Moderate pressure massage elicited a parasympathetic response (increased HF, decreased LF/HF ratio), whereas light pressure massage elicited a sympathetic response.
RCT (n=20)
randomly assigned
Does moderate pressure massage therapy alter autonomic nervous system activity compared to light pressure massage in healthy adults?
Moderate pressure massage shifts autonomic balance toward parasympathetic activity, whereas light pressure massage shifts it toward sympathetic activity.
Twenty healthy adults were randomly assigned to a moderate pressure or a light pressure massage therapy group, and EKGs were recorded during a 3-min baseline, during the 15-min massage period and during a 3-min postmassage period. EKG data were then used to derive the high frequency (HF), low frequency (LF) components of heart rate variability and the low to high frequency ratio (LF/HF) as noninvasive markers of autonomic nervous system activity. The participants who received the moderate pressure massage exhibited a parasympathetic nervous system response characterized by an increase in HF, suggesting increased vagal efferent activity and a decrease in the LF/HF ratio, suggesting a shift from sympathetic to parasympathetic activity that peaked during the first half of the massage period. On the other hand, those who received the light pressure massage exhibited a sympathetic nervous system response characterized by decreased HF and increased LF/HF.
Diego et al. (2009) conducted an RCT in healthy adults (n=20). Moderate pressure massage vs. Light pressure massage was evaluated on Autonomic nervous system activity (HF, LF, and LF/HF ratio of heart rate variability). Moderate pressure massage elicited a parasympathetic response (increased HF, decreased LF/HF ratio), whereas light pressure massage elicited a sympathetic response.