Health efficacy of electrically operated automated massage on muscle properties, peripheral circulation, and physio-psychological variables: a narrative review

Abstract

Manual massage, commonly used by healthy individuals for well-being, is an ancient practice requiring the intervention of a trained and experienced physiotherapist. On the other hand, automated massage is carried out by machines or modalities without or with minimal control of a human operator. In the present review, we provide a literature analysis to gather the effects of automated massage on muscle properties, peripheral circulation and psychophysiological variables as reported through psychometric and neurophysiological evaluations of each modality ranging from massage beds and whole-body vibrations to robotic massage. A computerized search was performed in Google Scholar, PubMed, and ResearchGate using selected key search terms, and the relevant data were extracted. The findings of this review indicate that for vibration massage, whole-body vibration exposure with relatively lower frequency and magnitude can be safely and effectively used to induce improvements in peripheral circulation. As for massage chair and mechanical bed massage, while most studies report on positive changes, the lack of strong clinical evidence renders these findings largely inconclusive. As for robotic massage, we discuss whether technological advances and collaborative robots might reconcile active and passive modes of action control during a massage and offer new massage perspectives through a stochastic sensorimotor user experience. This transition faculty, from one mode of control to the other, might definitely represent an innovative conceptual approach in terms of human–machine interactions.

Design of IoT Based Smart, Portable and Low-Cost Massage Band

“…An ancient practice of Manual massage is the one that needs the intervention of a trained physiotherapist. On the other side, automated massage is carried out using devices without or with minimal need of a trained human and the effects of automated massage is presented in [3]. Multispecialty Massage belt to improve their skeletal support of the users/patients to for the betterment and relief of pain was discussed in [4].…”

Robotics in Massage: A Systematic Review

“…Robot massage is performed by machines or devices with minimal human interaction. 4 This renders robot-assisted massage an attractive alternative when compared with traditional manual massage, which can be repetitive, labor-intensive, and time-consuming. Given the prevalent shortages of healthcare workers in the industry, it is worthwhile to explore the utilization of autonomous robots to supplement the role of therapists with autonomous robots, while bearing in mind that collaborative approaches between therapists and machines require strict adherence to safety and efficacy standards, within the healthcare industry.…”