Effects of Pulse-Synchronized Massage With Air Cuffs on Peripheral Blood Flow and Autonomic Nervous System

BACKGROUND: There are almost no reports on the physiological effects of the various electric massage devices available on the market. This report describes the effects on peripheral vascular circulation and autonomic-nervous system activity of a pulse-synchronized air-massage (PS-AM) device in which cuffs apply air pressure cyclically to the lower limbs only during the cardiac diastolic phase. METHODS AND RESULTS: The PS-AM device consists of a main unit with a pulse-wave detector that uses the pulse-wave to activate an air pump only during the cardiac diastolic phase. Pressure is applied sequentially from the feet to the thighs by 4 pairs of cuffs attached to the main unit. The study was carried out on 55 volunteers (19 males, 36 females). A laser Doppler flow-meter attached to the subjects' toes was used to measure blood flow (BF), while ECG, blood pressure and cardiac autonomic nerve activity [parasympathetic nerve activity (high-frequency component (HF))] were measured by a multibiomedical recorder (TM2425). The measurements were made for a total of 45 min consisting of three 15-min periods: before massage, during PS-AM, and after massage. BF increased 139+/-33 (SD) % in males and 154+/-44% in females during PS-AM, with a significant correlation being observed between BF and HF during PS-AM (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: PS-AM significantly increased peripheral vascular BF in the lower extremities, a change that may affect venous return and cardiac parasympathetic nerve activity.