In the U.S., 25.8 million children and adults—8.3 percent of the population—have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association, and a report released by the association Nov. 14 predicts that one in 10 people worldwide could have diabetes by 2030.
New research indicates that massage reduces blood-glucose level in diabetic children.
Investigators set out to determine the effect of Swedish massage on blood glucose level in children with diabetes mellitus, according to an abstract published on www.pubmed.gov.
“[This was a] prospective randomized controlled trial study that conducted on 36 children, 6 to 12 years old with diabetes mellitus, recruited from a hospital in Qom City, Iran,” the abstract stated. “The children were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups.”
Swedish massage was performed for 15 minutes, three times a week, for three months in the intervention group. Eighteen children were in the massage group and 18 were in a control group.
Blood glucose levels were evaluated immediately after every session of massage.
“There was statistically no significant difference in blood glucose levels before intervention between [the] two groups, but the blood glucose levels were lower significantly in the intervention group in comparison with [the] control group after [the] intervention,” the abstract noted. “Addition of Swedish massage to daily routines; exercise, diet and medication regimens, is an effective intervention to reduce blood glucose level in diabetic children.”
“How Effective is Swedish Massage on Blood Glucose Level in Children with Diabetes Mellitus?” was published in Acta Medica, the official journal of the Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences.