Effectiveness of Swedish Massage on Reducing Blood Pressure In The Elderly: Literature Review

Abstract

Hypertension is a condition where systolic blood pressure increases > 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure > 90 mmHg. Swedish massage therapy is a complementary therapy that is believed to be able to provide a relaxation response. This study aims to determine whether there is an effect of Swedish Massage therapy on the blood pressure of the elderly. Literature review research was carried out using PICO searches in several databases such as Google Scholar, Gaster, Hindawi, Macro, and Pubmed. It was found that 5 journals met the criteria and showed the results that Swedish Massage was carried out 5 times a week for 5 weeks, with a duration of 1 hour and a p-value of P < 0/005 showing a significant effect. The effects of Swedish Massage have an influence on smooth blood circulation, stimulate parasympathetic activity and increase the release of endorphins so that this process is useful in stabilizing blood pressure. Swedish Massage Therapy can be recommended as a treatment for improving blood pressure in people with hypertension.