Massage therapies are widely used for improving and restoring the function of human tissues. It is generally accepted that such therapies promote human health and well-being by several possible mechanisms, including increase in blood flow and parasympathetic activity, release of relaxation hormones, and inhibition of muscle tension, neuromuscular excitability, and stress hormones. Nonetheless, most of the purported beneficial/adverse effects of massage are based on anecdotal experiences, providing little insight on its effectiveness or the mechanisms underlying its usefulness. Furthermore, most studies to date have not quantitatively demonstrated the efficacy of massage on human health. This might be due to the lack of appropriate tools necessary for the application of quantitatively controlled loading and for the evaluation of the subsequent responses. To address this issue, we developed a device that applies compression in lengthwise strokes to the soft tissues of the New Zealand white rabbit, thereby mimicking the rubbing and effleurage techniques of massage. This device permits control of the magnitude and frequency of mechanical load applied to the rabbit’s hind limb for various durations. The measurement of tissue compliance and the viscoelastic properties as a function of loading parameters was also demonstrated. Findings of this study suggest that this device offers a quantitative analysis of the applied loads on the tissue to determine an optimal range of loading conditions required for the safe and effective use of massage therapies.
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December 2008
Research Papers
An Engineering Approach for Quantitative Analysis of the Lengthwise Strokes in Massage Therapies
Hansong Zeng,
Hansong Zeng
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
The Ohio State University
, Columbus, OH 43210
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Timothy A. Butterfield,
Timothy A. Butterfield
Division of Athletic Training, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences,
University of Kentucky
, Lexington, KY 40506
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Sudha Agarwal,
Sudha Agarwal
Department of Oral Biology,
The Ohio State University
, Columbus, OH 43210
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Furqan Haq,
Furqan Haq
Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Family Medicine,
The Ohio State University
, Columbus, OH 43210
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Thomas M. Best,
Thomas M. Best
Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Family Medicine,
The Ohio State University
, Columbus, OH 43210
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Yi Zhao
Yi Zhao
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
e-mail: zhao.178@osu.edu
The Ohio State University
, Columbus, OH 43210
Search for other works by this author on:
Hansong Zeng
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
The Ohio State University
, Columbus, OH 43210
Timothy A. Butterfield
Division of Athletic Training, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences,
University of Kentucky
, Lexington, KY 40506
Sudha Agarwal
Department of Oral Biology,
The Ohio State University
, Columbus, OH 43210
Furqan Haq
Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Family Medicine,
The Ohio State University
, Columbus, OH 43210
Thomas M. Best
Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Family Medicine,
The Ohio State University
, Columbus, OH 43210
Yi Zhao
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
The Ohio State University
, Columbus, OH 43210e-mail: zhao.178@osu.edu
J. Med. Devices. Dec 2008, 2(4): 041003 (8 pages)
Published Online: October 24, 2008
Article history
Received:
February 14, 2008
Revised:
August 11, 2008
Published:
October 24, 2008
Citation
Zeng, H., Butterfield, T. A., Agarwal, S., Haq, F., Best, T. M., and Zhao, Y. (October 24, 2008). "An Engineering Approach for Quantitative Analysis of the Lengthwise Strokes in Massage Therapies." ASME. J. Med. Devices. December 2008; 2(4): 041003. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2996623
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