A study executed in conjunction with the Touch Research Institute, the University of Miami School of Medicine and Nova Southeastern University in Florida entitled, “High blood pressure and associated symptoms were reduced by massage therapy” was carried out in May of 1999. It consisted of 30 adults with controlled hypertension (up to the last six months) that were all assigned at random to be a part of either a massage therapy group or a progressive relaxation group. “Those in the massage group were given twice-weekly 30-minute massage sessions in the afternoon or early evening for five weeks.” The participant received massages by various therapists based on a rotation system.The subjects would lie on their backs facing upwards while the therapist would massage the head, neck, arms, torso and legs. This was combined with stroking, squeezing, pressing and pulling motions. Then, the subjects would lie on their stomachs with their head facing downward while the therapist would massage the person’s calves and thighs, and then would massage the back in its entirety.The subjects in the progressive muscle relaxation group received instructions on how to complete self-administered exercises that they would do for 30-minutes twice a week for five weeks. In order to ensure that their schedule was compatible with the massage groups, researchers told the participants to only conduct their session only in the afternoon or early evening on the days that they were assigned.The subjects were instructed to breathe deeply for several minutes while lying on their backs with their hands alongside the body. Then, they were told to tighten and relax different muscles, progressing from the feet all the way up to the head.The results of the experiment showed that both groups had lower anxiety levels (STAI) and lower levels of depression (CES-D). However, only the massage therapy group showed “decreases in sitting diastolic and systolic blood pressure; decreases in salivary and urinary cortisol stress-hormone levels; and lower scores for depression, anxiety and hostility.”
Even though this experiment proved to be quite successful, researchers suggested that studies done in the future should be long-term, and the effects of massage should be examined on those with high stress levels. Conducting the experiment for a longer period of time would determine more accurately if the results were merely just short-term effects, or if the effects would actually continue beyond each of the groups’ treatments.
The researchers concluded that, “If massage therapy can effectively reduce symptoms associated with hypertension, then it might reduce life-threatening complications, such as the risk of stroke or heart attack.” https://irelaxstore.co.nz/
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