Background: It is Difficult for older adults to avoid a decreased in pulmonary functions caused by aging, and these reduced functions have been shown to affect not only the quality of life, but also the rate of disease and mortality. Although massage therapy is generally applied as a treatment method for improving the musculoskeletal system, massage is also studied as a potential intervention for lung function as a complementary treatment method.
Objectives: To determine the effects of massage and relaxation breathing exercise applied after a low-intensity walking exercise on pulmonary functions in older individuals.
Design: Quaxi-experiment study.
Methods: Twelve day care elderly were divided into a massage group (n=6) and a relaxation breathing exercise group (n=6). After performing low-intensity walking exercise twice for 7 weeks, massage intervention and relaxation breathing exercise intervention were performed, respectively. PEF, FEV1, and FVC were measured by performing lung function tests pre- and post the intervention.
Results: As a result of this study, PEF and FVC were significantly increased in the pre- and post-group comparison of MG, and there was no significant difference in FEV1. There were no significant differences in all variables in the pre-post comparison of RBEG within groups. There was no significant difference in all variables in the comparison between the two groups on the intervention results.
Conclusion: To conclude, pulmonary functions in older adults increased significantly after the massage intervention, although no significant difference was found in comparison to intervention with relaxation breathing exercise.