Massage Therapy Restores Peripheral Vascular Function After Exertion

Objective: To determine if lower extremity exercise-induced muscle injury reduces vascular endothelial function of the upper extremity and if massage therapy (MT) improves peripheral vascular function after exertion-induced muscle injury. Design: Randomized, blinded trial with evaluations at 90 minutes, 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours. Setting: Clinical research center. Participants: Sedentary young adults (N = 36) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: (1) exertion-induced muscle injury and MT (n =15; mean age +/- SE, 26.6 +/- 0.3); (2) exertion-induced muscle injury only (n = 10; mean age +/- SE, 23.6 +/- 0.4), and (3) MT only (n = 11; mean age +/- SE, 25.5 +/- 0.4). Intervention: Participants were assigned to exertion-induced muscle injury only (a single bout of bilateral, eccentric leg press exercise), MT only (30-min lower extremity massage using Swedish technique), or exertion-induced muscle injury and MT. Main Outcome Measures: Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was determined by ultrasound at each time point. Nitroglycerin (NTG)induced dilation was also assessed (0.4mg). Results: Brachial FMD increased from baseline in the exertion-induced muscle injury and MT group and the MT only group (7.38%+/-.18% to 9.02%+/-.28%, P<.05 and 7.77%+/-.25% to 10.2%+/-.22%, P<.05, respectively) at 90 minutes and remained elevated until 72 hours. In the exertion-induced muscle injury only group, FMD was reduced from baseline at 24 and 48 hours (7.78%+/-.14% to 6.75%+/-.11%, P<.05 and 6.53%+/-.11%, P<.05, respectively) and returned to baseline after 72 hours. Dilations of NTG were similar over time. Conclusions: Our results suggest that MT attenuates impairment of upper extremity endothelial function resulting from lower extremity exertion-induced muscle injury in sedentary young adults. (C) 2014 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine