Effects of Moderate-Pressure Sport Massage on IL-6 and TNF-α Levels in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
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Objective: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation, reflected in elevated IL-6 and TNF-α levels. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation, often reflected by elevated circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Moderate-pressure sport massage has been suggested as a complementary approach for modulating inflammatory markers, although evidence in diabetic populations remains limited. This study evaluated changes in IL-6 and TNF-α following a four-week sport massage intervention in adults with T2DM.
Methods and Materials: A single-group pre–post quasi-experimental design was employed, with no non-massage control group. Twenty adults diagnosed with T2DM participated in the intervention. Participants were stratified by sex into male (n = 10) and female (n = 10) subgroups. All participants received moderate-pressure sport massage three times per week for four weeks. Serum IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations were assessed before and after the intervention using ELISA.
Findings: Sport massage was associated with reductions in IL-6 and TNF-α levels (p < 0.05). Although males showed larger mean decreases, this observation should be interpreted with caution given the small subgroup sizes and baseline differences, particularly in age and BMI.
Conclusion: In this short-term single-group study, moderate-pressure sport massage was associated with lower IL-6 and TNF-α levels in adults with T2DM. These preliminary findings highlight the need for controlled studies to determine the clinical relevance and reproducibility of these changes.
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