Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
2628727 Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 2007 10 Pages PDF
Abstract

SummaryThe study aimed to compare the effects of facial massage with that of foot massage on sleep induction and vital signs of healthy adults and to test a methodology that could be used by a lone researcher in such a study. A randomised within-group crossover pilot study of six healthy female volunteers was conducted. The interventions were a 20 min foot and a 20 min facial massage using peach-kernel base oil Prunus persica. A drop in systolic blood pressure of 8.5 mmHg was recorded immediately after facial massage compared to that of 1 mmHg recorded after foot massage. Both treatments were equally effective in reducing subjective levels of alertness during the interventions, with face massage marginally better at producing subjective sleepiness. A lone researcher using these methods would be able objectively to measure vital signs before and after interventions, but not during; and would be able subjectively to measure sleep induction in non-sleep-laboratory contexts.

Related Topics
Health Sciences Medicine and Dentistry Complementary and Alternative Medicine
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