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.

Int J Neurosci. 2009;119(5):630-8. Diego MA, Field T. Touch Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA. mdiego@med.miami.edu

Posted: 04/30/2009



This article provided by The International Hypnosis Research Institute.

Enter your email address to subscribe to the IHRI Newsletter.

Sleep Talking No More! Sleep Talking NO MORE! This hypnosis session can eliminate sleep talking because it works directly with the inner mind, where your dreams and talking take place.

Snoring No More! Snoring NO MORE! If you have no physical problems that are causing your snoring, this hypnosis session can revolutionize your sleeping habits because it works to actually retrain muscles in your mouth and throat.

Exercise with Enthusiasm Exercise gives you a natural high.These chemicals help reduce feelings of anxiety,stress,& mild to moderate depression.During this hypnosis session your mind will be tuned to associate the great feeling of chemicals through exercise.