunteers (19 male and 16 female; ages 62.9 ± 4.6). INTERVENTION: A 60-minute full-body therapeutic massage. The control group rested quietly in the treatment room. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Static (double-legged) and functional (single-legged) postural control with eyes-open and eyes-closed; Hoffmann-reflex measures; heart rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. RESULTS: MT significantly decreased rectangular displacement area in both the eyes-open and eyes-closed, double-legged stance conditions (p < 0.05); displacement velocity in both eyes-open conditions (p < .05); and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p < .05), while increasing heart rate (p < .05). MT also significantly lowered H(max)/M(max) ratios compared to controls (p = .002). Decreased H(max)/M(max) measures were correlated to improved stability. CONCLUSIONS: A single, 60-minute, full-body massage therapy treatment was shown to have a stabilizing effect on measures of static and dynamic balance and physiological factors related to stability in older adults. MT should be investigated as a potential intervention to decrease falls in older individuals.

Physiological and clinical changes after therapeutic massage of the neck and shoulders.

Little is known regarding the physiological and clinical effects of therapeutic massage (TM) even though it is often prescribed for musculoskeletal complaints such as chronic neck pain. This study investigated the influence of a standardized clinical neck/shoulder TM intervention on physiological measures assessing α-motoneurone pool excitability, muscle activity; and the clinical measure of range of motion (ROM) compared to a light touch and control intervention. Flexor carpi radialis (FCR) α-motoneurone pool excitability (Hoffmann reflex), electromyography (EMG) signal amplitude of the upper trapezius during maximal muscle activity, and cervical ROM were used to assess possible physiological changes and clinical effects of TM. Sixteen healthy adults participated in three, 20 min interventions: control (C), light touch (LT) and therapeutic massage (TM). Analysis of Covariance indicated a decrease in FCR α-motoneurone pool excitability after TM, compared to both the LT (p = 0.0003) or C (p = 0.0007) interventions. EMG signal amplitude decreased after TM by 13% (p < 0.0001), when compared to the control, and 12% (p < 0.0001) as compared to LT intervention. The TM intervention produced increases in cervical ROM in all directions assessed: flexion (p < 0.0001), lateral flexion (p < 0.0001), extension (p < 0.0001), and rotation (p < 0.0001). TM of the neck/shoulders reduced the α-motoneurone pool excitability of the flexor carpi radialis after TM, but not after the LT or C interventions. Moreover, decreases in the normalized EMG amplitude during MVIC of the upper trapezius muscle; and increases in cervical ROM in all directions assessed occurred after TM, but not after the LT or C interventions.

Therapeutic massage of the neck and shoulders produces changes in peripheral blood flow when assessed with dynamic infrared thermography.

OBJECTIVE: This study's objective was to determine the effect of therapeutic massage on peripheral blood flow utilizing dynamic infrared thermography in a constant temperature/humidity thermal chamber to assess noncontact skin temperature. DESIGN: The design was a repeated-measures crossover experimental design; the independent variable was treatment condition (massage, light touch, control). SETTING: The study setting was a university research laboratory. SUBJECTS: Seventeen (17) healthy volunteers (8 males/9 females; age = 23.29 +/- 3.06) took part in the study. INTERVENTIONS: One (1) 20-minute neck and shoulder therapeutic massage treatment was performed for each of the three treatment conditions. OUTCOME MEASURES: The dependent variable was noncontact, mean skin temperature in 15 regions measured at 6 time points (pretest and 15, 25, 35, 45, and 60 minutes post-test) for each treatment condition. RESULTS: The massage treatment produced significant elevations in temperature in five regions: anterior upper chest (p = 0.04), posterior neck (p = 0.0006), upper back (p = 0.0005), posterior right arm (p = 0.03), and middle back (p = 0.02). Massage therapy produced significant increases in temperature over time, compared to the other conditions, in the anterior upper chest, and posterior neck, upper back, right arm, and the middle back. Additionally, the temperatures remained above baseline levels after 60 minutes. Interestingly, the massage treatment produced significant temperature elevations in two nonmassaged areas posterior right arm and middle back. CONCLUSIONS: These changes in temperature suggest corresponding changes in peripheral blood flow in the treated areas as well as in adjacent not-massaged areas. Moreover, the results suggest dynamic infrared thermography as a useful tool to measure noninvasive, noncontact changes in peripheral blood flow for massage therapy research.