A scintigraphic study of post-massage blood flow in human lower limb

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the blood flow in the lower limbs of 12 healthy subjects immediately after a 10-min massage of the lateral part of one thigh. Massage was performed under standardized conditions of velocity (0, 1 m.s - 1 ), pressure (10 kPa), and frequency (0,25 Hz), using a semi-automatic device composed of four asymmetric rotative cones. Immediately after massage, a tracer (Tc-99m - MIBI) was injected, allowing scintigraphic evaluation of the blood flow in the entire body, and, for the purpose of this study, in the lateral part of both thighs and legs. The post-massage blood flow reached 2.07 n 0.55% (SD) of the total blood flow in the control thigh, and 1.89 n 0.48% (SD) in the massaged thigh. The paired Student t-test revealed a significant decrease in the massaged thigh (p = 0.047). The blood flow reached 2.5 n 0.65% (SD) of the total blood flow in the control leg, and 2.39 n 0.69% (SD) in the leg corresponding to the massaged thigh. This difference was not significant (p = 0.114). As an influence of the tracer, which was injected only after massage, can be excluded, the decreased blood flow observed in the treated thigh is concluded to be due to indirect effects of massage.