ArticleInternational journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork2012
Six weeks of massage therapy produces changes in balance, neurological and cardiovascular measures in older persons.
Article in International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01969825 (The Role of Massage in Increasing Total Motile Sperm Count of Intrauterine Insemination), which is not on this map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Role of Massage in Increasing Total Motile Sperm Count of Intrauterine Insemination
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Fibrosis versus plasticity: a tensegrity-based framework for acupuncture as an exploratory modulator of tissue recovery.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Article
- Effects of Swedish Massage at Different Times of the Day on Dynamic and Static Balance in Taekwondo Athletes.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Effect of Hand and Foot Massage Therapy on Psychological Factors and EEG Activity in Elderly People Requiring Long-Term Care: A Randomized Cross-Over Study.Brain sciences · 2019Article
- Roller massager improves range of motion of plantar flexor muscles without subsequent decreases in force parameters.International journal of sports physical therapy · 2014Article
- A community-based survey on massage therapy in Saudi Arabia.Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicineArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesFalls 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.
designA 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).
settingLaboratory
interventionSix 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.
resultsThe 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.
conclusionsResults suggest six weeks of TM resulted in immediate and long-term improvements in postural stability and blood pressure, compared to a controlled condition.
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