Assessment of EEG changes after the intervention of selected forms of massage – a systematic review of the literature

Patryk Górniak, Karol Górski, Krystian Jurek, Justyna Brożonowicz, Marta Jabłońska, Agnieszka Sozańska

Abstract


Introduction: Massage therapy reduces pain, alleviates muscle tension, and enhances psychological well-being. In addition to subjective methods for assessing changes in well-being due to massage, researchers are increasingly seeking effective objective methods. One such method is electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review to evaluate the effects of different forms of massage on EEG recordings in healthy adult subjects.
Materials and methods: To conduct the review, the databases PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were searched for publications from 2012 to 2023. The keywords used were: massage therapy, EEG, and electroencephalography. The available publications were screened against the established inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in 7 papers being included in the final analysis.
Results: In the papers included in the analysis, the intervention included aromatherapy massage, mechanical massage, Swedish massage, and foot reflexology. Most of the papers found changes in brainwave amplitude under the influence of massage; however, the directions of change (decrease/increase in amplitude) varied within the range of individual waves.
Conclusions: Based on the literature review, it can be concluded that massage affects EEG recordings in healthy adults. However, this effect appears to depend on the type of massage applied. The significant discrepancies in the interventions used indicate a need for further research and analysis involving standardized massage protocols.

Keywords


massage; electroencephalography; systematic review; brain waves; relaxation

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.21164/pomjlifesci.946

Copyright (c) 2024 Patryk Górniak, Karol Górski, Krystian Jurek, Justyna Brożonowicz, Marta Jabłońska, Agnieszka Sozańska

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