Influence on Skin Temperature and Blood Flow of Thermal and Massage Stimuli

Changes in skin temperature are known to be affected by blood flow. The reaction of skin temperature and blood flow when various stimuli are applied to the body has been investigated for many years. However, body reactions when different stimuli are applied concurrently to the body have not been well studied. This study investigated changes in blood flow and skin temperature when massage stimulation and thermal stimulation were applied to the body simultaneously. Skin temperature tended to change quickly when a massage stimulus was present during the task. In addition, the amount of blood flowing values were significantly higher and the speed of blood flow values tended to be higher during tasks with massage stimulus. Massage stimulation thus appears to significantly affect blood flow and accelerate changes in skin temperature from hot and cool stimulations.