The Effect of Effleurage Massage on Grip Endurance and Strength of Fatigued Healthy Young Women

Abstract

Introduction: Hand is one of the most important parts of the human body and is used in different action such as griping. Performing muscle activity for a long period of time leads to muscle fatigue. Thus, massaging can be used to decrease fatigue. There are a limited number of investigations that assess the effects of massage on fatigue and there is no agreement among the results of available studies. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of effleurage massage on griping strength and endurance in fatigued, healthy, young women. Materials and Methods: In the present study, 49 students of the School of Rehabilitation Sciences of Shiraz University, Iran, and of 18 to 30 years of age participated. The participants were selected randomly. Data were collected through maximal voluntary contraction and endurance time tests. The effect of massage and relaxation on these variables was evaluated in 2 separate sessions. Data on maximal voluntary contraction and endurance time were analyzed using paired t-test and Wilcoxon test, respectively, in SPSS software. Results: Grip strength reduced with fatigue and effleurage massage significantly increased grip strength in the experimental group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Effleurage massage improved grip strength after muscle fatigue, but had no effect on grip endurance.