Introduction: Massage is a widely used intervention, both for the treatment of pain-related conditions and for relaxation purposes.Objective: The main objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of the duration of classical neck and shoulder girdle massage on brain bioelectrical activity, perceived muscle tension and selected health status parameters in healthy adults aged 18 to 60 years.Material and Methods: The study consisted of two interventions. Each participant underwent a classical neck and shoulder girdle massage, lasting 15 minutes during the first session and 30 minutes during the second. For both interventions, brain bioelectrical activity was recorded using the quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) method. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were measured before and after the massage as well. Participants were also asked to complete a custom-designed questionnaire.Results: Regardless of the classical massage duration, a statistically significant increase in alpha brain wave amplitude (by approximately 10%) was observed after the procedure, along with a reduction in perceived muscle tension (on average, by 3.02), improvement in well-being (by 2.31), as well as decreases in blood pressure (SBP by 2.8 mmHg, DBP by 1.71 mmHg) and heart rate (on average, by 3.51 beats/min). No effect of the duration of classical neck and shoulder girdle massage was demonstrated on any of the parameters assessed in the study.Conclusions: The duration of classical massage does not affect changes in brain wave values, subjective perception of muscle tension, self-reported well-being, BP or HR in adults aged 18-60 years. An increase in alpha brain wave amplitude is observed following classical neck and shoulder girdle massage. Further research is necessary to evaluate the impact of manual therapies on brain bioelectrical activity.
Gucwa et al. (2026) studied this question.