Investigation of Subjective User Experiences of Applied Passive Compression on Varying Upper Body Locations

Abstract

Strategically-applied compression on the body has been shown to elicit positive affect by creating feelings of calmness/relaxation. Although compression-based therapies are widely used in Occupational Therapy as a clinical intervention, current compression garment solutions suffer from various functional and usability issues and the spatial distribution between different commercially-available solutions vary widely. Currently, little is known about the specific location(s), intensity, and duration of pressure on the body that should be targeted in order to improve physical or mental well-being. With the hopes of contributing to more empirically-based compression garment designs in the future, this work reports a pilot investigation of the subjective user experiences when compression is applied on varying body locations.