OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential benefits of using massage chairs for improving health. DATA SOURCES: A rapid scoping review was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar from inception to November 1, 2022. STUDY SELECTION: Using the keyword strategy ("massage chair*" OR "massage-chair*"), only studies in English were selected. Two reviewers independently screened the studies, and conflicts were resolved by consensus. Studies involving physical massage therapy were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION: A total of 59 articles were identified, and 18 were included in the final analysis. Quality assessment was performed, following STROBE, CONSORT and CASP guidelines. The following data were extracted: authors, year, country, study design, study objective, age, gender, participants, measures, and main findings. DATA SYNTHESIS: The results of the present review indication that the utilization of massage chairs may positively affect both physical and mental health concerns. This review especially found a more significant number of studies showing benefits in mental health. However, two case reports indicated complications when using massage chairs. CONCLUSIONS: The use of massage chairs could have benefits on cognitive function improvement, stress reduction and mental fatigue decline, muscle stiffness improvement, pain reduction, and potential benefits for quality of life.
The objective of the study was to explore the status of usage of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among Korean elite athletes. A survey was emailed to all Korean national sports federations recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia. A total of 705 Korean elite athletes participated in this study. The athletes had to be any of the following to participate in this survey: elite intercollegiate athletes, professional athletes, and national team athletes. 83.3% of the participants stated that they have previously experienced Korean medicine (KM). Compared to the general population in Korea, athletes had more experience (general population = 73.8%). The participants without experience mentioned that they either did not need any KM treatments (39.8%) or lacked information (39.8%) regarding KM treatments. The primary reason for the utilization of KM was the effectiveness of treatments. Therefore, 70.8% of the participants have mentioned recommending KM to others. Generally, athletes are worrisome that the consumption of herbal medicine may not be doping-free; however, it is vital to note that 62% of the participants expressed that prescribed herbal medicine is safe. Overall, this research demonstrates a high prevalence of KM usage by intercollegiate, professional, and national team athletes in Korea. Hence, this study's results may serve as the foundation in future research directions for promoting KM among Korean elite athletes.
