Research has shown that massage chairs can be beneficial in enhancing the balance of the autonomic nervous system, which regulates various symptoms within our body.

The autonomic nervous system is composed of the sympathetic nervous system, which stimulates alertness, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation. When stress causes an over-activation of the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system follows by activating to reduce stress levels. Conversely, if the parasympathetic nervous system becomes too active, leading to lethargy, the sympathetic nervous system re-engages to restore balance. If this balance is disrupted, with either system becoming overly active, it can lead to issues in bodily systems like circulation, metabolism, and immunity.

In modern society, people typically experience an over-activation of the sympathetic nervous system. A research team from Daejeon University investigated whether massage chairs, known for their relaxing effects, could help balance the autonomic nervous system.

The study involved 29 adult participants who underwent 40-minute massage chair sessions. Before and after the sessions, researchers measured changes in cortical oxygen saturation and vital signs through heart rate variability (HRV) tests and functional near-infrared spectroscopy.

The results showed a significant decrease in average heart rate and improvements in autonomic nervous system indicators, specifically RMSSD and SDNN. RMSSD assesses the parasympathetic regulation of the heart, while SDNN measures heart rate variability and stress resilience. Participants with low pre-massage blood pressure experienced an increase, while those with high pre-massage blood pressure saw a decrease.

The research team commented, “Various studies report that massage can lower blood pressure and stress while helping restore autonomic balance. As awareness grows regarding the importance of prevention in subclinical conditions, we aimed to explore the effect of massage chairs on autonomic balance, achieving meaningful results.”

This research was recently published in the Korean Journal of Subclinical Medicine.

Source: Health Chosun (출처: 헬스조선)