The Effect of Traditional Thai Massage on Quality of Sleep in Adults with Sleep Problem
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48048/tis.2022.3063Keywords:
Sleep problem, Thai massage, Manual therapyAbstract
Sleep problem or insomnia is one of the most common causes of health problems, affecting around 10 - 20 % of the world population. Traditional Thai massage (TTM) is a popular alternative treatment in Thailand for reducing fatigue and improving sleep quality. This study aimed to examine the effect of traditional Thai massage on sleep quality in adults. Twenty-eight adults with poor sleep quality (based on Verran and Snyder-Halpern sleep scale) participated. They were randomly allocated into a control group (n = 14) and a TTM group (n = 14). Participants in the TTM group received three 90-min whole body traditional Thai massage sessions within one week, whereas the control group participants maintained their daily lives. Quality of sleep was assessed before and a day after the massage sessions. The outcome measure was the Verran and Snyder-Halpern sleep scale. The within-group data was analyzed by Paired t-test, whereas ANCOVA did the between-group data.
The results showed that the participants in the TTM group had significantly decreased score of sleep disturbance (31.63 ± 2.95 vs 45.47 ± 3.24, p < 0.001) and increased the effectiveness score (70.73 ± 7.33 vs 53.47 ± 4.23, p < 0.001) after the last session of massage as compared to those of the control group. We conclude that TTM could significantly improve sleep quality without any adverse effects.
HIGHLIGHTS
- The overall prevalence of insomnia in Thai adults was 40.8 % and is commonly found in the Thai population
- Sleep quality was associated with all the academic performance in adolescents and cognitive function in adults
- Traditional Thai massage could significantly improve sleep quality without any adverse effects
- Since this treatment is generally safe and comfortable, it could be used as an alternative therapy to treat people with sleep problems
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
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