The Effects of Sports Massage Versus Active Recovery on Anxiety and Blood Glucose in Postmenopausal Women With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Pilot Study
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Objective: To compare the effects of sports massage and active recovery on anxiety symptoms and capillary blood glucose in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Methods and Materials: This randomized, controlled pilot trial enrolled 20 postmenopausal women (≥50 years) with T2DM, who were randomly assigned to a sports massage group (n=10) or an active recovery group (n=10). Both groups performed low-impact aerobic exercise; afterward, the sports massage group received a 20-min lower-limb sports massage and the active recovery group performed 20-min low-intensity activity (walking/stretching), three times weekly for 4 weeks. Anxiety was assessed with the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) by trained assessors blinded to group allocation. Capillary blood glucose was measured pre- and post-intervention using an Easy Touch glucometer. Outcomes were analyzed using ANCOVA, adjusting for baseline values (SPSS v27).
Findings: After adjustment for baseline scores, the sports massage group showed lower post-intervention anxiety than the active recovery group (M_adj=14.03±0.87 vs 16.97±0.87; mean difference=−2.94; p=0.022) and lower post-intervention blood glucose (M_adj=116.89±2.52 vs 125.54±2.52; mean difference=−8.65; p=0.021; ηp²=0.14). Group effects were significant for anxiety (F=6.84, p=0.011) and blood glucose (F=5.85, p=0.021).
Conclusion: In this small pilot sample, sports massage following exercise was associated with greater reductions in anxiety and capillary blood glucose than active recovery. Larger, adequately powered trials with standardized glycemic measures (e.g., fasting glucose and HbA1c) and better control of diet/medication are warranted.
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